Matt Williams slams ‘cynical’ Sale Sharks who lack ‘morality and decency’ and hopes they are ‘smashed’ by Leinster
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson and former Leinster head coach Matt Williams.
Ex-Leinster boss and outspoken pundit Matt Williams wants his former side to demolish Sale Sharks after claiming they have disrespected the Investec Champions Cup.
The two teams go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the competition at the Aviva Stadium with the Irish province heavy favourites for the encounter.
They are stacked with internationals and are regularly in contention for silverware, while their opponents have endured a difficult campaign in PREM Rugby and go into the clash without three of their key front-rowers.
Leinster are therefore expected to move through comfortably into the last-four, but Williams is particularly baying for blood this weekend.
English clubs, including Sale, have regularly fielded understrength squads following the change in the Champions Cup format and the Australian wants Alex Sanderson’s men to pay the price for that.
England clubs raise the ‘white flag’
“In a pool match, Sale were trounced by Toulouse 77-7. There is nothing lucky about all those 7s for Sale. It was an utter humiliation and not just on the scoreboard,” he wrote in his Irish Times column.
“Regrettably, in away pool stage games of the Champions Cup, many English clubs, including Sale, now run up the white flag and surrender these matches by selecting a second XV.
“With only a 50 per cent winning ratio in the pool stages and a points differential of -38, it is a fact that under the old six game pool system, Sale would not have qualified for a quarter-final.”
Williams described Sale as lacking “morality, decency and respect for the game” and slammed their attitude to arguably the toughest club competition in the world.
“While clubs that select weakened teams for away matches deserve the beltings they get, from a personal perspective, as someone who deeply enjoyed and respected the significant challenges of the old Heineken Cup, I hope Leinster smash Sale,” he wrote.
“Not because I am pro Leinster, but because the actions of clubs like Sale show they do not care about their opponents’ finances, the away supporters or the integrity of the Champions Cup.
“There is an old saying in rugby that if you disrespect your opponent, you are inviting disappointment into your life.
“I hope after full time at the Aviva, the away dressing room is filled with deep and bitter disappointment. Clubs, like Sale, that game the system cannot be allowed to benefit from their cynical actions.”
Leinster’s impressive record
Leinster have once again gone furthest of any Irish province in the Champions Cup, continuing their fine record of making it to the latter stages.
Although they have only won it once since 2012 – in 2018 – Williams praised their ability to compete with the best Europe and South Africa has to offer and snapped at those in Ireland who take delight in their failure.
“When we consider the budgets and playing populations, no Irish province should be able to mix it with the best from England and France. Yet year after year, Leinster are close to the top,” he added.
“Despite all of this unquestionable success, the non-Leinster supporters inside Ireland take great small-minded joy when Leinster are defeated in a Champions Cup or a URC play-off.
“The ignorant still argue that in winning last season’s URC Final and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions Cup, Leinster somehow failed. If Sale were to achieve the equivalent, their players would be popping the Champagne, as they would have triggered the bonus payments in their contract.”
