Thursday Round-Up

March 31, 2016
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Ultimate Rugby

Thursday Round-Up

Sharks sign MacGinty

Sale Sharks have signed fly-half AJ MacGinty from Pro12 side Connacht at the end of the season.

MacGinty, 26, has made eight appearances for the USA, including three at least year's World Cup.

He joins Josh Charnley at Sale, who announced his move yesterday.

Diamond sees MacGinty as a replacement for Wasps bound Danny Cipriani and praised the USA international.

"He's the best defensive 10 in the competition, an 80% goal-kicker, has a good skillset and is hard as nails," Sharks boss Steve Diamond told the BBC.

Dublin-born MacGinty only joined Connacht in October but his quota spot will be taken from next season by South African fly-half Marnitz Boshoff, who is to join from Lions.

"Connacht coach Pat Lam and I had a chat about things - under Irish rugby regulations you can't have two foreign players in the same position," Diamond added.

"He played for USA at the World Cup and although he's got an Irish passport he can't play for the national team so they can't contract him beyond this year."

Charnley could play for England

Cross-code signing Josh Charnley can play rugby union for England, says Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond.

Charnley, who will join Sale from Wigan at the end of the current Super League season, has made seven appearances for England's rugby league side.

"His ambition is to play at the highest level and his first obstacle is to get picked here," he told BBC Sport.

"If he does that and consistently plays well, then I'm sure the new England set-up will look at players like him."

Diamond continued: "We're getting an established international finisher. His strike rate is one try a game over 150 games, which is unbelievable.

"He'll fit in well. If he doesn't make it after a year or two, then he could always go back and be a top-class rugby league player."

Diamond was quick to dismiss comparisons between Charnley and Burgess, calling his treatment as a disgrace.

"He's got a bit of work to do on the conversion to playing rugby union," Diamond added. "If he can work hard and make the transition, then we've got a gem on our hands.

"He's got a full skill set, we know he kicks goals but we'll not go down the path that other rugby union teams have done and try to play them in different positions.

"What happened with Sam was nothing short of a disgrace. He was played in one position by England and another by his club, you just can't do that."