Wade makes Six Nations England bid in Wasps win
WASPS boss Dai Young has backed Christian Wade to earn a recall to Stuart Lancaster’s England squad after the winger played a starring role in the 41-16 demolition of Sale at the Ricoh Arena yesterday.
Scrum-half Joe Simpson crossed the line twice in the bonus-point victory, while flankers James Haskell and Ashley Johnson as well as No8 Nathan Hughes also touched down, as Andy Goode kicked 16 points.
A late Andrei Ostrikov try for Sale failed to prevent Wasps romping to their third successive Premiership win to jump to fourth in the league table, although the attendance of 15,343 was almost half the figure which greeted their arrival to Coventry.
Wade was unable to add to his haul of seven tries this season but Young believes the 23-year-old, who made his England debut against Argentina in the summer of 2013, should feature on Lancaster’s Six Nations radar.
“It’s not for me to say who should be in (the England team) but I wouldn’t swap him for any other winger,” said Young. “He is by far one of the most exciting wingers with ball in hand.
“Sometimes I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for creating opportunities for other people, breaking through tackles and offloading. If he gets the nod, he’ll do a job I’m sure.”
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea refused to criticise his much-changed side despite stuttering to a 24-13 bonus-point victory over basement boys London Welsh, who lost their 12th consecutive Premiership clash this term, at the Kassam Stadium.
Scrum-half Karl Dickson, winger Marland Yarde, prop Kyle Sinckler and replacement Tom Williams dotted down for Quins, while a Paul Rowley try and the boot of Will Robinson maintained the Exiles’ interest.
“We played the youngsters so it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” he said. “We tried to play with ambition throughout the game and that’s the way I want Quins to play even though it may not work at times.”
Leicester boss Richard Cockerill, whose charges beat a Bath side featuring full debutant Sam Burgess 17-8, has suggested centre Manu Tuilagi may not recover from a groin injury in time to face Wales in England’s opening Six Nations clash at the Millennium Stadium on 6 February.
“It may well come too soon, we’ll see,” said Cockerill. “It’s a day-by-day, week-by-week thing. He will be fit for the Six Nations at some point.”