Sale Sharks are hoping to ride the current wave of Manchester-based sporting optimism and become the first northern side to claim the Premiership title for 17 years. Not since 2006 have the Sharks hoisted the domestic league trophy but their England fly-half George Ford says the club now have their eyes firmly fixed on the prize.
With both Manchester City and United in the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend and City also firmly in contention for Premier League and Champions League honours, Ford is keenly aware of the serious local competition in terms of headlines but believes a home Premiership semi-final for Sale would raise rugby’s profile across the north of England.
Friday night’s big win over Bristol means the Sharks will realise that ambition if they can secure another away success at Gloucester on Saturday. In that event Ford believes a high-profile occasion at the AJ Bell Stadium next month, potentially against his old club Leicester Tigers, would be “incredible” in terms of galvanising further support for the Sharks, whose last title was achieved back in the heyday of Jason Robinson, Sébastien Chabal, Mark Cueto and Jason White.
“The way the team have played – and the physicality and attitude they’ve shown – has meant the fans have really got behind them,” said Ford, who contributed 21 points in the convincing 36-20 victory at Ashton Gate. “It means a lot to the people up north so hopefully we can do that for them. We’re competing against some big football teams but all we can do is win, play good rugby and see who comes to watch us.”
Ford has also made clear that Sale are looking to raise their game to give themselves the best chance of reaching a Twickenham final. “I think there’s been a difference in the last two weeks in the way we’ve looked at and spoken about our game and, more importantly, taken action to improve it,” said the 30-year-old fly-half, now fully fit having recovered from a ruptured achilles tendon. “We had to be pretty honest with each other because we want to take a step forward at this time of the year. We don’t just want to hang in there.“
Specifically the Sharks are increasingly looking to put scoreboard pressure on their opponents, with Ford actively seeking to resurrect the lost art of the drop goal to maintain in-game momentum. “It’s such an incredible weapon,” said Ford. “It’s probably underused and a bit deflating for the opposition as well. We want to exert pressure on teams. If you change the scoreboard sometimes you change the way the opposition play. Opportunities come off the back of that.”
Sale’s other big weapon is their pack, with Ford particularly hailing the impact of the Curry twins, Tom and Ben. “It’s incredible. It’s not just the 80 minutes, it’s the way they train, drive standards and lead the team. They’re so physical, so fit and so relentless. They’re smart rugby players as well. I’m just glad they’re on my team. Sale have always been known for being a physical team. They love that side of the game. Our job is to put them in the right areas. If we can get in that sweet spot, hopefully we’ll be a difficult team to beat.”
There is also a widespread desire not to waste the form that has propelled the Sharks to second place behind front-runners Saracens. “It’s about getting into a finals mindset,” said Ford. “When you put yourself in a position to win, the whole point is to go on and do it. If we keep taking steps forward going into that semi-final, hopefully anything can happen. We want to keep getting better every week.”
