Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson has admitted his interest in signing Luke Cowan-Dickie amid reports of his Montpellier move falling through.
The 29-year-old England hooker had signed a pre-contract agreement to join Montpellier, subject to a medical assessment, but reports from France suggest that the deal has broken down.
While Cowan-Dickie is recovering from an ankle injury, it is a neck issue which is reportedly stopping him from joining Montpellier under French restrictions.
Fits Sale’s model
With the move falling through, Montpellier have been linked with Wallabies and Waratahs hooker Tolu Latu, who was previously a target for Sale.
During a press conference, Sanderson revealed that he had heard the Australia international had agreed on a deal for “twice the amount of money that we offered him”.
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Asked whether Sale would be interested in adding Cowan-Dickie to his squad, Sanderson replied: “Yes, why wouldn’t you? He’s a great player.
“I don’t know if we would be in the right price point, but he’s got mates up here as well; he fits our kind of game model in that Ewan Ashman, Akker van de Merwe mould, doesn’t he? He’s a banger, so he ticks the box on a lot of fronts there.
“But I haven’t spoken to him, I haven’t spoken to Luke, so there’s nothing there in terms of that actually materialising.”
The value of winners Ford and Tuilagi
Sale front up against the reigning Premiership champions Leicester Tigers this weekend, having last won the Premiership final in 2006 and lost out in the semi-finals to Exeter two years ago.
The Sharks have proven winners George Ford, who was in the Tigers side which lifted the trophy last season, and Manu Tuilagi among their ranks this weekend, and Sanderson is convinced their winning mentality is key.
“It’s crucial, isn’t it, because these are leaders who come to the fore at this time of the season,” he said.
“There are guys that have to step up on the field and are able to keep their heads and respond and find ways when the plan doesn’t work – which it invariably doesn’t against the better teams – find ways of navigating to good outcomes, to better outcomes.
“Being able to draw on their experience is crucial, like I did this morning, and I will tomorrow as we go through the week. I’ll continue to lean on them, not that it’s a chore for them; they want to.”
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