Nayacalevu shows he's going to be real deal

THE past met the future at Sale Sharks’ ancestral home Heywood Road, where international star Waisea Nayacalevu scored a double to help claim the spoils for his new side against Newcastle Falcons in an end-toend battle that went right to the wire.

- PETER MURDOCK

Twenty-five years ago, Sale first played as ‘the Sharks’ in a win against Wasps that featured a certain Steve Diamond playing for the Manchester side.

Now as the Falcons Director of Rugby, the match represented Diamond’s only chance to view his players against any opposition during pre-season, and with the start of the season rapidly approaching, he must have been encouraged with his side’s gutsy performance.

Sale head coach Alex Sanderson, who also played in that inaugural fixture, picked a virtually full-strength side, featuring the Curry brothers fresh from England duty, and Fijian captain Nayacalevu, perhaps the marquee signing across the Premiership.