Sport
Interview: Danny Cipriani on Sale Sharks’ Rugby Union season start
Danny Cipriani has spoken exclusively to Ticketmaster Blog about Sale Sharks‘ start to the Aviva Premiership season.
They opened the season away to reigning champions Saracens and were hammered 41-3, and Cipriani says he is pleased at how to side have responded to the heavy defeat: “The boys bounced back very well from the first game, it obviously took us a bit by shock.
“We spent a lot of pre-season learning new shapes and developing as players and getting up into that intensity of that Premiership level we were just off the mark that day and Saracens showed just what they can do.
“But from that, the way we bounced back the ways the boys have responded has been excellent. We’ve taken that learning that we’ve done all through pre-season but we’ve brought back in what we’re good at, our strengths and we’ve really played to them it’s been great to be part of.”
Adding: “I was so impressed with how the boys came back but also they still upped their game in certain areas it was great to see the young lads in Sam James and Mike Haley to really keep bossing what they’re doing and to have Chris Cusiter and Peter Stringer with their experience it really helps with driving this team forwards so it was a great team effort beating Northampton.”
He went on to praise the impact of new coach Paul Deacon: “Paul has educated the boys on their running line, and has brought a lot in that way. He’s helped the forwards because they’ve got an awful lot to do with scrums and lineouts but its about educating them on what type of line to run, how to play the ball, and it’s also helping the backs share the workload with them and that’s something we’ve really had to learn and get used to over these last 3 weeks”
Focusing on the side’s victory over Northampton Saints he commended the side’s defensive effort to keep the Saints out: “It took a lot of heart and courage, it was a very Sale Sharks like performance. A way we’ve shown over the last few years.
“But as a team we can’t just rest on our laurels and be happy that we’re up we need to go from good and get better and keep driving and keep getting the score whether that be 3-7. I think that’s exactly where we’re trying to get to now as supposed to at the weekend we can be happy with that and thinking we can just defend for the rest of the game. The Premiership is going to be too tough this year so we need to keep challenging the opposition and we’ll keep working on that.
The England fly-half also commended the fanbase who come to games at the AJ Bell Stadium: “The AJ Bell has been a fantastic place to play, the pitch has been great too.
“The support has been fantastic. Currently we get between 4 and a half or 5,000 but it seems like there’s a lot more in the stands because of the noise they make and they’ve got to just keep coming and supporting in that way because the boys really do feel it and buzz off it. Having that home stability will be very key for us this year but we’re very keen on getting those away victories it’ll be very important. We look forward to more fans joining us at our forthcoming home games.”
Get full fixtures and tickets for Sale Sharks in the Aviva Premiership now at Ticketmaster.co.uk.
