Worcester Warriors

Quote:

The Daily Telegraph

A disagreement about the future direction of the team on the field lay at the heart of the abrupt departure of Steve Diamond as director of rugby at Sale Sharks.



End of an era: Steve Diamond has left Sale after more than a decade at the club, but leaves 
a ‘massive legacy’

Even though Sale had qualified for this season’s European Champions Cup, which opens this weekend with the North-West side facing a mountainous task at the Stade Mayol against three-time European champions Toulon, a surprise 15-13 defeat by newly promoted Newcastle Falcons two weeks ago prompted soul-searching at the club.

There was also friction about the best way forward and Diamond parted company with the club he has been associated with for many years across different eras.

Acting head coach Paul Deacon has revealed that he was left “numb with shock” when the news was given to key staff at a hurriedly convened 7.45am meeting on ¬Tuesday that Diamond was leaving with immediate effect for “personal ¬reasons”.

A former Great Britain and England rugby league international, Deacon, who arrived at the club five years ago to learn a new trade, has been charged with the immediate task of facing Toulon on Saturday.

Diamond had been the driving force at the club for more than a decade and had also enjoyed a long playing career for Sale. The former hooker has managed to help keep them in decent commercial order and establish themselves as a serious entity on the field of play.

That looked as if it was all coming to fruition with new owners in the form of Simon Orange and Ged Mason, whose investment has led to signings such as Manu Tuilagi and a raft of South African World Cup winners, including Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager. The Curry twins, Tom and Ben, have been ¬nurtured through the ranks. All that foundation work has been put in jeopardy with Diamond’s abrupt departure.

“It came as a big shock and I certainly feel numb by it,” Deacon said. “I’m sure some of the lads will be feeling the same way. I don’t know the ins and outs. We only found out at a 7.45am staff meeting on Tuesday. It’s all been a bit mad since then, very hectic.

“I can’t say for certain this won’t affect the team [in some way]. It has not really all sunk in yet and the key now is to get us best prepared for a trip to Toulon.

“I’m excited by the prospects, but as to what happens in the long-term, that’s all above my head. I’ll take my chances and see how I fare. We’ll have to see how the dust settles. On the [training] field things won’t be much different.

“I’ve learnt a massive amount from Dimes [Steve Diamond]. I’m so lucky he decided to take a punt on me. He has left a massive -legacy here and he will be missed. He more or less built the training centre here at Carrington by himself. What I’d like to say to our fans is that we may have lost our leader, but I think we are in good hands.”