Date published: 26/02/2010

Sale Sharks’ Director of Rugby Kingsley Jones reflected on a poor home performance against Leeds last weekend and appealed for supporters to help get Sale Sharks back on track. 

"It’s been a really tough week and it’s still going to continue to be a tough week until we get the chance to play this Saturday against Gloucester and hopefully redeem ourselves,” Jones said. “It doesn’t get any easier in the Premiership, but we need to go to Kingsholm and put it right because Friday night was unacceptable. There are no excuses. It was very disappointing for everybody involved in the club: for the owners, the supporters, the staff and the players.” 

Eager to move up the Premiership table from tenth place, Kingsley admitted, “We’ve got to play every game as if it’s our last, with a lot of desire and a lot of passion, because ultimately that’s why Leeds beat us last weekend. They were more desperate than us.” 

Sale Sharks currently have 23 points and have nine matches left to play in the Premiership, including five home games. Jones said, “People are saying ‘we’ve got too much quality in the squad to be in a relegation battle’, ‘we’ve got a game in hand’ and ‘we’ve got five home games left this season’. That is absolute rubbish. We’ve got to get out of that mentality right now.” 

“The mentality we need right now is to be as desperate as Leeds have been from the first game of the season: playing every game like it’s a relegation battle.” 

Gloucester are in ninth position at the moment with 26 points having won five games so far this season, four of which have been on home soil. “Kingsholm is a tough place to go and play. We are both desperate for a win. What I’m expecting is that our players can get back on the bus after the game and look me in the eye whether we win, lose or draw. The minimum requirement is that they give 110% every time they put the Sale Sharks shirt on.” 

Kingsley added, “One thing I want to emphasise is that our supporters are vital to Sale Sharks getting a win. The team needs their support and encouragement. Last week I was embarrassed by our performance. I really felt like we let our supporters down.” 


“All I can say to supporters is, please come back and give us another opportunity to put it right. There will be happier times to come. I think we’ve reached our nadir. Hopefully that performance last weekend will never happen again and we will strive to get a win this weekend against Gloucester.” 

For this weekend’s game, Carl Fearns and Lee Thomas miss out, Fearns has a shoulder injury and Thomas damaged his fingers in the defeat to Leeds. Richard Wigglesworth returns at scrum half as Dwayne Peel has been training with Wales all week along with Eifion Roberts. Brent Cockbain is among the replacements following his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained against Gloucester in October. 

Sale Sharks Team……………..Marika Vakacegu, Oriol Ripol, Dafydd James, David Bishop, Ben Cohen, Charlie Hodgson, Richard Wigglesworth, Eifion Roberts, Mahonri Schwalger, Martin Halsall, Chris Jones, Dean Schofield, Kristian Ormsby, David Seymour, Sisa Koyamaibole 

Replacements Neil Briggs, Gavin Kerr, Rob O’Donnell, Brent Cockbain, Sean Cox, Dwayne Peel, Ed Styles, Jordan Davies