Sale Sharks to be without Xavier Roe for two or three games as scrum-half flies home for birth of first child

Xavier Roe will be absent from Sale Sharks’ next two or three matches after flying back to New Zealand ahead of the birth of his first child, head coach Alex Sanderson confirmed. The 27-year-old scrum-half, who joined the Sharks on a two-year deal from the Chiefs in the summer, returned home following Sale’s opening-weekend defeat to Bristol Bears.

Roe missed last weekend’s win over Saracens and will also be unavailable for the upcoming home fixture against Harlequins and the Champions Cup visit of Glasgow Warriors. Sanderson indicated a return is expected either for the away trip to Newcastle Red Bulls or when Sale host Bath at the end of the month.

Sanderson revealed that the arrangement had been agreed before Roe put pen to paper, and that the flexibility offered by the club was a significant factor in the player’s decision to move north.

“It was a deal-maker, and it was part of the deal. We knew about it,” Sanderson said. “In fact, that was one of the deciding factors in him coming to us, whether we would prioritise him and his family above a few games in the PREM.”

The Sale coach also noted that Roe has already expressed a desire to remain at the club beyond his initial contract. “Xavier has signed up for a couple of years, but he’s already stated his intent that he wants to stay here for the rest of his career,” Sanderson added. “If you end up starting on the wrong foot with someone’s wife, there’s no chance that’s happening.”

On the injury front, Sanderson confirmed that flanker Ben Curry will return to action this week for the first time since last December, with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie also set to come back. A decision on wing Tom Roebuck, who has missed the opening two games with a calf injury, is yet to be made.