‘Unexpected’ Sale move for James O’Connor

Despite denying having spoken to the player a few weeks back, Sale have confirmed the signing of James O’Connor on a three-year deal.
On April 17, Director of rugby Steve Diamond strongly denied our Fissler Files story reporting the Sharks had secured the signing of both the Australian international and Spingboks scrum-half Faf de Clerk.
At the time the Sale boss claimed he “hadn’t spoken to either players and he didn’t know where the specualtation came from.”
On May 9, the signing of De Klerk was confirmed and now O’Connor, who spent the last three years playing for Toulon in the Top14.
Diamond said: “We are delighted that James O’Connor will be joining us. He is a world class versatile back that will add a lot to our game.  He is the type of player that alongside a group of incredibly talented home grown lads, will help us a club to push on and achieve the vision of our owners Simon Orange and Ged Mason.
“He has great feet, and an unbelievable running and  kicking game which will threaten any opposition.
“What is exciting about James O’Connor is his potential. He was capped for Australia 44 times by the age of 23 and even now at only 26, he has played in the English Premiership, French Top 14, Super 15 and at international level.
“He has a lot of experience and is keen to show his International calibre. We are all pleased he has chosen to do this at Sale Sharks.
“His debut at the AJ Bell Stadium alongside signings such as Faff de Klerk, Jono Ross  and Josh Strauss, and the return of our 7 England players, will make for an amazing start to the new season.”
The club’s co-owner Simon Orange commented: “Hard work and grit are at the core of our culture at Sale. I have no doubt Steve Diamond and the coaching staff at Sale will help James channel his amazing talent to help him and the club achieve something really special, and I know he is looking forward to getting started with the lads.
“We have put down good foundations and we are excited to see James O’Connor add that extra bit of sparkle we have been looking for.”