Bond must wait to make his bow
October 10, 2002

Sharks coach Jim Mallinder has chosen not to throw new recruit Graeme Bond straight into action for his side's Heineken Cup debut tomorrow night.

The Aussie speedster will watch from the stands as Mallinder has named an unchnaged side from that that beat London Irish last weekend for the clash with Bourgoin at Heywood Road.

Coach Jim Mallinder explained: "Graeme has only just joined us and hasn't had the opportunity to work fully with the rest of the players. It wouldn't have been fair to Graeme, or to the rest of the team, to have sent him under prepared into a game as important as this.

"We are delighted he is with us, however, and I am sure he will be a tremendous asset to the Sharks.

"As for tomorrow's game, this is another step up for us but we have had a good preparation and there is the potential in this side to do well in this competition. We haven't yet played to that potential this season but maybe this high profile event will at last bring out the best in us.

At today's official unveiling of Bond as a Sharks player, the former Brumbies man said that the thought of playing alongside England fullback Jason Robinson was a factor in the move to Manchester.

"I've been impressed by the Sharks' ability and willingness to run the ball, which suits my style. They have big, fast backs out wide and, of course, Jason Robinson, " commented Bond, 27.

"He's a player I have watched from his rugby league days and came up against him when he toured Australia with the British Lions last year.

"He's so quick and I'll never forget Chris Latham showing him half a metre in the first Test in Brisbane. Robinson went past so fast that Chris never even got a hand on him."

Bond said he had planned to come to Europe at some stage in his career and that decision had been brought forward when he realised he was further down the Australian pecking order than he felt he should be considering the way he had been playing.

"I spoke to Sharks back row Stuart Pinkerton. We had played together for New South Wales Waratahs and I was interested to hear what he said about Manchester generally. It seems a great place to be and has easy access to the rest of Europe which will be fine when I get some time off with my wife."

His wife Kirsten has a British passport and that means Bond is not classed as an overseas player. In fact her father Neil Docherty played soccer for Glasgow Rangers before emigrating to Australia.

Several European clubs were keen to sign Bond, who was born in Papua New Guinea, but they wanted him for the start of the current season.

"The thing about the Sharks is that they were prepared to wait for me and I was impressed with that. There is no way I was going to leave Australia without finishing my playing commitments there," he said.

Sharks side ot face Bourgoin:
Jason Robinson; Mark Cueto, Jos Baxendell, Mel Deane, Steve Hanley; Charlie Hodgson, Bryan Redpath capt; Jim Thorp, Andy Titterrell, Barry Stewart, Chris Jones, Dean Schofield, Alex Sanderson, Stuart Pinkerton, Pete Anglesea.

Replacements:
Charl Marais, Kevin Yates, Scott Lines, Apollo Perelini, Dan Harris, Vaughan Going, Nick Walshe.

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