1. Wade’s golden hour
Six tries in 60 minutes saw Wasps flyer Christian Wade put his hand up for selection in the summer – but for which form of the game?
Eddie Jones barely mentions him in conversation to the press and even after smashing numerous records at the weekend, he is unlikely to be going to Australia.
This, then, leaves Wade with a big decision as the possibility of playing sevens at the Olympics (if, indeed, he is eligible, as doubts remain over this) may be a bigger draw than going to South Africa with the Saxons, leaving Wade with the real possibility of alienating himself from potential chances with the national team in the future.
Olympic medal, or a future with the England rugby team? Not an easy decision to make.
2. Dagger in the back
The forgotten man of New Zealand rugby is back and my word did he announce it with a bang.
Israel Dagg was overlooked by the All Blacks for the World Cup and has struggled with form and, more recently, injuries but his performance against the Jaguares on Friday will have made more than just a few selectors sit up straight.
This was the Dagg of old: the swerve, the swagger, the timing of the run all present to scare the living day lights out defences. He grabbed himself two tries for good measure.
Many have written Dagg off as an elder statesman that could be seeking riches abroad but he is only 27 and doesn’t look ready to give up on being an All Black once again just yet.
3. Ashton needs to keep scoring – silently
Five tries in three games for Chris Ashton surely puts him on the plane to Australia in the summer? Maybe not.
Ashton yet again showed at the weekend why he is the hottest property in the Aviva Premiership at the moment with another performance brimming with intelligent running, defensive culpability and more important, devilish ruthlessness.
Ashton’s problem, though, according to England Coach Eddie Jones is that his behaviour needs a shift in the right direction after pushing Anthony Watson off the ball last weekend.
Ashton naturally refutes these claims and says he hasn’t even read the newspapers but he may just be the first player to test Eddie Jones with a head and a heart decision.
4. Flying Finn
They were a sleeping giant at the beginning of the season with indifferent form in both the Pro12 and in Europe, but Glasgow Warriors are peaking at exactly the right time for a potential title defence.
Last year’s champions have been in a rich vein of form since the Six Nations, winning eight on the spin and their victory over the Scarlets in Llanelli was arguably their best performance of the season.
The catalyst was Finn Russell. The mercurial fly-half set the tone from the outset and after a matter of seconds he chased his own chip kick to touch down and send his team on their way to a 46 points to 10 victory.
Russell finished the match with 21 points, including two tries and with just Zebre to hurdle over with ease next weekend, the last game the season would see them travel to Galway to embark on a duel with Connacht to see who gains a home playoff. If Glasgow do make it the perfect ten in Ireland, and with the final at Murrayfield this year, it would be difficult to look past Finn and the reigning champions to lift the trophy again.
5. Timing your run
Ah, the Top 14, that most unpredictable of beasts. Toulon are struggling for form and Racing 92 also lost at the weekend, leaving just Montpellier and Clermont to battle it out for this year’s this top two places in the Top 14.
The inexorable rise of Montpellier towards the summit of the league has been admirable, but their win against Stade Francais at the weekend may be the most significant milestone of them all. It was their seventh straight league win, but more importantly their first ever over Stade.
The players have really rallied around Jake White (perhaps because a lot of them are South Africa) and with a home tie against Grenoble at the weekend, they can all but seal a home playoff with a win.
6. Kenya shock rugby world with brilliant 7s win
As rugby gears itself up for its first stint at the Olympics since 1924, Kenya produced one of the performances of the century at the weekend to claim the Singapore Sevens title.
Not only did they win, but they did in style. They blasted the great Fijians off the pitch in the final by beating them at their own game.
It is a great example of perseverance and hard work coming to fruition. Kenya have long been capable of beating the best in the world with their blend of athleticism and flair, but to do it consistently enough to win a leg of the World Series was brilliant to see.
By Andy Daniel
(@scrum5ive)
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
As you know by now, we are hilarious, and you should be following us on Facebook and Twitter. 
How come Wade’s eligibility for the Olympics is in doubt?
Wasps would need to give him permission / release him
I saw this rather cryptic tweet earlier – Rupert Cox presents a lot of Sky’s 7s coverage, so he’s bound to be in the know about this sort of thing. I haven’t been able to track down exactly why Wade would be ineligible, though.
https://twitter.com/RupertCoxSKY/status/722379126045286400
(Which is why it was purposely left a bit vague in the article!)
I suspect its all a case of everyone is waiting to see what the other party wants.
Wasps have stated that they would be happy for him to do either 7’s or Aus but haven’t been approached by either yet
England 7’s need to ask Wasps but don’t want to ask in case he gets selected as part of the EPS for Aus.
Then there’s the whole what if Eddie says he wants him touring SA with the Saxons issue and who would win that arm wrestle.
Does anyone know when the EPS is likely to be announced for the summer tour?
Don’t you have to have played 3 World Series tournaments to qualify for Olympics? Anyway, team GB won’t be winning a medal…just not quite up with the top tier at the moment and won’t have chance to gel properly anyway.
If Wade has any sense he’ll give Team GB a wide berth – the Sevens side is going to be a trainwreck. Barely any preparation time for any prospective 15s players to adjust to the code (unlike the likes of SBW and Messam who’ve already been playing for months) and the balance of the squad is going to be a major headache as it is having to juggle athletes from three nations (and then those from Northern Ireland who plump for GB over Ireland) to keep the Unions from spitting the dummy out. There’s a reason that Britain never bothers with football for the Olympics (with the exception of the home games in 2012, where it was pretty much a necessity) and the petty politicking of separate national governing bodies is why. I’d be surprised to see a GB Sevens squad at any Olympics carrying the event in future and just leave it for the Commonwealth Games.
7. Player of the tournament lists are a joke.
As a Saints fans I am gobsmacked that North has made the European player of the tournament shortlist. I can think of at least 5 Saints players who are more deserving let alone other teams
Absolutely spot on. Armitage just makes the list now irrelevant of how he played. Toulon were really poor in the group stagse, and he wasn’t even always starting.
Strangest list that I’ve seen in a while, how Nathan Hughes didn’t make it is beyond me.
Yes agreed it feels like the list was picked based on hitting volume quotas according to teams progress and chances of winning and then by players reputation within those teams rather than any actual assessment of performance.
Its the sort of list that might have been produced if you hadn’t actually watched any of the games or read any of the post match reports.
If you’re not going to do it properly don’t bother doing it at all
btw in case you haven’t seen it here’s the nominees
Steffon Armitage (Toulon)
Dan Carter (Racing 92)
Jack Clifford (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Wasps)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Vereniki Goneva (Leicester Tigers)
Guilhem Guirado (Toulon)
Juan Imhoff (Racing 92)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Kruis (Saracens)
George North (Northampton Saints)
Charles Piutau (Wasps)
George Smith (Wasps)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)
Armitage and North are odd ones and are probably on the list by reputation as much as anything.
Clifford also seems like an odd man out on this list. I know he’s been on good form for Quins, but to pick one player from the lower tier of the competition seems almost like a sympathy vote?
Some other Tigers players have been better than Goneva as well.
North played well for Wales in 6 nations not sure Northampton get the ball out as far as the wing ??
almost as rubbish as the 6 nations player list