The Sale Sharks rugby team received a major setback as their captain Dan Braid was ruled out of the upcoming season with a knee injury. The New Zealand international star had to sit out for the final matches of his team against the Leicester Tigers and London Irish as two operations were conducted on his knees. Steve Diamond, the Director of rugby for Sale Sharks was ready to admit that his team surely missed the leadership qualities of their star performer who is ever ready to put his body on the line. The Sharks failed to consolidate eon their previous wins and slipped in the table standings owing to their disappointing performances in the final matches.
The silver lining to their campaign was provided by their 26 year old Danny Cipriani who was recalled for the England national squad. Cipriani has been outstanding in his 18 outings this season whereby he recorded 5 tries, 33 cons, 31 penalties and 2 drops with a personal total of 190 points as a player. Even though Cipriani’s career has been plagued by injuries, inconsistency and off the field distractions he seems to be at the top of his game and people like Diamond have insisted on the fact that Cipriani provides a new dimension to the game of the team he plays for. New players who have joined the Sale Sharks include Italian International Luke Maclean who will be replacing Rob Miller leaving for Wasps. He is also joined by the likes of Darren Fearn from Bedford, Italian prop Alberto De Marchi and the Scottish duo of Chris Cusiter and Nathan Hines. The supporters at the AJ Bell stadium will be hoping for a much improved show as they will bank on the new and experienced players alike in a bid to their maiden title in many years.