Premiership
Bath Rugby confirm three new signings
Bath Rugby confirmed three new signings for the 2022/23 season alongside new Attack Coach Joe Maddock.
Niall Annett, Matt Gallagher and Wesley White will join the Blue, Black and Whites in the summer from Worcester Warriors, Munster Rugby and Jersey Reds respectively.
Here’s some more insight on our new recruits.
Niall Annett
Position: Hooker
Age: 30
Previous Clubs: Ulster, Worcester Warriors
Honours: Ireland U20, Emerging Ireland
Annett has been a consistent, outstanding performer in the Premiership since joining Worcester Warriors in 2014.
Known for his strong leadership skills, the 30-year-old came through at Ulster and captained Ireland Under-20s at the 2011 Junior World Championship.
He debuted for the Ulster senior side in the same year and signed his first senior contract ahead of the 2012/13 campaign.
In his first season at Worcester, Annett featured 22 times and helped the Warriors to British & Irish Cup success and it was his last-minute try in the 2014/15 Greene King IPA Championship Final first leg which proved crucial in Worcester’s promotion back to the top flight.
Annett has been Worcester’s first-choice hooker since 2016 and departs Sixways having made over 120 appearances for Steve Diamond’s team including 87 Premiership appearances to date.
Matt Gallagher
Position: Full-back, wing
Age: 25
Previous Clubs: Saracens, Munster
Honours: England U20
Gallagher joined the Saracens Academy at 14-years-old and earned a senior debut for the north London outfit against Ospreys in the 2014/15 LV= Cup before starring for England Under-20s in their 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship-winning campaign.
He made his European bow in 2016/17 and in total, scored nine tries in over 50 appearances for Saracens whilst playing a huge part in their Premiership Rugby Shield success in 2019.
The full-back moved to Munster in 2020 and debuted against Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship and crossed for his first two Munster tries against Dragons in November 2020.
A strong and talented individual with an impressive running game, Gallagher is ready to make a successful return to the Premiership and realise his full potential.
Wesley White
Position: Back Row
Age: 26
Previous Clubs: The Sharks, Montauban, Austin Gilgronis, Jersey Reds
During his career to date, White has experienced rugby in South Africa, France, USA and England.
Growing up, he attended Bishops College in Cape Town and represented the school’s 1st XV as a flanker in 2013 and also played for the Western Province Under-18s.
A year out of school, the now 26-year-old moved to Durban to join The Sharks as a hooker before moving overseas to France with Pro D2 side Montauban.
His studies then took him to the United States at Lindenwood University in Missouri and in his three years there, he became a two-time Collegiate Rugby Championship winner and trained with the USA Eagles Sevens team. He also gained gained Major League Rugby experience at Austin Gilgronis.
White earned a trial with the Blitzboks at the National Sevens Academy in Stellenbosch ahead of a switch to the Championship with Jersey Reds.
The talented back row is now eager to seize his opportunity to thrive at the highest level of rugby in England with the Blue, Black and Whites.
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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