"Went really well" – Update on Tom Curry's stem cell procedure from Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson

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Sale Sharks host Exeter Chiefs in their final Premiership match before Christmas, with the Sharks aiming to extend their unbeaten home run even further, and Chiefs looking to get their first league win of the season on the board.

Some welcome news for Sale fans will be that Tom Curry has undergone his stem-cell procedure to fix his hip injury. “Went really well, it’s quite a new procedure, the stem cell stuff.” Sanderson said in Sale’s media session.

"Everyone’s really happy with his progress, he’s been buzzing around the place. He feels good in body and mind so I’m happy we did that for his long-term benefits. He could have played but it is important we look after him." 

When asked about this game potentially being season defining, Sale Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said that this point of the season brings a lot of pressure, as well as increased difficulties due to the distractions that the festive season brings. 

"100%, still a lot of pressure, I’m reveling in it because it’s where we are best, when there is something to fight for, backs against the wall. Points to prove and that’s still the case. 

"We had a couple of good games and one not so good so still all to play for in the Christmas period. I know how it goes this time of year, the white noise around Christmas, the lure to spend time with family and switch off is omnipresent, whether you play professional sport or otherwise.  

"The key is to switch back when you come in. We want to enjoy Christmas but we have a job to do.” 

Coming up against an Exeter side who are winless in the league this season, people may see Sharks as getting an easy win, with their home form being impeccable so far this year, but Sanderson insisted that despite the poor results, Chiefs have been putting in performances that aren't bad. Analysing Exeter, the Sale DoR said: 

"Yeah, we look at the things that we think are important around our own game and we compare ourselves to them in terms of the league standing. I’ll just mention a few, you know, what we’ve said to the boys to heighten our awareness to the threat that they are. They are around about level pegging with us in terms of set piece dominance so scrum and maul dominants, up in the top four. 

"They kick a lot of contestable kicks and more so since the Prem Cup , around second in the league, so there’s a kick competition and a really aggressive kicking strategy that they have.  

"They’ve got some really dangerous strike runners , as we know, Feyi-Waboso and the likes of Hodge, Woodburn if he’s back. Sladey (Henry Slade), gets the ball into his hands and they are number one for tackle dominance, so if you just look at those stats alone, it shows you they’re a side and the results of which are not really comparing to some of their abilities on the field.  

"Where they’re failing or where they’re looking to get right probably is in either end of the 22. They might concede are a little bit too easily and they’re not scoring as often as the should. 

"But the means and ways of getting there and making them a competitive side are evident to see if we just look at the stats." 

There seems to be a feel-good factor surrounding the Sharks camp now, which has been brought back after a heavy defeat to Glasgow Warriors a couple of weeks ago, when speaking about how this positivity had come back, Sanderson said: 

"That is the most rewarding thing. We had to rest a few against Glasgow, but it was still a strong team we put out, and then when you get kind of drummed as we did, maybe 35-19, whatever it was. We met in a cafe in Manchester on Monday morning and I’m sat there with game drivers, these are the leaders.  

"And we’re asking about what the reflections were, and it was Ben Curry, our captain said, we feel we’re in we’re going down the right way Al. You know it’s been three or four weeks since we’ve changed our principles in our language and our policies, and we want to keep going down the way that we’ve set ourselves to and then then you can go ‘right brilliant we’ve got them’. 

"Like their belief and what we’re doing in the way we’re going was proven at the weekend, so a big relief, actually, not only the performance, but it was more of a relief, but that what the things were put into place do work against good teams." 

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