Director of Rugby: Steve Diamond
Head Coach: Bryan Redpath
Captain: Daniel Braid
Position 2013/2014: 6th
Predicted Position 2014/2015: 7th
Sale Sharks Season Preview
Steve Diamond and Bryan Redpath will have been delighted with sixth place last term as it’s significant progress from the 2012/13 season’s tenth place finish.
Sale have recruited well in the off season with experienced players Nathan Hines, Chris Cussiter, Alberto De Marchi, Luke McLean all signing up at the Salford City Stadium. Magnus Lund has also returned to the club after six years with Biarritz.
On the back of Sale’s form last season, England Coach Stuart Lancaster called up six Sharks players for the New Zealand Summer tour, showing that Sale’s great work is not going unnoticed.
Danny Cipriani’s return to form was very welcome for everyone at Sale and both Diamond and Redpath will be praying that this form will continue into the new season.
Daniel Braid will captain the side. Along with Cipriani, he was key to pretty much every good thing that the Sharks created from their forwards last season.
Sale Sharks will most likely finish mid-table again this season, but could suffer from Henry Thomas and James Gaskell’s departures to Bath and Wasps respectively. If they can cope without Thomas and Gaskell, Sale will be a hard nut to crack, especially at home.
Players In:
Alberto De Marchi (Prop) from Benetton Treviso
Darren Fearn (Prop) from Bedford Blues
Nathan Hines (Second Row/Back Row) from Clermont Auvergne
Magnus Lund (Back Row) from Biarritz
Chris Cusiter (Scrum Half) from Glasgow Warriors
Luke McLean (Full Back) from Benetton Treviso
Players Out:
Henry Thomas (Prop) to Bath Rugby
Tom Holmes (Second Row) to Rotherham Titans
Kirill Kulemin (Second Row) to USA Perpignan
James Gaskell (Second Row/Back Row) to Wasps
Dwayne Peel (Scrum Half) to Bristol Rugby
Rob Miller (Full Back) to Wasps
Tony Buckley Retired
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