Planet Rugby

Cueto relieved with win

07th November 2012 11:29

Mark Cueto Sale Sharks AVP 2012

Confidence restored: Mark Cueto

Sale Sharks wing Mark Cueto hopes his side's first victory in the Aviva Premiership this season will set the tone for the rest of their campaign.

Sale ended a seven-match losing streak in the Premiership after beating London Irish 21-9 at City of Salford Stadium last Friday, and the former England flyer admitted the victory felt like they had "won the league".

The Sharks were deserved winners after scoring the only two tries of the match in the first half through Nick Macleod and Johnny Leota, and while they remain bottom of the table, victory moves them to within four points of London Irish and London Welsh.

"The pressure is on massively, it's such a tight league. Any team can beat any team on any day and that's testament to how good the Premiership is," Cueto told the Manchester Evening News.

"We don't change too much, obviously little things here and there, but you need results.

"It doesn't matter if you're in your first season in the Premiership or your 10th it's still a simple game.

"Hopefully, the boys will have a bit of confidence now. We've had a few games where we should have won, we should have won at Worcester, but when you're in that hole it's difficult to see games out.

"We were leading against Saracens but lost the game so we know we're not far off. But you can't keep talking about confidence and belief if you haven't got results. Hopefully, off the back of this, we can build."

Victory was the perfect way to end a tumultuous week for the former champions, after the removal of Bryan Redpath as director of rugby.

Redpath was then installed as head coach, with chief executive Steve Diamond putting himself in charge of first-team duties.

On this evidence it is a move that has paid dividends just in time to give Sale realistic hope of salvaging their season - and their place in the top flight.

"It's been crazy with Brush sort of leaving and then coming back in, and we said before the game we're the only people that can affect what goes on," added the 32-year-old Cueto.

"The more games you lose the more bullets fly and rightly so - the guys at the top of the club have put in a lot of money.

"It's like Dimes said, in any walk of life if you don't perform then you're under pressure. It was a huge result for the players and for the club."

Comments

Be the first to comment on this story..


Character Count : 0/1900

Forthcoming Fixtures
FixtureDetails
All times are local
Aviva Premiership
Saturday , May 25
Leicester vs Northampton15:00
More Aviva Premiership fixtures
RaboDirect PRO12
Saturday , May 25
Ulster vs Leinster16:45
More RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures
Super Rugby
Friday , May 24
Chiefs vs Crusaders08:35
Melbourne Rebels vs Waratahs10:40
Saturday , May 25
Blues vs Brumbies08:35
Western Force vs Highlanders10:40
Southern Kings vs Cheetahs16:00
Stormers vs Reds16:05
Sharks vs Bulls18:10
More Super Rugby fixtures
Recent Results
FixtureDetails
All times are local
Heineken Cup
Saturday , May 18
Clermont Auvergne 15 - 16 ToulonClermont Auvergne vs Toulon Report
More Heineken Cup results
Super Rugby
Crusaders 23 - 3 BluesCrusaders vs Blues Report
Bulls 35 - 18 HighlandersBulls vs Highlanders Report
Waratahs 28 - 22 BrumbiesWaratahs vs Brumbies Report
Cheetahs 27 - 13 RedsCheetahs vs Reds Report
More Super Rugby results
Amlin Challenge Cup
Friday , May 17
Stade Francais 13 - 34 LeinsterStade Francais vs Leinster Report
More Amlin Challenge Cup results
Super Rugby
Hurricanes 12 - 17 ChiefsHurricanes vs Chiefs Report
Melbourne Rebels 30 - 21 StormersMelbourne Rebels vs Stormers Report
Western Force 13 - 23 SharksWestern Force vs Sharks Report
More Super Rugby results
Aviva Premiership
Sunday , May 12
Saracens 13 - 27 NorthamptonSaracens vs Northampton Report
Saturday , May 11
Leicester 33 - 16 HarlequinsLeicester vs Harlequins Report
More Aviva Premiership results
RaboDirect PRO12
Leinster 17 - 15 GlasgowLeinster vs Glasgow Report
More RaboDirect PRO12 results
Top 14
Castres 25 - 12 MontpellierCastres vs Montpellier Report
More Top 14 results
Super Rugby
Blues 36 - 32 Melbourne RebelsBlues vs Melbourne Rebels Report
Southern Kings 34 - 27 HighlandersSouthern Kings vs Highlanders Report
Waratahs 21 - 15 StormersWaratahs vs Stormers Report
More Super Rugby results
RaboDirect PRO12
Friday , May 10
Ulster 28 - 17 ScarletsUlster vs Scarlets Report
More RaboDirect PRO12 results
Top 14
Toulouse 33 - 19 Racing Metro ParisToulouse vs Racing Metro Paris Report
More Top 14 results
Super Rugby
Chiefs 22 - 21 Western ForceChiefs vs Western Force Report
Reds 32 - 17 SharksReds vs Sharks Report
Cheetahs 34 - 39 HurricanesCheetahs vs Hurricanes Report
Sunday , May 5
Brumbies 23 - 30 CrusadersBrumbies vs Crusaders Report
More Super Rugby results
Aviva Premiership
Saturday , May 4
Leicester 32 - 20 London IrishLeicester vs London Irish Report
London Welsh 33 - 22 WorcesterLondon Welsh vs Worcester Report
Harlequins 22 - 19 NorthamptonHarlequins vs Northampton Report
More Aviva Premiership results