12:50pm Monday 22nd March 2010
By Alan Feldberg
WASPS expected a fiery welcome to Edgeley Park on Friday, but Tony Hanks admits he was surprised that the home fans jeered his kickers.
He said: “This is probably the only ground I’ve seen where the kicker gets booed so it was a bit of surprise.
“I felt like I was back in Hamilton because where I come from 25,000 people ring cow bells when the kick is being taken.
“It [silence before the kick] is something that’s probably unique to English rugby and the Premiership, so it was a bit of a surprise. But that’s fine. We’ll deal with that.
“Maybe the game is changing and we’re adopting a southern hemisphere attitude towards kicking, I’m not sure.
However, Sale director of rugby Kingsley Jones says he can understand the attitude of the crowd.
Jones says the hostile reception was a result of the postponed match in November, when the game was called off at the 11th hour after Wasps claimed the pitch was unsafe.
He said: “I don’t know if you were here a few months ago, but there were a lot of disappointed people here.
“There were 8,000 people outside. My family came up from Wales, eight hours in Friday traffic, and to get a game called off that in my opinion could have been played...I understand the fans’ frustration.
“I’m not in favour of booing kickers but I understand their frustration.”
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