Biggest Winners and Losers in World Rugby for Weekend of January 2-4
Northampton Saints enjoyed a good week in the Aviva Premiership stakes, benefiting not only from their own boosting win this weekend, but seeing their pursuers fall at the hands of their foes.
Jim Mallinder's side weren't the only ones to have an especially fruitful couple of days, however, as Montpellier reached a potential turning point in their season, while England fans may soon have some new faces to cheer.
With the good comes the bad, however, and we also look into the difficulties Sam Burgess is facing in his transition to union, as well as a much gloomier side of Montpellier's good fortune.
Winner: Jake White Gets Montpellier Tenure Underway with Toulon Win
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Just a few days into Jake White's tenure as Montpellier head coach and the former Sharks tactician has already masterminded a 16-12 victory over reigning Top 14 and European champions Toulon. No big deal.
Except it is when considering how dismally disappointing the club has been up until this point in 2014-15, falling far short of the expectations placed ahead of them for this campaign.
The win sees Montpellier move above Toulouse and back into the top seven, with Montpellier only hoping this isn't as good as it gets under their new strategist.
White brought a heap of experience and wisdom to the role, but few would have predicted Montpellier getting the better of Toulon on Saturday, especially after winning just one of their last five leading up to this fixture.
Loser: White's Montpellier Joy Quickly Turns into Boot-Drinking Despair
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Smiles quickly turned to bittersweet frowns for White, though, who after getting the better of the title defenders was forced to drink an unnamed beverage out of a boot.
It's unknown as to whether or not the boot was used during the game and who by if so, but White assuredly didn't enjoy his Top 14 initiation in any case.
Winner: England to Benefit from Relaxed Eligibility Laws
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It's been a fiercely debated topic for some years that England would benefit vastly if permitted to select foreign-based players for international duty, a call which has so far gone unanswered.
Those fans in support of the decision may see their hopes boosted, however, with The Times (h/t ESPN Scrum) reporting that more relaxed laws are being considered by the RFU.
As the report indicates, 2014 European Player of the Year Steffon Armitage would be the most obvious candidate to be drafted into Stuart Lancaster's back-row ranks if Top 14 players could be deemed candidates for selection.
The downside to the argument, of course, is that English talents may as a result be more tempted to cash in and play abroad, but with a home Rugby World Cup in sight, such risks must be considered.
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Loser: Sam Burgess Still Getting to Grips with Union's Intricacies
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Bath's Burgess is enjoying his time adapting to rugby union, he says, but line-outs are still proving a tricky concept for the former National Rugby League icon to grasp.
Having never grown up with the same set-piece priorities, the Bath utility this week told Fox Sports he's happy with how things are going, but added line-outs are still something of a head-scratcher:
"I think 12 (inside centre) suits learning the game quicker, whereas 6 (flanker) you need to have more of a knowledge of the game. ... If there was a position in between the two, I would like that one.
(I think) 12 comes more naturally to me because I don’t have as many decisions to make. I have enjoyed some parts of scrumming, not so much the lineouts, being blatantly honest, because I don’t understand them.
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In truth, Burgess' athletic prowess is probably enough for him to get by as a centre until he truly gets to grips with line-outs and any other technical components in union.
One thing for certain is England coach Lancaster will expect his international hopeful to have a full knowledge of such matters come next summer if he's to have any World Cup involvement.
Winner: Northampton Saints Benefit from Bath Stumble
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It was a big week for Northampton Saints as they opened up a pressure-easing six-point lead over Bath at the head of the Premiership standings.
That was in part thanks to Leicester Tigers, who on Sunday handed second-place Bath a 17-8 defeat to leave their title chase looking uncertain.
Newcastle Falcons initially scared Mallinder's men, but a five-try haul and the boot of Stephen Myler helped pave the way to a 39-31 triumph.
Bath were tightly stuck to the Saints' heels for much of this campaign, but this weekend's proceedings give the reigning Premiership champions increased hope of tying down top spot.
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