Sale Sharks: Steve Diamond focuses on Premiership survival

Steve Diamond wants to take the positives from Sale's run to the LV= Cup final into their last five matches of the Premiership season.

Sale lost 32-14 to Harlequins at Worcester's Sixways on Sunday.

And now the Sharks, who lie second from bottom in the league, are concentrating on remaining in the top flight.

"In reality, the big games are to come for us. It starts on Friday night with Bath at home," director of rugby Diamond told BBC North West Tonight.

"I'm massively confident. The lads have got a good work ethic and it's just ironing out little problems on the field. We'll win games, definitely."

Sale have been bottom of the Premiership for the majority of the campaign, but the five-point deduction recently handed to London Welsh for fielding an ineligible player - coupled with the Sharks' recent revival - have significantly improved their chances of staying up.

However, on Sunday, they were second best to a Harlequins side chasing a historic treble.

Diamond added: "A couple of defensive errors cost us dearly and, against a side like Harlequins, you don't come back from that.

"I'm a bit disappointed with our application but thoroughly delighted with our effort. That will serve us well for our battles in the Premiership over the next six weeks, where we need to win two or three games to secure our Premiership survival."

Meanwhile, Sale hope to conclude contract talks with Wales number eight Andy Powell by the time Bath visit the Salford City Stadium on Friday.

Diamond told BBC Radio Manchester: "He's shown in the last few weeks that he wants to wear the Sale shirt for the next couple of years and hopefully we can come to some sort of arrangement in the next couple of days."