Graham Steadman takes on part-time role with Sale

GRAHAM Steadman will combine his Scotland duties with English club Sale after teaming up again with Mike Brewer.

The former rugby league star, who works as Scotland's defence coach, has signed up to work with the Aviva Premiership Sharks on a part-time basis.

Steadman, who was alongside Brewer when the Kiwi was Scotland's forwards coach, will focus specifically on the back-line's defending.

But the 48-year-old insists his role under Brewer at Edgeley Park will not effect his role with the SRU.

"I had a chat with my bosses up in Scotland - Andy Robinson and Graham Lowe - and they were very supportive towards the idea and could see the value in it," said Steadman. "I worked very well with Mike and when he got the Sale position he asked me if I could come down and do some work with him.

"The way the arrangement works is that I'm very flexible. I can invariably do two days a week working with the Sale squad to fit in alongside my full-time commitments up in Scotland.

"I will sit down with my management team and map out the month ahead and then around that I will let Mike know what my availability is.

"I won't be able to go to every Sale game this season that is for sure because of Scotland's Autumn Test programme and then the Six Nations.

"Helping out with Sale means I'm putting a fair bit of mileage in but I'm prepared to make that sacrifice and it's working well."