Rouse the latest to sign for Sale
Nic Rouse has become the latest new addition to the Sale squad for the coming Premiership season.
Rouse signed from Nottingham where he has played at lock for the majority of his career. It seems Sale have been looking to add real strength and power to their pack and they have now managed to do so.
Sale have been one of the most active clubs during the close season and pre-season campaign. They have signed a high volume of players that have now given the playing squad a completely different look from the team last season. Rouse has been given a permanent contract.
Rouse has a number of playing attributes that should ensure that he does well at his new club. However, with the high number of new players at Sale, it may be a while before they start seeing the results they want.
Playing Attributes
The one thing that anyone will immediately notice about Rouse is his sheer size. He is a very big unit and this has both physical and mental benefits on the field during games.
Physically he can drive the pack forward and add real strength to the team. They can use this to push up the field and gain territory. He can also tackle well and be used to counter players on the opposition team.
Mentally he looks very intimidating and this will be important in getting teams to think they have already been beaten before a game has even started. He beefs up the middle of the team and can force the opposition in to playing wider than they may like.
Head coach Mike Brewer said: "The signing of Nic increases my options in the second row. He has been training with us for a few weeks and has done very well. He is a very good lineout player in both attack and defence and is also a very busy player in the loose."
Lots of new faces
Sale have brought in more players over the course of the summer than any other club. While this may be encouraging for their fans, it also creates a few worries and dangers.
The team may not start playing well together until they have learnt more about each other. This could take them a few games to achieve and this is time where points will slip away and other teams will gain an advantage.
Nottingham's director of rugby Craig Delaney added: "I always rated Nic Rouse as the best second-row player in the Championship", said Delaney, himself a former lock. He is a big, athletic player who always wanted Premiership rugby. He will add power and an athletic presence to any pack."
Betting Advice
Sale are a very difficult team to look at ahead of the new season. On the one hand they have a group of new players who will be rampant to achieve something by the season's end.
On the other hand they have a group of players that barely know each other and unforeseen problems could still emerge that threaten squad harmony and morale. The best option is to wait until the season has started so you can see how Sale start to play and whether they can maintain any consistency.
As for players to back then take your pick. However, this will mean a lot of work. Do your homework and find out who, out of the players they have signed, has been statistically the most productive over the course of the last two seasons. This will give you a better idea of who is going to score all of the points in the team by the end of the year.
Tags: