Sale boss Steve Diamond responds to reports team ‘partied’ after cup win

Sale Sharks boss Steve Diamond has spoken to BT Sport tonight regarding their fixture being postponed against Worcester Warriors until Wednesday.

That game is still dependent on a number of factors being met, including a further round of coronavirus testing at Sale on Tuesday.

The 16 positive tests at the Sharks also forced Northampton Saints — who lost 34-14 to Sale on Tuesday — to forfeit their match at Gloucester, who receive five league points.

And controversially, The Telegraph has reported that Sharks players went drinking into the early hours after winning the Premiership Cup Final, just 10 days before the the club returned the positive tests.

"We have followed every single protocol. There is no breach of protocol done deliberately."

What exactly has happened at Sale Sharks? How have things got so bad?

Here's Director of Rugby, Steve Diamond…#GPTonight pic.twitter.com/d2AlUeNSMM

— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) October 4, 2020

The club confirmed that the players had “a couple of beers” but strongly deny that this was the source of the outbreak.

Diamond then responded to the reports that players went into Manchester city centre, where the rate of infection is high, following the final directly when speaking to BT Sport, saying: “It’s simple. That didn’t happen.”

He added: “We have followed every single protocol. There is no breach of protocol done deliberately.”

Apart from Northampton, other clubs have maintained a public silence on the issue so far but several are understood to be privately furious that Sale’s match has been moved.