Reformed Shark Andy Powell is the new ‘Sebastien Chabal’
The Premiership‘s sole surviving northern club are in the process of drawing up a new deal aimed at keeping their 30-year-old Lion for the rest of his career.
Powell’s Manchester move has put him back on track — from the road to nowhere after his infamous motorway ride in a golf buggy onto the straight and narrow towards long-term security.
The new deal will take Powell through to 2014. “We are looking to extend Andy’s contract by another year,” Sharks’ chief executive Steve Diamond told The Rugby Paper. “We hope to get it finalised in the next month. When you get big players like Andy, you want to tie him down and negotiate a longer-term contract.
“He has matured into a great asset for us. He is an incredible athlete, a good character and a big presence. He reminds me of Chabal except that Andy has more about him. Chabal was a very good player at home but not the same at tough places like Munster.
“Andy gives the team great go-forward and certainly the fans get their money’s worth. He’s knuckled down and become a leader in his own right through the work he does in the gym and on the pitch.
“I think his reputation is unfair. He looks after himself and enjoys himself within reason when he goes out. There is no drinking culture at our place.”
Powell’s reputation stemmed from his highly unusual celebration of Wales‘ home win over Scotland in February 2010 which took him along a stretch of the M4 near the squad’s headquarters. It led to his arrest for taking and driving away a buggy from the golf complex adjoining the team’s hotel.
He then changed club twice in a matter of months. In July 2010, Cardiff Blues released him early from his contract claiming he had ‘lost his way’ after the buggy ride. He joined Wasps but left them the following May after an incident at a pub in West London.
Since signing him last summer, Sale have given the battering-ram No.8 a new lease of international life, albeit as back-row cover for Toby Faletau and Ryan Jones. Powell, last seen as a late substitute against Scotland during the Six Nations, had been ruled out of contention for the Australian tour because of injury.
PETER JACKSON
