Domestic rugby was back on the agenda this weekend following the thrilling denouement to the Six Nations, and it didn’t disappoint. Saracens entertained Harlequins at Wembley in front of a world record crowd for a club game, while Sale took another step towards Europe and Glasgow showed their fighting spirit. Here are five things we learned from the action…
– #Quiz360: WIN a group paintball session at Zayed Sports City
– Fiji beat New Zealand to win Hong Kong Sevens
– Family ethos is behind Abu Dhabi Saracens’ success story
North needs to be given time to clear his head
The sight of George North laying motionless in the in-goal area of Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night, was sobering in itself. The fact that it was the third time he has been knocked unconscious in a little under two months means that something must be done.
World Rugby’s concussion advisor Professor Willie Stewart has suggested North should sit out of the rest of the season, and it is hard to disagree.
North’s health needs to be paramount, and while Saints are still fighting on two fronts, they have a duty of care to their player.
Were the Welshman to receive another sizeable blow in the remaining weeks of the season then he would run the risk of missing more than just a few games.
Instead, he should undergo a stand-down period similar to the 12 weeks that Jonathan Sexton took out of the game prior to the Six Nations. It would mean he would miss a crucial part of the season, but sometimes there are more important issues at stake than winning or losing.
Not a Doctor of Medicine and happy to be told protocols in place but surely with another head knock George North needs a rest? @SaintsRugby
— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) March 28, 2015
Thanks for all the messages. Feeling ok, up and about.
— George North (@George_North) March 28, 2015
Ashton gives Lancaster a timely reminder
Saracens’ Wembley clash with Harlequins failed to deliver the fireworks of previous years, but there was a spark provided by their hulking right wing, Chris Ashton.
The one-time England regular scored a brace of superb tries to light up a gloomy afternoon in north-west London, the first of which was described as “world class” by his director of rugby, Mark McCall.
Quins did not have an answer to his direct and powerful running, and once Ashton, David Strettle and Chris Wyles got going, the result was rarely in doubt.
Ashton has not been considered an automatic England selection since the autumn of 2013, and in that time head coach Stuart Lancaster has unearthed the likes of Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson and Jonny May.
The Saracens wing, meanwhile, has been restricted to a run-out for the Saxons this year, but having only celebrated his 28th birthday on Sunday, his international career is far from over.
And performances like that, on a stage such as Wembley, will only enhance his chances of a recall ahead of the World Cup.
On the day he restated his England ambitions in @MirrorSport, Chris Ashton has claimed a very sharp Wembley try double.
— Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) March 28, 2015
O’Shea tight-lipped but Quins could do with Roberts
Harlequins director of rugby, Conor O’Shea, refused to give too much away about his side’s alleged pursuit of Jamie Roberts, when quizzed on Saturday evening.
If there is even a slither of a chance that the Wales centre could opt for the Premiership club, then Quins should be doing everything in their power to make the deal happen.
The west London club have been crying out for someone like Roberts in their midfield all season. They have not been helped by injuries to Jordan Turner-Hall and George Lowe, but the power, strength and leadership that the Welshman would bring with him could help propel Quins back up the table.
Certainly they did not expect to be heading into the final four games of the season stuck in eighth, and with little chance of finishing any higher.
Quins have struggled to click into gear all season, and while they do have youngsters coming through, too many key players are coming to the end of their careers.
Bringing in Roberts, alongside James Horwill, Tim Visser and Adam Jones, could just help lift the club.
On the day he restated his England ambitions in @MirrorSport, Chris Ashton has claimed a very sharp Wembley try double.
— Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) March 28, 2015
Diamond sparkling for Sale
Sale still have it all to do to qualify for the European Champions Cup next season, but having beaten Gloucester on Sunday, their run-in probably makes them favourites to pip Wasps and bag the sixth and final automatic spot.
The Sharks’ final four games sees them play only one team above them in the league at present, and that is a trip to Exeter on the final day.
That they are still well in the hunt for a place in the top-six at this stage of the season, fighting against teams with much bigger budgets, is testament to the work of director of rugby, Steve Diamond, and his coaching staff.
Sunday’s game was a case in point. Sale do not possess the resources that Gloucester do, they would not be able to go out and sign a host of international stars as the Cherry and Whites did last summer.
Yet through careful planning, and identifying the right kind of player at the right time, Sale have put together a team capable of beating anyone on their day.
Fly-half Danny Cipriani is obviously the exception that proves the rule, yet as Diamond has stressed since the England man signed a contract extension, he could earn a lot more elsewhere.
He has bought into the ethos of the club, and while it is unlikely that Sale will ever scale the heights that saw them crowned champions in 2006, consistently challenging for a place at Europe’s top table should be seen as success for their hard-working coach.
Glasgow might just have the character needed to win Pro12
Leinster may argue that they had one one eye on their European Champions Cup quarter-final this weekend, but few teams build up the 27-7 lead Glasgow enjoyed at the RDS at half-time on Friday.
The hosts rallied in the second half, and led going into the closing stages but while many teams would have crumbled having lost such a commanding advantage, the Scots struck through Glenn Bryce to secure a thrilling draw.
The result allowed Ulster and Munster to close the gap at the top of the Pro12 table to just two points, but it was almost a lot worse.
Indeed, Glasgow captain Al Kellock hailed the “outstanding character and heart” of his side, who lost Niko Matawalu to the sin bin in the second half in Dublin.
Their late show certainly took guts, and they will need plenty more if they are to secure a first ever Pro12 title come the season’s end.
On the day he restated his England ambitions in @MirrorSport, Chris Ashton has claimed a very sharp Wembley try double.
— Alex Spink (@alexspinkmirror) March 28, 2015
Bonus Point
Despite retiring at the end of last season, Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll showed former Fiji star, Waisale Serevi, that he definitely still has it as they took in the Hong Kong Sevens over the weekend. Watch and enjoy.
