Sale wing Steve Hanley provides the inside view on all the latest goings-on at Edgeley Park.

We were all a bit downbeat this week because the defeat at Bristol was a major disappointment for us.

We went there knowing we had a tough game on our hands but we genuinely thought we could win and it was a bit of a blow when we didn't.

We got there with a good week of training behind us but then it started pouring down and we knew it was hardly going to be the right night for us to play any running rugby.

Not only were tries in short supply but try-scoring chances were too and to be honest it was a pretty dire game.

As a wing it was particularly bad, I don't think I even saw the ball all evening!

But we should have been able to cope with the conditions and we knew the threat that Bristol would pose.

We just didn't function properly and weren't able to get through our phases. It eventually came down to mistakes and turnovers - luckily for them, they committed fewer than we did.

Overall it was a pretty horrible night and a terrible advert for Guinness Premiership rugby. That said, if we had won, we would probably have been saying it was a good advert for the game!

That's just the way it goes.

We can't assume Friday's game against Newcastle will be any easier either.

Newcastle have struggled this season but they did bring in a few new faces recently and have reinforced the pack, so maybe they will be a different proposition this time round.

It's true that they don't have the grunt to get them on the front foot and allow them to play rugby but that's just like the Sale of old and there were some days when we bucked the trend.

If their forwards have a good day they might just surprise us.

Both teams are missing several key players - I think Newcastle are missing almost an entire backline.

But we believe we have better strength in depth than they do and with home advantage, we should be aiming for a comfortable win.

If we win this game and then take the points against Harlequins as well, it will make it a pretty productive period for us during the autumn internationals and will put us in a strong position for the rest of the season.

The autumn internationals themselves haven't been a happy time for our boys but I think Charlie has come in for a lot of undue criticism in recent weeks.

Yes, England haven't been playing well but it certainly isn't Charlie's fault. Andy Robinson just isn't choosing the gameplan that will best suit his fly half.

England seem to be running everything off their second receiver, Anthony Allen, but for Charlie to really perform they need to be running everything off him.

That's his natural game, just give him the ball and then allow him the chance to create from 10.

One of the major problems is that England's players are being given strict guidelines on how to do things when they should really be given decision-making powers themselves.

Rugby is never predictable and different situations call for different solutions so the players should be allowed to assess them as they come.

Andy Robinson has not done enough to turn the tide but I think they've missed their chance to get rid of him.

They may still let him go after the autumn internationals but whatever they do, it will be a rush to get things right for the Six Nations.

Some bold decisions need to be made to save English rugby.