Mako: Al has made Sharks something to fear again
Saracens v
Premiership Final, Saturday, Twickenham, kick-off 3pm
BY
ENGLAND star Mako Vunipola says that he knew Sale were headed for the top long before they “ran their blood to water” last weekend.
Sharks contest their first Gallagher Premiership Final since being crowned champions of England 17 years ago when they take on Vunipola’s Saracens at Twickenham on Saturday.
It means a reunion between the north Londoners and Sale boss Alex Sanderson, the coach so influential in Saracens’ pre-lockdown dominance of European rugby.
“We always knew here at Sarries how special Al is as a coach and a person,” said prop Vunipola (above). “And that if he did the same at Sale then success would come to them as a team.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, and we know Sale will be pumped for it. We know they will have a plan – and a lot of that will be down to the work that he does.”
This is Saracens’ ninth Premiership final since Jason Robinson captained Sharks to Twickenham glory against Leicester on a rainswept day in 2006.
It took the ‘cream of Manchester’ another 15 years to even reach the play-offs – but now, having finished second to Saracens
Sale Sharks
ALEX SPINK
in the regular season, they are 80 minutes from emphatically proving that “Northern rugby matters”.
With support staff wearing T-shirts emblazoned with that three-word slogan last weekend, Sale drew a record home crowd to see George Ford get the better of his old club Leicester in an epic semi-final.
Sharks’ performance left Sanderson on the verge of tears, so proud was he of what the players gave to the badge.
“These are British Lions players who ran their blood to water,” he said. “They drank deep from the well. We’ve worked really hard on resilience and a lot of that paid off.”
They will have to find another level still if they are to beat a Saracens side on a mission to erase the pain of drop-goal defeat to Leicester in last year’s final.
Owen Farrell’s men demolished Northampton in their semi-final, marrying muscle with an eye for the half chance. But Sale pride themselves on their physicality and if anyone knows how to get under Saracens’ skin it’s Sanderson.
Sale’s England back row Tom Curry warned: “We’re physical, we’ve got an ability to be exciting and an ability to stay within our kicking game. It’s about us bringing out our best – then Saracens will have to
cope with that.”