Alex Sanderson vows to ‘change minds and hearts’ after admitting to being ‘p*ssed off’ by Premiership super computer prediction
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson determined for club to impress.
Alex Sanderson leads third-placed Sale into the New Year vowing to “change minds and hearts” and earn the Sharks the respect he believes they do not currently get.
Sanderson is in his fifth season at the club he served with distinction as a player, following 15 hugely successful years coaching with Saracens.
In that time no Premiership club has reached the play-offs more times, yet he says: “I just don’t think we are rated, and I don’t understand why we are not.
Keep changing minds
“We have been in semi-finals year in, year out – barring one year in the last four years – and a final. Maybe it is because we are not the most flashy or the most fashionable. You tell me.
“They are a great bunch of lads, they work really hard and they play some great rugby but it is never written about in favourable terms. We will continue to do what we do and we will change minds and hearts, slowly.”
Sanderson and his players were irritated by a piece of data analysis published a month ago by Premiership Rugby which gave them little chance of finishing in the top four this season.
The list had Saracens, Bath and Leicester, Bristol, Northampton and Harlequins all above the northern powerhouse.
“In the midpoint [where the Gallagher-sponsored top flight is now] you can look at the league and say these are the teams that are in the running,” said the director of rugby. “Not five weeks ago, when the super computer gave us all those chances of making the play-offs.
“Nine per cent we got and we have used that to fuel us. I am still p*ssed off about it. We will let our performances speak for ourselves and we will see where we are in May and June.”
Already the message from the field is being heard loud and clear. Sale have beaten Leicester, Exeter and Bristol in successive league matches and handed Racing 92 a heavy defeat in Europe.
"Sod you, super computer" 😂
Alex Sanderson believes his Sale Sharks side will make the play-offs on current form 📈#SALvEXE | #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/Bo8z1rl0ns
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 21, 2024
Much of the improvement can be traced back to a change Sanderson made to the coaching set-up in November, appointing Byron McGuigan as defence coach. On Friday night the former Scotland star’s fingerprints were all over Sale’s stunning 38-0 win at Bristol.
“It was really tough having to let friends go from the coaching staff because we needed to get better as a coaching department,” Sanderson admitted.
Coaching change
“Any kind of small change takes a massive amount of effort and I believe Byron has brought that change about. So the midpoint review is a positive one.
“I just worry that as soon as you start saying stuff like that, there is a collective breath and a sigh and people relax.
“I’ve said to the players, ‘we are not done making statements and proving points, we are nowhere near done yet.'”
