Premiership
Key Harlequins Coaches sign permanent deals
Harlequins Coaches Nick Evans, Adam Jones and Jerry Flannery have signed new and permanent deals with the Club
A Harlequins legend as both a player and coach, Evans is arguably one of the best overseas signings in the Gallagher Premiership’s history, guiding Quins to its first-ever Premiership title in 2012 after arriving from New Zealand in 2008. In 2017 Evans made the switch from player to coach after notching up over 200 appearances and 2249 points over a nine-year playing career at The Stoop. A member of Quins’ title-winning coaching set-up last season, Evans recommits to the Club to extend a 14-year career in London.
A famed 100-Test cap Wales and British and Irish Lions international, Jones extends a seven-year stay with the London side having arrived in 2015 as a player. A year later, Jones’ role changed as he took up a joint playing and coaching position, going on to coach with the Club full-time after retiring from playing at the end of the 2017/18 season.
Former Ireland international Flannery signs a new deal with the Club having arrived ahead of the 2020/21 season to assume the role of Lineout Coach, taking on his current title of Lineout and Defence Coach during Quins’ spectacular Gallagher Premiership-winning run last year.
Senior Coach Tabai Matson said: “The coaching group did an amazing job last year with a fantastic team. It’s always interesting to come from the outside and join a cohesive group – and that’s exactly what they were. They are a high functioning team.
“One thing I’ve really enjoyed is that they’re all completely different. They have different energies, they’re all fantastic within their portfolios and they all compliment each other really well. For me, joining a team like that was exciting. It’s fantastic that they’ve all re-signed as a group.
“What Nick brings to the table is an analytical view. He’s got all that experience from his playing days but now he’s leading and driving the likes of Marcus and Danny. We’re blessed to have him in the mix.
“He’s completely different to Jerry, who brings this real intensity to the way he leads the lineouts and the defence. He’s fantastic practitioner and I’m not sure if it’s just his accent but he’s a wonderful storyteller and he drives a lot of the energy in the week.
“And of course, Bomb [Adam Jones], our Welshman. It’s really an eclectic group of nations, which is one of the things we love about the game, isn’t it?
“Our scrum has often been the thing that’s kept us in games, so with his experience and the way he drives the scrummaging, he’s been a key part of the success here so far.”
Commenting, Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple said: “We are all delighted to have three such highly regarded individuals sign new contracts with the Club. Alongside Billy Millard [Director of Rugby Performance] and Charlie Mulchrone [Skills and Kicking Coach], Nick, Adam and Jerry guided this team to one of the most incredible stories in the Premiership’s history. Overseeing a return to Harlequins’ DNA of old as the team has tapped into the Club’s historic and famous style of play, we have seen huge engagement and interaction not only from our supporters but the wider sporting world.
“Alongside the 17 recent key player contract renewals, we are all thrilled to have Nick, Adam and Jerry commit their futures with us. By signing new and permanent deals within our coaching team working alongside Billy, Charlie and Tabai, we have built a brilliant team to help our squad grow, develop and to achieve our ambitious goals.”
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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