Playing with the sort of confidence which seems to come naturally to them Sale’s hopes of finishing so high are far from

Playing with the sort of confidence which seems to come naturally to them, Sale’s hopes of finishing so high are far from misplaced. Wayne Smith’s dream start to his spell at Franklin’s Gardens was ended in emphatic fashion by an ebullient Sale side who raised doubts as to whether the former New Zealand coach can take his new charges to a top four finish in the Premiership and guarantee them a place in next season’s Heineken Cup. London Irish: M Horak; J Bishop, R Hoadley, B Venter, P Sackey; B Everitt, H Martens; M Worsley, R Kirke, R Hardwick (S Halford, 47), R Strudwick (capt), S Williams, P Gustard (E Halvey, 70), C Sheasby, D Danaher Referee: S Leyshon (Bristol).. The Shed roared for the whole 80 minutes but even that institution is under threat as plans for a new ground will be considered in the coming weeks. Without doubt, they are worth seven points a game, but the whisper is that a new ground would increase capacity by 3,000 and what argument is tradition against the bottom line?In contrast events on the pitch are relatively serene Gloucester’s victory courtesy of the sublime left foot of Ludovic Mercier and two tries by Terry Fanolua and Olivier Azam was thoroughly deserved and allowed Saint-Andr?o smile and say: “After this week I was very proud of the players.”Gloucester: D O’Leary; T Fanolua, H Paul, R Todd, D Albanese; L Mercier, A Gomarsall (D Yachvili, 69); P Collazo, O Azam (C Fortey, 80), F Pucciairello (A Deacon, 67), R Fidler, M Cornwell (E Pearce, 73), J Boer (capt), J Paramore, J Forrester.

The official word about their heart-to-heart is no comment, but Saint-Andr?s determined to resolve the problem. “I need a meeting with him next week because I must know what I am doing and the players must know,” he said. “If I stay I want to compete with the best and be in the Heineken Cup but it is quite right that with the uncertainty players will look to contact other clubs.”To an outsider it seems bizarre that a club doing so well should be indulging in public navel gazing but as Saint-Andr?dmitted: “That is professional rugby. Walkinshaw is a busy man but we must get an answer quickly.”The unsettled feeling around the club is affecting the fans, although over 10,000 turned up for a crucial match against a side only one point behind them. “I was disappointed with his comments because Paul Turner had done a great job and spent a lot of time with him, but maybe we need to take on a coach for two days a week to work one on one.”By airing his thoughts Paul angered not only Saint-Andr?but also the club’s owner, Tom Walkinshaw, who met with Saint-Andr?ast Monday to discuss the Frenchman’s own future – his contract runs out in June. With the well-regarded backs coach Paul Turner at the club Paul should not be lack tuition, so perhaps his complaint was borne from frustration at his slow development, as Gloucester’s director of rugby, Philippe Saint-Andr?inted.

His transformation from league legend to fly-half of Barry John renown has not happened in six months and he is not happy. So ineffectual has he been that yesterday he was moved to the more spacious pastures of outside centre, although he barely touched the ball all day. His wife Raewen is coach of the Wales netball team and she will take them to the Commonwealth Games.”The trouble in Wales is we have fanatical supporters who want everything here and now,” Andy Moore, the Wales A scrum-half, said. “We still like to think of ourselves as a great rugby nation, but we don’t have the players or the standards. The skill levels aren’t that good but how many players do something about it?” It is not Henry’s fault that Cardiff, Swansea and Iestyn Harris are not performing or that the A team lost by 50 points to Ireland, or that the decision makers on the field cannot make a decision.Wales’s decline seems to be so deep-rooted they look as if they’re pushing up daisies This is where Henry came in.. There is plenty of grumbling round Kingsholm at the moment, which is extraordinary considering that this victory over London Irish cemented Gloucester’s hold on second place in the Zurich Premiership and that they have a semi-final of the Parker Pen Shield to look forward to in April.

Wales tour South Africa in June but Hansen, the Great Receiver, doesn’t have time to think about that. It is understood that Hansen, who has just bought a house in Cardiff, was appointed on £175,000 a year to 2004. More envy, more enemies.Johnson, an Australian, has been made assistant coach with Griffiths assistant to the assistant. The role of assistant coach was advertised last year at a salary of £70,000.