Sam Dugdale keen to get the young Sale Sharks snapping in the Prem Cup

Sam Dugdale is relishing the return of the Premiership Cup so that he can put his leadership cap on to help develop the young Sale Sharks.

The flanker also outlines how seriously the club take the competition and how much they want to win it.

Sale host Bristol Bears on Friday before Exeter Chiefs arrive for another Pool A battle seven days later.

Just as in the league their early cup exploits have been hot and cold with a win and a loss.

Important

But for Dugdale, 27, who has lived and breathed his AJ Bell stadium home for a decade now, doing anything he can to boost the club’s ambitions of success and silverware gives him a spring in his step.

The Lancaster-born forward insists: “I want to play every game.

“I’ve not had the gametime I’d have liked in the Premiership but the cup is a good opportunity to put that right a bit.

“I also link up with some of the younger lads and be the experienced head and leader in the team.

“I take away the pointers I get from the likes of Fordy (George), the Currys (Tom and Ben), Courtney (Lawes) and Joe Marchant and pass them towards those youngsters.

“Winning any silverware is important so we will give this competition everything we have.”

Leader: Sale Sharks flanker Sam Dugdale
PICTURE: Getty Images

Inconsistent form

Sale lost their opening two league matches to Gloucester and Bristol, then beat Harlequins and Saracens but last week fell at Newcastle Red Bulls.

On Sharks’ inconsistent form Dugdale adds: “Any team can beat anyone.

“We won at Sarries while Newcastle have now beaten us the last two times we’ve been up there. So, I guess, it’s good for the viewers!

“We’ve not clicked as well as we would have liked but once we do we will gel very well.

“There was some soul searching after the Newcastle defeat. One thing we’ve focused on was our setpiece.

“It’s such a massive aspect and gives you a proper foothold in the game. If your set-piece is good it allows you to have some sort of attack.

“Every team is playing free-flowing rugby and if you can do that with a dominant set-piece you’re going to rip through teams.

“If you don’t have a dominant set-piece during the winter when the weather’s bad it’s going to be a long, dark few months.”