MACNIFICENT
Sale’s outgoing No.10’s still turning it up to 11!
Sale v Leicester Today, 3pm, BT Sport BY ROSS HEPPENSTALL
SALE boss Alex Sanderson admits he did not realise how talented AJ MacGinty is – and is refusing to take any credit for the fly-half’s fine form.
Sanderson took the reins at the ambitious Sharks 12 months ago and his side host runaway Premiership leaders Leicester today.
USA international MacGinty, 31, will leave the club at the end of the season and join Bristol – with Tigers and England star George Ford heading to Sale as his replacement.
Director of rugby Sanderson (right) said: “How AJ is applying himself now, given the fact he’s going to Bristol next season, is a measure of the man.
“He just loves the game, he loves to learn and he loves to get better.
“We’re providing that environment for him and that’s why he’s still very motivated.
“I wasn’t aware of how good AJ is, but then most people weren’t.
“He’s now playing some of his best rugby, but that’s not down to me because I know sweet-nothing about the decision-making of a No.10!
“Hopefully, though, I’ve helped to create an environment here where he is challenged a bit more and given the freedom to play.”
Sanderson will miss three England stars as Raffi Quirke, Bevan Rodd and Tom Curry prepare for Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Scotland.
All three starred in last week’s 49-10 Heineken Cup demolition of Ospreys. Sanderson said after the win that England might see Curry available to tackle Leicester.
He made a mistake, and admitted: “Saying Tom could be playing for us this weekend caused a whole heap of trouble.
“Firstly, I was wrong to assume. But I wasn’t thinking about the context of when this game is.
“If any of the England players had played in this weekend’s game, for Leicester or Sale, then they couldn’t have trained with England on the Monday.
“That would affect their
preparation fitness for a six-day turnaround going into a Six Nations match against Scotland.”
Sale won’t risk centre Manu Tuilagi against the England star’s old club today.
Tuilagi has not played since he tore a hamstring in November against South Africa.
Sanderson said: “He’s looked good in training this week, but we’re being careful.
“We think playing Manu this weekend is too much of a risk.”
Leicester are missing their England trio of Ford, Ben
Youngs and Ellis Genge but
South African forward
Hanro Liebenberg is back after a shoulder injury.