Bryan Redpath pens his Sale contract © www.markwilliamsonphotography.com

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Players/Officials: Bryan Redpath

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: England | Sale Sharks | Scotland

New Sale boss Bryan Redpath is adamant that he will not be favouring any of his friends who are still turning out for the Aviva Premiership side when it comes to picking his team.

Redpath played for Sale between 2000 and 2005 and he was greeted by a few familiar faces when he took charge at the Sharks. But Redpath is adamant that no one will get preferential treatment under his tenure.

"It does feel like coming home," Redpath told the Manchester Evening News. "I've always kept in touch with Brian Kennedy, as well as with Mark Cueto, Pete Anglesea, Steve Hanley and Jos Baxendell as well as with Charlie Hodgson.

"So yes, they are friends but there will be no mates rates. We have to get that clear from the start. I care about them but there can be no mates rates - we are here to be successful. I'm employed as the director of rugby to be successful and what I won't have is mates rates. If someone doesn't rock up and do their job, they will be told.

"From day one since I came here, the rest of the staff have known there are no mates rates here."

Redpath now aims to build on the work that Steve Diamond has already started and turn Sale back into the side they were in 2006 when they lifted the Premiership trophy.

"Steve has done a great job getting everyone on track but now we have to keep pushing hard, and keep making sacrifices to be even more successful," Redpath said. "To have reached the top six is fine once but when was the last time Sale were in the top six? When was the last time Sale were in the top four? When was the last time they got to a final?

"I had five finals, two semis and a quarter in seven years working at Gloucester but it was never easy as the public never allowed it to happen like that. At Gloucester, 80,000 people live there and there are 130,000 who come every week to Kingsholm.

"That accountability alone for some people is very intimidating. Here you don't have that public peer pressure walking round town. In fact, some people won't even know who you are. We must generate and create an internal environment that is driven and we all have to buy into that."