Alex Sanderson says fit-again Tom Curry has been ‘flying’ in training as the England flanker prepares to feature in his first Sharks game since January.
Curry has been forced to sit out the last seven Sharks games since picking up a calf injury in the warm-up ahead of England’s fixture against Italy in the 2026 Six Nations.
But now he’s back fit and, according to the Sharks Director of Rugby, he’s raring to go.
“Tom is up for selection and it would be idiotic not to involve him in some way,” Alex said. “This injury has dragged on a bit but like with everyone, we don’t want to bring lads back too early.
“But he’s absolutely flying, and that’s great news for us. He’s come in hot this week, driving standards as he always does.
“Tom doesn’t look like he’s missed a step. His movement and comms have been great and that tells you that this injury hasn’t taken anything away from him.
“He’s raring to go and he’s fresh.
“We’ve only seen him in fits and starts this season. He played a bit for us, then played a fair bit for England, then featured for us over Christmas and then got this injury in the Six Nations.
“I would like to think that having Tom back, as well as Raffi, Joe Carpenter and one or two others, can really bolster the squad in terms of experience.
“The lads who have come in have gained some fantastic experience but when you’ve been losing games by a score, as we have been, these guys who are coming back can make the difference.”
Sharks skipper Ernst van Rhyn said Curry’s return can ‘light a fire’ in a team searching for a statement win against a physical Tigers team.
“Someone like Tom takes pressure off me,” he said. “He has such a presence, loads of experience and his standards are so high – he doesn’t accept anything less than everyone’s best.
“Think how good Tom was for England and in the Lions series. You don’t get the chance to play with guys like him very often in your career.
“He has a presence that can light a fire in other guys and it’s so good to have him back.”
