The relegation run-in

[Patchey]

tbh, if Sale go down with the players they have, I'm not sure there's a person in the rugby world that will have time for what Diamond has to say.

Does anyone anyway?


IF Sale were to go does anyone think they'll keep the players they've got now? I can't see, for example, Richie Grey or Dan Braid playing a season in the Championship. Contracted or not I suspect top flight clubs in England or France would try and take the cream of Sale's squad away in the event of relegation.

 

[j'nuh]

It's rumoured that a few players such as Richie Gray and Danny Cipriani have release clauses in case Sale don't make the top 6. Relegation is definitely not making the top 6!

I can't imagine that Sale would want to keep their highest earners anyway. You need to be thinking ahead to the kind of squad that you need to assemble to stay in the Premiership when you get back up again. If you take Richie Gray down to the Championship, who says he'll stay around when you gain promotion again? It would be a lot of wasted money when they can develop a player. Also, the kind of money required to sustain guys like Gray and Cipriani in the Championship would be a killer to the club's finances. (Keep Gray and Cipriani and if Brian Kennedy leaves or gets forced out, Sale are screwed.)

Best bet: tie down all the young guys and use the opportunity to develop them.

 

[Teh Mite]

Relegation is hardly disaster - Look at Quins now.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Dan Braid has specifically said hell stay if we drop.
Cipriani has hinted he will, but I doubt he will.
The sooner we get rid of Gray and free up the 300k a year he's on the better!

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[SelimNiai]

Dan Braid has specifically said hell stay if we drop.
Cipriani has hinted he will, but I doubt he will.
The sooner we get rid of Gray and free up the 300k a year he's on the better!

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Well Wasps are losing Jones and Robinson

 

[SelimNiai]

Is previously thought that relegation would be the end of us - Blackhurst/Kennedy looked to be looking for a way out, and without them wed go belly up, but they've recently said they'll stick around if we drop, so I'm more optimistic!

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Look at Bristol there, we diced with death but we're arguably in better shape now than when we went down.

 

[psychic duck]

Not much change in the bottom 3 with all losing 0-5 in points. Worcester lifted themselves out of danger though.

But I saw Sale's match and they were particularly woeful. They were down 48-3 at one stage.

At one point they simply just allowed a slightly chubby lock to run through from 50 metres without any players even touching him. What were Jennings and Shepherd doing there? Truly awful defence.



London Welsh by contrast, showed much better effort against Saracens, tackled for much of the match, and were a bit unlucky to have a try disallowed for obstruction whilst Saracens got away with scoring with obstruction. However they didn't pick up any points for their efforts.

 

[LittleGuy]

My odds change after this weeks game's *note that I am not taking into account any possible points deduction of Welsh due to the Keats eligibility issue. I also think Wuss are completely safe now, it's probably still mathematically possible for them to be relegated but in practice I just can't see any way of it happening.

London Welsh 45%, Sale 40%, London Irish 15%.

 

[Teh Mite]

I see that Newcastle fans are full of glee over what's happening to Welsh, clear hangover from being relegated. (As though Welsh screwed Newcastle rather then them finishing bottom or something).

It would be utterly delightful to see Bedford or someone pull off a shock result in the playoffs. Which of course means nobody goes down either...

 

[Draggs]

Ouch: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/mar/04/london-welsh-tyson-keats-points-deduction

 

[LittleGuy]

It's over if they lose nine points, anything up to about five and it's still worth following the bottom of the table, but nine and it's done I just can't see a way back from them they would be 6 back of Sale with some tough opponents ahead.

 

[Draggs]

Ignoring the Keats scenario, the rest of the season is really up for grabs.
Sale fixtures: Bath (H), LI (A), Gloucester (H), Saints (A), Wasps (H).
LW: Glouc (A), Bath (A), Saints (A), LI (A), Worcester (H).

For Sale, they could have targetted Bath as a win, but considering recent results, a point could be likely. Gloucester haven't clicked lately, and Sale should definitely look for something there. Saints away looks like zero, but Wasps' recent form could give Sale a needed win.

For the Welsh, an LBP in the next three matches is about the highest I can see barring a big change. Worcester is about their best chance for a final win. The LW v Sale match was crucial. If they had won that, they would very probably stay up.

 

[j'nuh]

The last few matches have seen the worst run of form for Welsh. IIRC, they haven't won a Premiership game since the beginning of December and have only posted 3 LBPs in that time. So it's not as if they'll be high on confidence. I do find it gutting that an administrative error may have costed them staying up though.

 

[Getofmeland]

The decision on welsh has been deferred

 

[SelimNiai]

Determined to milk this situation then

 

[Teh Mite]

:lol:

I can see already that whoever finishes bottom won't know their own fate the way this is stringing out.

 

[LittleGuy]

:lol:

I can see already that whoever finishes bottom won't know their own fate the way this is stringing out.

Would not surprise me either...or Welsh being deducted a pile of points if/when Sale win a couple of games and it looks likely they'll go down anyway, whcih will deflect from the "This was decided in the boards and courts" chatter we are going to see.

 

[j'nuh]

And so Welsh are given a FIVE point points deduction. Takes them two points behind Sale.

Welsh have only two home games, but importantly a home game against Wuss is winnable and should be the target.
Sale have three, but against Bath, Glos and Wasps, and Sale probably won't start as favourites in any of them.
Both play Irish away.

Looks pretty likely Sale will stay up though, imo.

 

[LittleGuy]

Yeah this is enough that it hurts Welsh a ton but not enough that the race is meaningless....I'd go for 75% Welsh and 25% Sale to go down.....Irish should be safe now after this ruling.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Appeal to be lodged, Welsh believe they have pretty good grounds to win the appeal. Lot more to this story than what is being said.