Back to big-time European competition; how would Sale fare this time? Previous excursions at this level had not been covered in glory, but with the new regime come new expectations. For me, I am trying to temper the feeling that something good is about to happen in the team with the cold water of reality; the reality that this is effectively a new team who will take a while to fully bed in.
My ambitions this year are to demonstrate that Sale deserve their place at the top table, not to be the little kid running round the fringes of the cool kids’ game, trying to join in.
Next year, I expect us to win it…
Friday
It’s quite a long drive up to Glasgow. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the shops to the chemist, but that’s peanuts to —
Sorry. Got carried away, there.
After a pleasant stop at Tebay, watching the ducks and the late afternoon light playing across the fells, it was back on the road for the rest of the trip up into foreign parts (aka my ancestral homeland). The increasing gloom was accompanied by increasing levels of rain and spray, making for a somewhat unpleasant journey in conditions that felt like 10 o’clock at night, rather than 5 o’clock.
Eventually, destination reached, it was time to head out on the lashfor a meal and a few quiet drinks with friends and to watch the Gloucester-Toulouse match.
Saturday
Saturday morning dawned – far too soon after bedtime for my liking – bright and clear, so I went off for a bit of a mooch around with my camera whilst the city was waking up.
We were driven to Scotstoun stadium by a very pleasant Uber driver, who gave us a potted history of the city and pointed out several landmarks, such as the distillery…
It’s nice to meet someone who is so obviously proud of the place he lives and works.
And then a game of rugby happened.
We went back to the city by train (a bit of a trek from the stadium), got changed and went out once more to avail ourselves of Glaswegian hospitality.
The great thing about these weekends is spending quality time with the best mates anyone could wish for. Whether you’ve known them since the dawnatime, or you’ve met more recently, or even, as happens most trips, this is the first time you’ve spoken to a new best friend, but it’s as if you’ve known them forever.
And so to bed, a bit squiffy, but very happy and content.
Sunday
Then, just like that, it’s pretty much over. Throw down a huge breakfast to last till evening and back in the car (thank goodness for hotel discount in the car park!) ready for the journey south. I was looking forward to seeing some of my ancestral homeland on the way down (that I’d missed in the dark on the way up), but it decided to have a joke with me and wreathed itself in thick fog most of the way.
I suppose I’ll just have to come back again.
Match thoughts
Line out. Get it sorted.
What next?
Stade Rochelaise at the AJ Bell next week. They got tonked at home by Exeter in the first round, so maybe they’ll be stinging and come out all guns blazing or maybe they’re not as much of a threat as we may have feared.
Either way, we should have Faf, Tom, and Mark available for selection, so we’re finally close to full strength for the first time this season (apart, obviously, from Josh and Lood – two big losses).
Looking forward to it. A good win here would go a long way towards my ambition for this competition of not disgracing ourselves by coming a solid last.
an old grey dog 
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