'I'm sure Sale will use it for whatever advantage they can' (From Bucks Free Press)

'I'm sure Sale will use it for whatever advantage they can'

8:20am Friday 19th March 2010 in

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WASPS have a chilling message for Sale fans planning to turn Edgeley Park into a cauldron tonight – bring it on.

The men in black and gold are expecting a hot reception after the original fixture was controversially postponed back in November, leaving Sale officials and supporters fuming.

Wasps claimed the pitch was unsafe, and although an RFU investigation found the pitch had been playable they let Wasps off the hook, blaming referee David Rose instead for taking guidance from the wrong rule book.

Director of rugby Tony Hanks said: “The postponement of the first game will be at the back of some people’s minds and I’m sure Sale will use that for whatever advantage they can.

“It’s probably a good marketing ploy as well and there is a really good chance it will be hostile.

“But we’re different. We respond well when the crowd is on our back, that’s the nature of the players.

“That’s what you get when you go to France and I think that’s why Wasps have done well there.

“You’re involved in sport for those sorts of experiences.”

It comes from the top though.

No one who saw Sky Sports’ interview with Shaun Edwards before Wasps’ game at Leicester would have to guess at the atmosphere in the changing room before the game.

Hanks said: “We thrive in a hostile environment, we embrace it, and a guy called Shaun Edwards probably has a big part to do with that.

“He’s somebody that’s played in those environments more than any of us could have ever wished to and was successful.

“Lawrence [Dallaglio] also got a hostile reception wherever he went and you’ve got the stories of Will Green at Kingsholm – those players are a big part of it.”

Something has to give in Sale though.

The home team have lost eight in a row, four of which have been at home, while Wasps have lost their last five at Edgeley Park.

Hanks said: “Bar the Boxing Day game last year, I hadn’t lost at Edgeley Park so I’ve got fond memories of it.

“But it’s a difficult place to go for whatever reason. It’s one of those grounds that suit the home team but we’ve just got to put all those things aside.

“We’ve got players that have been there enough so we know what we’ve got to deal with.

“It’s about not letting any of that be a factor and getting out there and performing as well as we know we can.”

They certainly didn’t do that in Leeds recently, and Sale haven’t done it for months.

Hanks said: “Both teams are desperate for different reasons.

“We’re desperate to stay in the top four and keep the momentum in our season, and everyone is talking about relegation for them.

“We have experienced playing against teams fighting for their careers – there are few guys that want to put some things right from the Leeds game and this is a chance to get a bit of retribution.”

And as for the pitch, more rain is expected but Hanks does not expect it to be an issue this time.

He said: “A lot has been made of pitches all round the country this year, but we have had a shocking winter and even some of the Premier League football pitches are looking a bit tired and brown.

“Watching the Northampton game the other day it looked fine.

“It looks firm enough.”

Wasps team: Mark Van Gisbergen, Paul Sackey, Ben Jacobs, Steve Kefu, David Lemi, Dave Walder, Warren Fury, Zak Taulafo, Rob Webber, Ben Broster, Marty Veale, Dan Leo, John Hart, Serge Betsen, Dan Ward Smith. Replacements: Tom Lindsay, Gabriel Bocca, Bob Baker, Will Matthews, Hugo Ellis, Danny Cipriani, Dominic Waldouck, Tom Varndell