Bryan Redpath availability swung Sale Sharks decision

Sale Sharks chief executive Steve Diamond offered the director of rugby position to another candidate before appointing Bryan Redpath on Friday.

He told BBC North West Tonight: "Once I knew Bryan was available, I went back on that decision and offered him the role. Thankfully he took it up."

Redpath was handed the position six weeks after resigning as head coach of Premiership rivals Gloucester.

The Cherry and Whites threatened legal action over Redpath's departure.

Gloucester said they would begin a "legal attack" if they found an approach from Sale was behind his decision to leave Kingsholm.

But the former Scotland scrum-half, 40, believes the time was right for him to seek another challenge, and said a run of four straight defeats convinced him to resign on 17 April.

"Moving on is never easy," said Redpath. "To lose four league games as a Gloucester coach, certainly in the seven seasons I was there, it never happened.

"I just felt that the manner of how we were losing, it was the right time for me to step aside.

"I think eight of our defeats were lost in the last 10 minutes of games in which we were leading. That tells me that if you're not learning very well, it's maybe the right time for me (to leave).

"I chose that and looked for other options, and here I am now coaching a club that I want to be successful."

Exciting times lie ahead for Sale, who clinched a Heineken Cup place in the final weeks of last season and will move into their new home, the Salford City Stadium in Barton, at the start of the new campaign.

But Redpath is not setting any targets for his team, who finished sixth in the Premiership in 2011/12.

"I'll get to know all of the players over the next three or four weeks," he added. "We'll sit down and dissect what was good about last season and what needs to improve.

"The challenges lie there and we look forward to them. We won't be intimidated by potentially being in the top six and in the Heineken Cup."