Sale Sharks v Harlequins | Matchday Programme

Your Sharks are approaching a busy month with huge games in the Premiership and the Heineken Champions Cup to contend with, so for tonight’s Premiership Rugby Cup clash, Alex has handed over control of the team – and his programme column – to Senior Academy Coach Gareth Harris….

GARETH HARRISSENIOR ACADEMY COACH

GAMEDAY WITH GARETH

WELCOME BACK TO THE AJ BELL STADIUM FOR A REALLY IMPORTANT PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CUP FIXTURE AGAINST HARLEQUINS. IT’S A GROUP STAGE GAME BUT WE’RE SEEING IT AS A KNOCK-OUT QUARTERFINAL BECAUSE QUALIFICATION FOR THE SEMI-FINAL IS ON THE LINE.

Can I first of all extend a warm welcome to everyone from Harlequins. We know Tabai Matson and his coaches have so much talent at their disposal and we’re in no doubt that whoever they send will give us a massive challenge tonight. We’ll have to be at our very best if we want to come out on top and progress to the next stage.

That’s what we’ve been focusing on this week – making sure we’re as good as we can be. We know that if we do that then we’ve got a really good chance of making it through to the semifinal of a competition we’d love to win again. Results so far in the competition have been really good but in terms of our performance, I think we saw a massive improvement in round two compared to round one. The challenge now is to pick up where we left off.

The big positive for us coming into tonight’s game is that most of the young lads in the squad

have had plenty of game time either out on loan at Caldy, Sale FC or others, or in our first team here. We’re really grateful to these clubs for the work they do with us to develop our young players and I think the players benefit massively from the relationships we’ve fostered.

In training this week they’ve all looked really sharp and ready, whereas in early September, when we played the first two rounds, they didn’t have the same minutes behind them. We’ve had a brilliant training week and we’re all just really excited to see what the boys can do tonight.

You’ll get a glimpse tonight of some of the young lads who we believe can be a massive part of the future of this club. We want to be a club that gives young players a real chance and everyone here is committed to building a group of young players who want to stick around and grow with us.

And alongside the young players, we’re hoping that you’ll get a chance to see some of our more experienced new players tonight. Jason Woodward has been with us since the start of the season and he’s ready to pull on a Sharks shirt for the first time after working really hard to get fit, as is Ryan Mills who only joined recently from Wasps. We’ve also got senior lads who need game time to get them up to match fitness because we need everyone fit and ready to put their hands up for selection during a really busy, exciting period for the club over Christmas and into the new year.

This competition is one that we’ve had success in in the past and there’s no reason why we can’t win it again. Everything is in our hands and as I said, we’re seeing tonight as a quarter-final. It’s all on the line but we know that if we get our performance right tonight, then this group will have another chance to play again in February.

FROM THE SHARK TANK

OUR WEEKLY GUEST SPOT FROM THE PODCASTING SUPERFANS OVER AT THE SHARK TANK, THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE OF RUGBY PODCASTING, WITH A DETAILED, IRREVERENT AND OCCASSIONALLY CYNICAL LOOK AT ALL THINGS SALE SHARKS.

It’s always nice to be settling back into a competition where you are undefeated, so it’s a welcome return to Premiership Rugby Cup action tonight at the AJ Bell. With Sale top of their group after victories over Leicester and Newcastle, tonight’s game against Quins is an opportunity to cement a place in the semi-finals of a tournament that we now have a very realistic chance of winning.

As is always the case with this competition it’s been a great opportunity for some match time for the wider squad, with the likes of Nye Thomas and Elliot Gourlay putting in impressive performances in the earlier rounds which will stand them in good stead both for this game and later into the competition. We’ve also seen the future of the club with players like Huw Davies and Cal Morris, who have been making waves at National One level with Sale FC, starting to gain exposure in the Sharks shirt. It becomes a tricky balancing act as we progress further in the competition to ensure everyone gets gametime, so hopefully we continue to give those players who drove the victories in the

groups the exposure further down the line.

