Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson gives George Ford hint ahead of crunch Exeter clash

Sale host Exeter Chiefs in a do-or-die game for their Premiership ambitions on Sunday - with boss Alex Sanderson urging his Sharks to keep the faith. 

Sale head into the crunch clash looking for their first win in six games and know another defeat will end their chances of Premiership glory this season. But director of rugby Sanderson knows it will not be easy to course-correct their season when Exeter roll into town.

He said: “They have scored the most tries, and they have scored the most points. We have to be smart in how we play.

“I am confident that we will find form... The stakes dictate that it has to be this weekend; we have got to find form this weekend. This group know they have got the abilities to step up and do this.”

Sale have built their success over recent seasons on their defence, but it has been leaky throughout the season. And once again, it was a problem last week as they lost 42-24 away to Bath.

He said: “That was the one element of the game that was our superpower, and in the last few games, it has failed to be a superpower.

“You go in for those dominant tackles, and if you don’t get it quite right and your connections aren’t where they need to be, you saw what happened last weekend. I am confident we will find form with this group, as we have in the past with it.”

Fans will be too aware of the trouncing they experienced earlier in the season as Sale were powerless to handle the Chiefs at Sandy Park in a 43-0 defeat. Sanderson however believes it will be motivating factor coming into the return fixture at the AJ Bell Stadium this Sunday.

He said: “There are bigger things at stake, isn’t there by ways of what we want to get out of the season, and I think that is the over-riding motivation, and then you can lead into the personal battles and the dented pride and, to a lesser degree, the opportunity to put the record straight.”

With Sale looking to close the gap to fourth-place Exeter at 3pm on Sunday, they will need all their key players available. One player set to start in this key fixture is George Ford, as Sharks look to start their climb up the table this weekend.

Sanderson said: “I’ve got to give him a rest in the next two weeks, and you can make your deductions if he is playing this weekend or against the Ospreys.”