Sale the new Saffracens

[Fats]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/sale-sharks-are-ripping-off-the-saffacens-model-and-it-might-just-work

[Neils]

If that isn't a spoof then it is a SA strip. Wonder what happened to their blue and white plus luminous versions.

[Fats]

It's a Shark's shirt I think.

More Saffas to come

https://www.planetrugby.com/du-preez-twins-sign-loan-deals-at-sale-sharks/

[Westy68]

Sale looking like a good team, all depends if diamond can get the right tune out of them.

If he does I can see top 4

[Rifleman Harris]

I think that next year will be very competitive and the difference between top 4 and bottom 2 will be marginal.  I would say the only certainty will be the Estate Agents in the Top 2 as they can spend what they like.  I have a feeling Exeter will be caught to some extent by a few of the 'best of the rest', but will still be top 4.  The rest could easily come down to injuries, decisions of the officials and the bounce of the ball along with marginal differences between sides.  There will be no easy games next year. 

[BG]

I think the difference between Sale and Sarries is a rich sugar daddy. For some reason SA players seem to adapt to the EPL very easily and quickly. Sarries were for quite some time backed by a consortium of wealthy SA business people.

I'm not sure if Sale have that type of backing.. then again houses around Sale must be a lot cheaper. There's also the question of maintaining the EQP ratio but there's a good chance that players might have been chosen based on ancestoral links back to England (Brad Shields for us). A lot of Brits went to the southern part of Africa in the 50's - 70's for work/business purposes so their offspring a few generations later will still have EQP links back to the UK.

[mike909]

I think the SA players adapt for many reasons, I played cricket at top club level with guys from SA (and Aus) and they liked the country for many reasons, the relative peacefulness (this was a while back) the access to Europe and in my case living near London/ Thames Valley in the 80's/90's. Even at club level, people were keen to help out with housing to start people off, get them involved socially and often help with a job (teachers were popular at local private schools - especially PE Teachers)

I'd guess for Sale, the attraction is having Manchester not far off, good housing opportunities, schooling for players' children and the great outdoors.