Sale dreaming of Premiership glory and northern rugby union revival

T here was one sentence uttered on Sunday that best summed up the challenge Sale Sharks face. It did not come from the director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, or man-of-the-match George Ford, rather from the taxi driver on the way to the AJ Bell Stadium. He had not heard of it and needed the postcode to get there. “Are you sure you don’t mean the Etihad?”

Sale are fighting what can sometimes feel like a losing battle for exposure and for eyeballs against two of the biggest football teams in the world. They must coexist in rugby league territory for good measure and that they can feel ignored in the north of England in what is often a southern-centric sport only adds to the challenge.

Judging by the sold-out show they put on for their Premiership playoff win over Leicester, booking a first final appearance in 17 years in the process, fans are making a good fist of it, displaying energy and enthusiasm to match that with which Alex Sanderson’s side play.

Sanderson is northern to the core. He had received other job offers while at Saracens but it was the chance to come home that finally persuaded him to leave. Delivering on the field is his priority but he makes no secret of the fact that reinvigorating northern rugby is also chief among them. It is why he convinced Ford – the standout performer against his old club Leicester and another with roots in the north-west – to join last summer.

More than that, it can be seen in the identity of Sale’s two try-scorers against Leicester. Tom Roebuck and Arron Reed are 22 and 23 respectively, academy graduates with bright futures ahead. Joe Carpenter, originally from Leeds, showcased the kind of form that won him a place in the Premiership team of the season. Gus Warr and Raffi Quirke