Browse Sections

• Stockport County FC
• Sale Sharks
• Local football
• Local cricket

Time for a tete-a-Tait

Jenny Dixon
6/ 8/2008

ENGLAND star Mathew Tait is preparing to return to his old stomping ground for the first match of the Premiership season.

At Kingston Park, a Premiership venue where Sharks have never won, Tait will face his former Falcons team-mates and attempt to help Sale break the Newcastle hoodoo.

Tait is not daunted by the prospect of competing against Newcastle, the club he spent four years playing for before joining Sharks this summer.

"We had to play them at some point, but we can get them out of the way first," explained the 22-year-old. "I’ll just have to make sure I walk into the right changing room! It will be a bit strange going back."

Tait is currently in France with the rest of Sharks’ squad, who will play their first pre-season game tonight [Weds] against Perpignan.

After a disappointing summer tour to New Zealand with England and several gruelling weeks of fitness training, Tait is eager to get back to playing rugby.

"It’s been good," said Tait, who can play centre or full-back, of Sale. "I’m just enjoying it and getting used to a different type of training than I was used to at Newcastle.

"Every conditioner puts their own stamp on how they want to do things and obviously Steve Walsh is slightly different to the guys who are back at Newcastle.

"Everyone here seems really friendly and now I’m looking forward to actually playing the games, there’s only so much training you can do."

Tait has been nicknamed ‘Big Fish’ by his new team-mates, a reference to director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre’s announcement of a secret signing at a supporters’ function. At the time Saint-Andre could not name Tait, revealing only that the club was set to land a ‘big fish’.

‘Big Fish’ became a Shark, enticed to the Stockport-based club, in part by the promise of Heineken Cup rugby.

Tait explained: "I’d looked round Sale a couple of times before, and I was encouraged by the ambition of the club, and the chance to play in the Heineken Cup was massive as well. It’s just a case now that all the lads, as a team, have got to perform to the levels we’re expecting from ourselves.

"Fingers crossed, we’ll have a good season, finish up there in the league and qualify for the group stages of the Heineken Cup."

It is not only Sale that will command Tait’s attention next season. He is also part of the elite player squad from which England will select their international side.

A new eight-year deal reached between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership clubs now gives England more access to players, up to 14 weeks a year, including a training camp at Twickenham on August 10.

"It’s obviously going to be fairly new for everyone involved, so we’ll have to see how it comes together," said Tait, who has 23 caps, about the new arrangement.

"But I think everyone is pretty hopeful that with a bit more time together and a bit more preparation for games we can pick up some results after what was a disappointing summer tour."

Sharks prop Andrew Sheridan, who has recovered from a cut on his eye sustained in New Zealand, is also in England’s elite player squad.