Who’s hot and who’s not: Six Nations beckons for wing, Marcus Smith dazzles as fans flock to watch festive rugby

Adam Kyriacou
Exeter Chiefs wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Munster lock Edwin Edogbo.

Exeter Chiefs wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Munster lock Edwin Edogbo.

It’s time for our wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

THEY’RE ON FIRE!

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso shines: One name was on everyone’s lips after Friday night’s game as Feyi-Waboso set Ashton Gate alight with his showing for Exeter. The signs have been there for a while that the Chiefs have a special player on their hands but the former Cardiff and Wasps finisher took a further step in his development over the weekend with a try-scoring shift. He caused Bristol all kinds of problems and his performance led to talk of a call-up for either Wales or England ahead of the Six Nations. He looks set for big things at international level.

Marcus Smith and Big Game 15: Smith was outstanding alongside half-back partner Danny Care as Harlequins comfortably won Big Game 15 at Twickenham on Saturday, overcoming Gloucester 32-26 in a scoreline that doesn’t reflect the gulf in class. Smith was eager to impress at the home of English rugby with the Six Nations on the horizon and helped inspire his team to an impressive win, picking up the player of the match award to boot. Has England’s full-back at the recent Rugby World Cup now locked up the number 10 jersey in 2024?

Bayonne’s incredible fightback: This was a surprise as Top 14 leaders Racing 92 were stunned at Bayonne over the weekend. 22-6 in front with just a quarter of the game remaining, Racing 92 looked set to extend their lead at the top of the French standings before Bayonne launched an impressive recovery. Tries from Uzair Cassiem, Thomas Acquier and Remy Baget were all converted by Camille Lopez as Stade Jean Dauger celebrated an unlikely victory. Racing will rue letting this one slip but credit must go to Bayonne for never giving up the fight.

Key Scotland wing duo re-sign: Edinburgh fans got an extra Christmas present this past week when it was announced that Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham had re-signed with the club. Van der Merwe said he “couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else” and celebrated his new deal with a match-winning try against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday. Graham meanwhile is eager to win silverware at his boyhood club, with both wings outstanding players and excitement machines to boot. What a boost this is for Edinburgh heading into the new year.

Attendances over festive period: It’s not just in the Premiership but also the United Rugby Championship as sold-out signs were up in both competitions over the latest rounds. Twickenham was packed for Harlequins v Gloucester while Bristol Bears and Leicester Tigers also had plenty through the gates on Friday and Sunday respectively. The URC is following suit on New Year’s Day which is great to see for rugby.

COLD AS ICE!

Injury worries for England: There is concern at loosehead prop as Bevan Rodd is out of the Six Nations while Joe Marler came off for Harlequins and Mako Vunipola was red carded for Saracens. Throw in centre Manu Tuilagi being likely to miss at least England’s opener against Italy in Rome and suddenly there’s a few headaches for head coach Steve Borthwick as he looks to build on the World Cup showing.

Dragons’ Boxing Day shocker: That was a tough outing for the Dragons as they were hammered 55-21 by Cardiff at the Arms Park on December 26. Nine tries were leaked in all as the URC’s basement side were giving a hiding by their Welsh rivals. The New Year’s Day game against fellow strugglers the Scarlets is a must-win not just for morale in the camp but in order to get them off the bottom of the standings.

Rory Darge blow for Scotland: It’s heartbreak for the World Cup star as Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith confirmed it does not look good for Darge after he suffered injury against Edinburgh. It is a cruel blow for the openside flanker, who spent a large portion of last season on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on an injured ankle. We hope this week’s update provides more positive news for him.

Munster injury woes continue: The injury theme in this section continues and we conclude with Munster’s busy treatment table. The queue was already lengthy and included the likes of RG Snyman, Peter O’Mahony, Joey Carbery to name a few but now the promising lock Edwin Edogbo joins the growing list with a serious Achilles injury, with Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilocyne and Alex Nankivell also having scans. It never rains it pours when injuries start to become a theme and Munster will hope to see the tide turn sooner rather than later.

READ MORE: Opinion: Give Marcus Smith the England fly-half keys and let him unleash his potential

Dragons Marcus Smith

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