It was another rest weekend for the Six Nations, but that doesn’t mean the action stopped entirely in Europe. Far from it, Christian Wade again staked his claim for a place in the England squad while the Welsh regions showed Warren Gatland how to beat Irish opposition. Here are five things we learned from the action…
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Wade being denied chance to light up biggest stage
Wasps may have lost their first home game since moving to the Ricoh Arena, but an early moment of magic from Christian Wade ensured their fans at least went home with something to talk about.
Receiving the ball on halfway from the impressive Elliot Daly, little appeared to be on for the winger but a burst of pace was followed by a chip over Chris Wyles, and some deft football skills to outwit the covering Alex Goode, allowed Wade to touch down.
It was a scintillating passage of play and one that had fans and pundits alike falling over themselves to proclaim it as the try of the season.
It certainly gave a fairly sparse crowd in Coventry something to talk about, and yet it wasn’t the winger’s only impressive intervention.
Minutes earlier, Wade had turned on a sixpence to get out of danger in a tight spot before launching a Wasps counter-attack. That moment highlighted his improved awareness in defence, something that has apparently held him back internationally.
And that is where the frustration lies. Wade has scored 35 tries in the last four Premiership seasons, but finds himself way down the pecking order for Stuart Lancaster’s side.
As Anthony Watson, Jack Nowell and Jonny May – scorers of a combined 41 league tries in that time – have manned the wings during the Six Nations, the Wasps man had to be content with a place on the England Saxons bench against the Irish Wolfhounds at the end of January.
International rugby is only poorer without game-changers like Wade.
Don’t blame Lancaster. The fact that abrilliant attacking talent Christian Wade never gets chosen for Tests is sad comment on modern rugby
— Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) March 8, 2015
Muddled approach to the breakdown needs to be cleared up
Days after New Zealand coach Steve Hansen had questioned the defensive nature of modern-day rugby, Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea took issue with the refereeing of the breakdown.
O’Shea’s point was that officials in the Premiership favour the defending team, making it difficult for a team like Quins who like to play an up-tempo game with ball in hand.
Both men want to see more tries, and both have a point when they highlight refereeing as a factor in the rise of the kick and chase.
Yet it is also true that the breakdown is more of a contest in the European Champions Cup and Six Nations. Anyone who saw England’s second half performance in Cardiff could tell you that.
The question, therefore, is why are certain referees officiating the game differently based on the competition they are in?
Rugby’s rules have always been open to interpretation, ask any northern hemisphere side touring the south or vice versa, but maybe it is time there is a more joined-up approach to officiating.
Regions show Wales the way
Wales welcome Ireland to the Millennium Stadium on Saturday looking to find a way back into Six Nations contention and end their visitors’ Grand Slam hopes.
The Irish have been in pretty awesome form so far and have a very good record in Cardiff, but if Pro12 results are anything to go by they won’t have it all their own way.
All four Irish provinces travelled to the principality over the weekend, coming away with only two points between them as the Welsh regions came out on top in every clash.
It was a rare set of results, with Ulster and Munster losing ground on leaders Glasgow, made all the more unbelievable by the fact the former lost to a Newport-Gwent Dragons side coming off a defeat to Treviso.
Of course, the majority of the protagonists that will take to the pitch next Saturday were being kept wrapped tightly in cotton wool over the weekend, and therefore it impossible to read too much into these results.
However, the likes of Justin Tipuric and Scott Williams did play and will be around the Wales squad this week. And Warren Gatland will hope the winning feeling proves infectious.
That said, 99 per cent of Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets fans would swap victory last weekend for two points next.
4/4 for Welsh Regions over the Irish provinces the weekend before Wales invite Ireland to the Millennium Stadium. #Omen
— Ellis Lane (@EllisLane3) March 8, 2015
Saint-Andre’s problems laid bare in Top 14
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has quite rightly come under increasing scrutiny over the last few weeks as Les Bleus have struggled through their Six Nations campaign.
But the difficulties in selection were on display during the recent round of Top 14 fixtures. A cursory glance at the results shows the players that made the key interventions were rarely available for selection by the national coach.
Australian fly-half Brock James scored 11 points as Clermont beat Bayonne, while Samoan David Smith scored four tries for league-leaders Toulon.
And then there was the case of Jules Plisson. The young fly-half was seen as the future of French rugby ahead of last season’s Six Nations, yet has disappeared from view since.
He did help Stade Francais to victory over Bordeaux Begles with an 80th-minute drop goal at the weekend, but had to come off the bench to do so.
His path to the No10 shirt in Paris is being blocked by Springbok fly-half Morne Steyn, restricting him to 882 minutes of action this season and stunting his progress.
There is little doubt that Saint-Andre should be getting more from the players at his disposal but the supply line of suitable youngsters has definitely been affected by the Top 14’s push for the stars.
McGeechan magic rubbing off on Yorkshire Carnegie
Sir Ian McGeechan made a typically understated return to front-line rugby union last Friday as he took temporary charge of struggling Championship side Yorkshire Carnegie.
The former British and Irish Lions coach holds the club high in his affections having played his whole career with them, in their former guise as Headingley.
He was also Carnegie’s executive president before dusting off his tracksuit to replace the outgoing Tommy McGee, and it seems that decision is already paying dividends.
Yorkshire secured only their sixth win of the season against Bedford on Sunday, thanks to tries from David Doherty and Oli Goss.
It was a victory that took them above their visitors and into the second tier’s top six, and within touching distance of the play-offs.
It is of course extremely early days but if the former Scotland coach can inspire Carnegie into the play-offs, then who knows how their season might end?
With only five games left and eight points separating them from Rotherham in fourth, it is a tall order. But if anyone can do it, McGeechan can.
“My last match as head coach was in Durban for the third Lions Test.” Sir Ian McGeechan after @carnegierugby win today, via @RugbyTimes
— Nick Westby (@NWestbyYPSport) March 8, 2015
