Laycock reacts to Sale loss
Speaking after the encounter at AJ Bell Stadium, he said: “It’s definitely not the way we wanted to end the season.
“We came here with the confidence that we could put something on Sale but we didn’t really deliver the game plan we’d prepared for. We didn’t have the physicality and intensity to match them, and they did an exceptional job of strangling us out of the game.
“Fair play to Sale for their performance today, and I’d like to wish them the best of luck for their semi-final next weekend. They’ll certainly take some beating by any team.
“They were pretty much at full strength and they executed their game plan, mixing their carrying with their kicking game. George Ford was top class once again, and he put us under huge pressure in the back-field.
“They kept it simple but they were clinical in what they did – far more so than we were.”
Looking to the future, Laycock added: “There are a lot of things for us to learn from and take forward – both from today and the season as a whole.
“We’ll go away now for a period of time, re-group and look forward to building under a new head coach in Alex Codling.
“It will be a big challenge but it’s something that excites us, welcoming in a number of new people and finding a strategy that works for us.
“We obviously didn’t want to end the season in the way that we did today, but I would like to thank everyone who has played a part this year. To the lads who are moving on we wish them all the best, and the guys who are staying can play a big part in our future.
“There’s plenty for us to work with, and I thought one of our young talents had a strong game today in Pedro Rubiolo. That’s just one example, and as disappointed as we are with today we’ll go away and look to come back strongly when next season gets underway.”
