Welcome back to the Salford Stadium for our final game of a rollercoaster of a 2024. This time last year we were top of the league, but then we know what happened after Christmas, and it took a huge effort to win five on the bounce and make the top four. It’s been a challenging year for lots of reasons, but a year we can be proud of and it ends with a game that everyone is looking forward to against an Exeter team who are much better than their league position suggests.
I’ve spoken in the past few weeks about some changes that we’ve made and after Glasgow I didn’t think we were too far off. There were small percentages across the board which are punished when you play the very best teams. We asked for small percentage improvements against Racing and we got it. Our breakdowns were better, Byron’s defence was on point and while there are still improvements we can make, it was really rewarding to see the things we’ve worked on, our power game, our intensity and our excitement in attack, coming to the fore.
After the Glasgow we met up in a café at the world’s biggest sauna, and I sat with a group we call the ‘game drivers’. It was Ben Curry who said he feels like we’re going in the right direction. It’s been three or four week since since we changed some of our policies, our philosophies and our language and it was brilliant to hear that the players have belief in what we’re doing. That belief was proven at the weekend and to be honest, it was a massive relief to see that they’re on board with where we’re trying to head. Now I want to see them carry that into this weekend’s game.
Speaking of Ben, I thought he was fantastic on both sides of the ball at the weekend. He was physical, influential and his decision-making and leadership were great. He’s fired up and good to go again this weekend.
Our opponents this weekend, Exeter Chiefs, haven’t had a great season so far, but our analysis looks at the things that we think are important compared to our own game and we know exactly how much of a threat they are. They are pretty much level pegging with us in terms of set-piece dominance, they kick a lot of contestable kicks and they’re aggressive in that strategy, they’ve got dangerous runners and they’re top of the table in tackle dominance. So the performances are not matching up to their results. They might concede a bit too easily and they’re not scoring enough, but they’re right up there in stats and they’re in every game.
They had a tough game last week against Toulouse but they were competitive at the breakdown. They showed fantastic resilience. It never felt like they were getting hammered and they were playing against a team who are playing rugby from another planet.
We’re under no illusions what kind of task we’ve got on our hands in this game and we know that if we’re not at it, they’re good enough to take advantage. We know they’ll be angry and desperate and the long and short of it is, don’t get into an arm wrestle with a desperate team.
I spoke last week about the next nine weeks defining our season. We’re down to eight weeks now but I feel exactly the same. The pressure is on, our backs are against the wall and we have a point to prove, but I feel that’s when we’re at our best. We’ve had two good games and one that wasn’t so good so we’ve still got that point to prove. I’m relishing it and the lads are too.
I know it’s Christmas but we have to block out the white noise that that brings. The key is to be able to switch off and then switch back on. We’ve got a job to do and the turkey and the pigs in blankets will taste far better if we get a win this weekend.
I will say that this period in the season feels very, very different to this time last year or even to the start of this season. We had so many injuries, but the lads all feel fresh now and ready to go and I’m hoping we’re building to a peak. Like I said, the next eight weeks are huge and I’m excited for the challenge.
The final thing from me, is to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year from everyone at Sale Sharks. From the owners, to the players and coaches to the commercial and off-field staff, we all really do appreciate your support and I hope that we’ve made you proud of your team in 2024.
We had our club Christmas dinner this week. Everyone in the same room, exchanging secret santa presents and enjoying an amazing meal prepared by our chefs Grace and Steve. It was another reminder, if anyone needed it, of how special this club is. You are a huge part of that and know we can count on your support as we go into a big 2025.
Enjoy the game,
Al
