When Nathan Hines and his regular Clermont second-row partner Jamie Cudmore are reunited in Salford there will be one simple rule. “We have an unspoken gentleman’s agreement not to hit each other,” reveals Hines, eagerly awaiting a European Champions Cup rendezvous on Saturday with one of his best rugby friends and the formidable French club he represented for three highly enjoyable years.
This private non-aggression pact may not extend to everyone on the field as Sale seek to add a second high-profile scalp to their win over Premiership leaders Northampton a week ago but Hines and Cudmore are respectful old-school warriors.
The Scotland and Lions lock also remains delighted by the Christmas present he received from his former team-mate last month. Cudmore, a frequent visitor to disciplinary hearings early in his career, has gone into the wine-producing business and sent over samples of his latest venture: bottles of red and white wine labelled Red Card and Yellow Card respectively.
It just goes to show rugby can still breed characters and encourage life-long friendships in far-flung locations. Hines, who will turn 39 in March but is keen to continue playing Premiership rugby into his 40s, has travelled the world playing for sides as diverse as Gala, Edinburgh, Perpignan, Leinster and now the Sharks. As well as earning 77 Scotland caps and touring South Africa with the Lions in 2009, he has also learned a great deal about the French psyche which may turn out to Sale’s advantage.
He also says his time in Clermont, under the command of Scotland’s current coach, Vern Cotter, improved him as a player but warns his Sale team-mate Danny Cipriani to think very carefully before opting to move to the Top 14. “Danny hasn’t asked my opinion yet but for me it’s quite a personal choice,” he stresses. “It’s not for everybody and it depends where you are.
“When I went I wasn’t getting picked to start for Scotland and was going to Scotland training and hating it. I was coming home jacked off with rugby. I was getting angry and my wife would be saying: ‘Why are you in a bad mood? I’d say: ‘No, I’m not.’ She’d say: ‘You are.’ I’d then grind my teeth and say: ‘Now I am.’ Once it starts affecting your personal life you’ve got to make a decision so I left.”
Cipriani, he argues, is wrestling with a different dilemma as he weighs up whether to re-sign for Sale or head overseas again. “If you are the fourth man in your position in the country do you hang about?” Hines asks rhetorically. “It only takes one injury and you’re back in the squad. Danny’s made a lot of progress but it’s a hard position to be in.
“If you’re fifth or sixth in the pecking order and you want to try something different you’ve got nothing to lose, especially if you’re young enough like Danny is. If he plays brilliantly he can still come back to the Premiership. He’d also come back to different money – but there’s a pay-off in there as well.”
Sale have certainly benefited from Hines’ return from a torn biceps, not least against a startled Northampton last week. The Sharks are out of contention for European qualification, having lost 35-3 in Clermont in October, but may yet have a significant say in who does qualify from Pool One.
“It’s a good challenge for us,” Hines says. “Northampton, Clermont and Munster in successive weeks involves playing three of the better teams in Europe right now. Even though we’re not in the mix to qualify we still want to win and put teams under pressure. Games like this are why you want to play in Europe. You are exposed to things that perhaps you aren’t in the Premiership. You can only be better for the experience.”
It will be far from easy, however, with Clermont having named a formidable side containing any number of threats. “I’ve played against them before with Leinster and you’re just putting out fires the whole time,” Hines says. “You just worry about tackling whoever has the ball. You can’t worry about where Fofana is when Napolioni Nalaga has the ball.”
Bath, meanwhile, will be without Sam Burgess against Toulouse on Sunday. The club say Burgess has a knock but should be available for next weekend’s game at home to Glasgow. Ireland’s scrum-half Conor Murray is missing for Munster against Saracens on Saturday because of a neck problem, while Harlequins’ All Black fly-half Nick Evans has been named on the bench for Saturday night’s crunch Pool Two game against Wasps.