While the format of this competition still eludes us (just when we thought we’d got our heads round it, the sad demise of Worcester and Wasps threw everything back up in the air), we’re fairly sure a win tonight gets us a semi-final spot and that means we’re two wins away from another trophy. While there are bigger prizes at stake for the club now, it’s never bad to be in contention for these sorts of things and reflects both the strength of our

academy to develop the talent coming through, as well as the wider squad depth we have this season which enables us to compete both in the Premiership and this competition.

Of course Quins have an incredibly exciting style of rugby which runs through their DNA from top to bottom, so it’s no easy feat to gain a victory over this side. Their academy continues to produce talent which fits seamlessly into the first team and onto winning England caps. However, it’s fair to say that our academy does so too! With home advantage (and having beaten Quins in this competition at the Stoop last season) we should be hopeful of not just an entertaining game but an entertaining victory, and progression into the latter stages of the tournament with an unbeaten record and a great shot at the trophy. First things first though, win tonight!

Enjoy the game, Alex, James and Lewis

TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST, CLICK HERE:

SAM DUGDALE

The Premiership Rugby Cup is a breeding ground for the Sharks stars of the future, but for tonight’s skipper Sam Dugdale, it’s a chance to prove he’s worthy of a spot in Alex Sanderson’s squad when the big Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup challenges come around.

The 23-year-old flanker captains Your Sharks for the second time tonight, having first being given the honour earlier in this competition against Newcastle, and he knows just how important his role is.

“I try not to overthink it too much but it is a huge honour and a really valuable experience for me,” he said. “I know I’m one of the older players in the squad now so the role brings a bit more responsibility on and off the pitch and I’m ready for that.

“I think I’m the sort of captain who leads by example rather than someone who shouts a lot, but I’m still learning the role. We have some fantastic leaders at the club like Jono Ross and Ben Curry, so when I do get the chance to be captain, I try as much as I can to learn from them.

“I know I’m not the most vocal person on the pitch but tonight

Former Kirkham Grammar pupil Sam joined the Sharks academy system at the age of 14, but then was released at the end of the 2019/20. His time away from the game lasted just four months though, after back-row injuries led to a new contract and a second chance.

“After I came back the club felt different,” he said. “It felt like everyone was tighter on and off the pitch and the atmosphere around Carrington was brilliant.

“The squad this year is full of lads who have grown up together so everyone gets on and everyone is pulling in the same direction. We all want to help and support each other and I think Alex has a lot to do with that. He has brought in this culture where we all feel like we’re part of one big squad.

“The Premiership Cup is a perfect

example of that. It’s a fantastic competition for the younger players and I’m sure they’re all really excited about tonight, but we all want to be involved in the Premiership or in Europe, and this a massive chance to get some minutes and show Alex what we can do.

“We know it won’t be easy tonight. Quins are a brilliant team and whoever they’ve picked tonight will give us a massive test. We know they’ll throw the ball around but our focus this week has been on how we can impose our game on them and get the result we need.

“We’ve approached this game in exactly the same way as a normal Premiership game and we all know we’re potentially only a couple of games away from a final and then maybe a trophy. We won it a couple of years ago and we’d all love to do it again.”

LOCAL SHARKS SHORTLISTED FOR PREM RUGBY HITZ AWARDS

TWO INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS FROM SALE SHARKS ARE TO HAVE THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS ON AND OFF THE PITCH RECOGNISED AT THE PREMIERSHIP RUGBY HITZ AWARDS 2022 ON 22 NOVEMBER AT TWICKENHAM STADIUM.

HITZ is Premiership Rugby’s flagship education and employability programme, supporting young people to make positive changes in their lives. Working with more than 2,000 14–24-year-olds across England every year, the programme is supported by CVC, Wooden Spoon and East Head Impact, with Central YMCA as the programme’s official education provider.

Participants on the programme learn in an environment different to mainstream education where rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline, and sportsmanship are at the heart of

the session delivery. The results are life changing.

Shortlisted from Sale Sharks are two individuals with stories of selfdiscipline, commitment and courage beyond measure. They have worked against all odds to improve their own lives or the lives of others within an inclusive environment of the HITZ family.

