If Sale win it could be a real game-changer

SALE Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson was close to tears after last week's semi-final win against Leicester. Not because of the win, but the difference it could make to the north of England Rugby Union.

- JEFF PROBYN

If they win next week's final against Saracens, it will be only the third time a northern team has won the Premiership title since the leagues began in 1987. In many ways this shouldn't be a surprise with just two teams now representing the whole of the north of England - Newcastle and Sale - even though the north probably has more club sides than any other region of the country.

The advent of the professional game saw the demise of a number of great northern clubs; Orrell, Liverpool St Helens, West Hartlepool, Rotherham, Headingley, Wakefield and Waterloo to name but a few which were regular fixtures for all the top clubs across the rest of the country. Clubs in the north produced some outstanding players like Sammy Southern, Martin Hynes, Bob Kimmins, Dave Cusani, Peter Winterbottom (all forwards), and some backs too like John Bentley.

The north also provided a number of international players, some from the lesser clubs as well, notably Wade Dooley from Preston Grasshoppers.

In the amateur days a lot of players migrated to the south where there were better job opportunities and still made it to international level. These included my fellow Wasps players Rob Andrew, Fran Clough, Kevin Simms and Mark Bailey. However, despite the best efforts of a number of people, the ability to form a number of professional clubs while competing against Rugby League for players seemed to be beyond them, and a number of clubs became shadows of their former selves.