Rugby union: talking points from the weekend’s Premiership action

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/feb/23/rugby-union-premiership-talking-points

Version 0 of 1.

1) Stephenson stands out in England’s ‘problem position’

The Sam Burgess debate rumbles on but the English centre who stood out at the Recreation Ground was Northampton’s Tom Stephenson, a recent graduate of the Saints’ academy who was making his fifth Premiership start of the season, all his opportunities coming during international windows. He covered George Pisi at 13 in November and has stood in for Luther Burrell at 12 this month. He is able to create – as he did for his side’s opening try on Saturday, riding Kyle Eastmond’s challenge to free James Wilson – and finish, as he did against Exeter in the autumn. Centre is a position giving England problems in the sense of whom to pick, both as individuals and combinations, rather than a lack of options, so if Stephenson is to have his time it will be later rather than sooner. His mix of strength and skill should ensure that, at some time, opportunity knocks. Paul Rees

2) A midfield is born in the West Country

There must have been a bright star sitting over the West Country for 23 days in 1993. From 19 March to 11 April of that year was born unto us a midfield that may one day grace the national team. They popped out in the correct order, starting at 10 with Henry Slade in Plymouth. Then came Sam Hill, at inside centre the next in line, in Exeter on 4 April, before Jack Nowell completed the trinity a week later in Truro. Fast forward less than 22 years, and this is Exeter’s midfield. Nowell is already an England international, who seems set to play on the wing this weekend in Dublin. And the chorus calling for Slade after his 27 points against Harlequins on Saturday is becoming ever louder.

But it is worth remembering the 22 years that have not quite passed since those nativities beneath the setting sun. George Ford, who was born (in Oldham) a full three days before Slade initiated the West Country naissance, is well ahead of him in terms of experience and achievement, as are Owen Farrell, Stephen Myler and the original messiah, Danny Cipriani. Slade is a big man, who may yet prove more reliable than Ford from the tee, so a shorter-term possibility is his selection at 12 for England, although two 22-year-olds in the heart of midfield may prove a bit much for the England coaches this side of the World Cup. Further ahead, though, we could well see Exeter’s trinity run out for England as they did for the midwives in 1993. There is no need to rush them, though. Michael Aylwin

3) Slim pickings at 10 for Leicester

Leicester continue to limp along without a midfield and face the final third of the season without a recognised fly-half. Freddie Burns banged his head and failed the half-time concussion protocols, leaving the play-making duties to the current third-choice scrum-half, David Mélé. With Owen Williams out for the rest of the season, candidates for 10 against Sale next week are the full-back Tommy Bell and centre Seremaia Bai. Mike Averis

• Match report: London Irish 6-12 Leicester

4) Plenty of signs for Sale’s resurgence

Sale will know where they stand in the race for a Premiership play-off place after tough away trips in the next two weeks to Leicester and Bath. Saturday’s home win over Saracens, their first over the north London club since 2008 in the competition, puts them fifth in a congested table where four points cover six clubs from second place to seventh. The decision of Danny Cipriani and Dan Braid to sign new deals is a huge boost for a club used to a constant turnover of players and coaches. It has taken time for Steve Diamond, the director of rugby, to establish some sort of foundation and these two players are vital for keeping the squad together.

Another sign of Sale’s resurgence came in the announcement of the England Under-18 match-day squad to face their French counterparts at Doncaster on Sunday. Cipriani had said one reason why he had decided to re-sign was the number of promising players coming up. He listed six already in the senior squad, while a further three were in the squad who beat France 21-5. Diamond, whose playing career included representing the old North division and Lancashire in the county championship, has always maintained that Sale should make more of the big rugby-playing numbers in the north-west. Hopefully, besides another decent season in the Premiership, the representation at Doncaster was another sign of an upturn in fortunes. Rob Wildman

• Match report: Sale 14-10 Saracens

5) Daly shows 13 is his position

Elliot Daly was preferred to Jonathan Joseph at age-grade level, but his impact on the senior game has not been as marked as the England outside-centre’s. Daly has been at a club that, until this season, had not been a contender for the play-offs this decade and he has been used at full-back. He showed in Wasps’ draw at Kingston Park that 13 is his position: he scored one of his side’s tries and created the other two to deny the Falcons the victory they strived so hard for. Like Joseph, Daly has the eye for an outside-break and the pace to exploit it, an antidote to the boshing that has for so long dominated. Newcastle’s main threat was the wing Sinoti Sinoti, a rather different sort of attacking beast, direct and hard to haul down, and the transformation from the side that lost limply at Adams Park last September is profound. A new playing surface has spawned new Newcastle. Paul Rees

6) Let’s say it again: the play-offs must be scrapped

Another weekend, another thrashing. London Welsh’s second stint in the Premiership has been an ugly stain on not only the face of English rugby but the reputation of one of the oldest clubs in the world. Welsh have a formidable legal team behind them, whose acumen created this sorry mess in the first place, and one hopes they are successful challenging the injustices surrounding the funds available to Premiership newcomers. But it is another injustice that needs just as much attention. As talking points go, this one has been done to death, we know, but it cannot be talked about too much. The play-off system for promotion to the Premiership must be scrapped.

The damage to everyone’s reputation was done not so much at the end of last season when Welsh used their parachute payment well to regain their place in the top flight (and might well have finished top anyway had the rules been different), but two years before that when they were promoted in the first place. Except they were not in the first place. Welsh went up as the fourth best team in the Championship and as an institution were clearly not ready. Premier Rugby should have focused then less on the obviously flawed argument surrounding primacy of tenure and more on the dismantling of a play-off system, designed by the RFU, whose findings re the best team or otherwise in the Championship they were obliged to accept. They should still be fighting to dismantle it. Michael Aylwin

• Match report: Gloucester 48-10 London Welsh