Kev Mannion is shortlisted for the Champion Award. This recognises an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to support HITZ participants to overcome their personal barriers. They may be a member of the HITZ team or the local community.

Bunni Ledwards is shortlisted for the Young Achiever Award. This recognises and rewards a young person who, by overcoming a range of challenges, has worked the hardest to progress on their journey back to education, training or employment.

Alison Warwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Sale Sharks Foundation said:

“We know how tough the competition is in these awards as there are so many compelling stories of success across all the clubs. For Bunni and Kev to be shortlisted is a huge achievement and we are incredibly proud of them.”

To find out more use the link below. CLICK here

FOR BUNNI AND KEV TO BE SHORTLISTED IS A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT AND WE

ALISON WARWOOD Sharks Foundation Chief Executive Officer

ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THEM.

Towering lock Ben Bamber joined Sharks during the 2021/22 season following his release from Bristol Bears.

Standing at 6’9” and weighing in at more than 120kg, Ben originally made the move to the south-west after being spotted playing rugby league in Huddersfield. Before joining Sharks he gained first team experience in the 2021/22 season after being dual registered with Dings Crusaders.

A native northerner, Ben has represented England at under 20 level and was part of the England U20 elite player squad in 2021.

EWAN MURPHY

Another from the Lymm High School production line, second row Ewan Murphy started playing rugby at the age of four when he joined the u7s at Lymm RFC with his brother Josef.

Ewan excelled at golf and athletics, among other sports, and joined the Sharks Academy at under 15s level.

Originally a centre, Ewan switched to a role in the forwards at age of 15 when he attended the annual Wellington Festival, the largest academy festival in English rugby.

Ewan has represented England at under 19 level and made his debut for the Sharks first team in the Premiership Rugby Cup fixture against Leicester Tigers in November, 2021.

Our team is your team; your ambitions are our ambitions. Let’s achieve them together.

ELLIOT GOURLAY

Versatile Elliot Gourlay is yet another graduate of Kirkham Grammar School and has played his rugby right across the back-line, featuring at fly half, centre and full back.

Elliot played his junior rugby at Altrincham Kersal RFC before joining the Sharks Academy.

He has represented Scotland at junior international level and was part of Sean Lineen’s squad for the 2021 under 20 Six Nations.

Elliot made his first appearance for the Sharks first team in the Premiership Rugby Cup fixture against Newcastle in November, 2021.

YOUR SHARKS

FORWARDS

GEORGE ARNOLD

ROUBAN BIRCH

BEN BAMBER

EWAN ASHMAN

ETHAN CAINE

JOSH BEAUMONT

DOM BARROW

BEN CARLILE

PATREECE BELL

ELLIS CAUSEY

HUW DAVIES

JAMES HARPER

SAM DUGDALE

BEN CURRY

DAN DU PREEZ

ROSS HARRISON

CAL FORD

TOM CURRY

JEAN-LUC DU PREEZ

JONNY HILL

ALEX GROVES

JOE JONES

YANDE NKONGE

JONO ROSS

MATT POSTLETHWAITE

SIMON MCINTYRE

TUMY ONASANYA

NICK SCHONERT

WILL RILEY

EWAN MURPHY

COENIE OOSTHUIZEN

TOMMY TAYLOR

BEVAN RODD

BACKS

HARRY THOMPSON

TRISTAN WOODMAN

CONNOR DOHERTY

JOE CARPENTER

AKKER VAN DER MERWE

ROB DU PREEZ

WILL CLIFF

COBUS WIESE

JOE BEDLOW

GEORGE FORD

TOM CURTIS

ELLIOT GOURLAY

SAM JAMES

ARRON REED

TOM O’FLAHERTY

SAM HILL

BYRON MCGUIGAN

TOM ROEBUCK

AARON POPE

LUKE JAMES

BEN MOTAMED

JOE SIMPSON

RAFFI QUIRKE

NYE THOMAS

CHARLIE WARDLE

MANU TULAGI

KIERAN WILKINSON

GUS WARR

JASON WOODWARD