"We did reflect"- Alex Sanderson reveals the benefits the Six Nations break had for Sale's England stars

03/30/2025 06:11 AM

Sale Sharks have a home Prem fixture for the first time since before the Six Nations, as they face reigning champions Northampton Saints, who have had a disappointing season and sit in eighth. 

Saints are coming off a huge 33-0 loss in the East Midlands derby against Leicester Tigers last week, while the Sharks comfortably defeated Newcastle Falcons 39-15 at Kingston Park. 

It was a step in the right direction for Friday night's hosts, who have struggled away from home thus far, with Sale’s Director of Rugby Sanderson speaking on how he reflected on the poor away form over the Six Nations break. 

He said: "We did reflect, we didn’t really take it to home and away. We looked at our ability to prepare individually and collectively, is there anything we can do as a coaching group, but also administratively? In terms of travel, when we travel, how we travel. The mornings before, getting them out of the hotel rooms, which we do quite a lot. 

"Most of it was just around the gaps in our game model and our KPIs, of which we have 35, the consistency within them and the factors which led to those inconsistencies and how we can improve them. Part of it is personnel, we have to look at some of those teams who went on the road, some of the players we were missing were key personnel." 

Sanderson admitted that if his team are to get in the top four, they need to be better on their travels and he spoke as a whole about the challenge that the last portion of the season will bring his team. 

"The majority of these games in the run in are away and by the very nature of semifinals and finals given our position, will be away. So, we have to start performing and winning away. Four out of the six we have got to win with bonus points. There are three away games in there. All those teams that are above us we will play, bar Bath. It’s arbitrary, you can’t start targeting games in this period, you must win them all. 

"The confidence that if we do that, we’re going to be able to compete and beat anyone, there’s the challenge of putting out the team that we want to put out consistently over 9/11 games that we have left depending on how we do in Europe. That’s a long stretch; they tend to burn out after about 7. There’s got to be a bit of rotation and game management for the run in." 

With seven of his players in the England squad for the Six Nations, as well as WillGriff John for Wales, it may have been easy for those players to not be focused on the first game back. 

As it happened, they looked at home back at Sale and it was like they had never left. Sanderson explained how important this was for the team. 

"That’s the biggest win and the most positive thing, making sure they are coming back in and part of the group again, performing in a Sale shirt and they haven’t left a bit of themselves back in the Six Nations, that was the most rewarding thing about last week. Now it's about getting better." 

Reflecting on Saints' previous defeat against rivals Tigers, Sanderson gave his view on the game and the reaction that he expects Phil Dowson's side to have up at the Salford Community Stadium. 

"Leicester were really good, Saints looked a bit scratchy by their standards. They’re a smart and proud team and we caught them at their ground after a couple of big losses, a team on the rebound, so we are well aware of the threat that they will possess this weekend. You can’t predict what they’re going to do but you know they’re going to be better for it, unfortunately." 

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