Having spent the last two years in South Africa, a land of great rugby contrast, home of the scrum but also of Sacha Feinberg-Mgnomezulu, I had to smile as a clear clash of philosophies emerged in the English media between two ex-playing colleagues, my favourite fly-half deriding endless unintelligible scrums (no change there!) and the other a celebrated hooker lauding the great Prem ‘product’ enhanced by the inevitable move to Franchise and safety from relegation. Stop moaning, everyone, it’s great to watch and surely a Thomas du Toit hat-trick is a thing of beauty?!

Let us park that latter debate for a moment and consider Barnesy’s legitimate head scratching about the state of the scrum in today’s game. No-one has a clue do they? There is one certainty in a rugby life and that is that no scrum-half has to put the ball in straight anymore except in France where the Head of Referees has implemented a law change. Chapeau I say. Oh, it’s different in France isn’t it, isn’t everything… or perhaps it is just leadership borne of frustration!

His namesake of world refereeing fame, Wayne Barnes, openly stated in a Q&A some years ago that World Rugby had asked referees to ignore or even encourage a crooked feed into the scrum so that the game could keep it’s flow. Well the reverse has happened, and the scrum penalty followed by the kick to the corner and an unstoppable often illegal maul leading to a try normally accompanied by a yellow card has become the inevitable status quo – or has it?

The real contest of the weekend – rivalling the stunning win by the Bulls over Glasgow ( another one pointer, South African rugby teams understand thin margins!)- was in the West Country where the Chiefs put the Saracens to the sword conclusively in the winner takes all playoff. The Executioner in Chief was Henry Slade, who rolled back the years in a classic performance of distribution, try-scoring, kicking out of hand and off the tee, oh and a try-saving tackle at a critical moment in the match. What I loved most of all was his timing of the pass to put further pace into any movement. It was a genuine masterclass and for any young centre – well any centre – it is worth replaying the tape.

As I have said before, our midfield talent is and should be on our own doorstep. Unless I am guilty of trashy nationalism, then Henry Slade reminded us that he is the quality and under-selected centre of the last decade. We need to use what we have in our own locker, and if Ojomoh and Lawrence were only spectators to the Thomas du Toit triple at the weekend, then they will need to become centre-stage next week when Henry and his mates come to town. Or else they will go the same way as Leicester did on their home ground. My only regret is that Feyi-Waboso is unfit but it will still be a classic against Exeter who have nothing to lose, and are playing an intoxicating fast pace mix of offloads and supreme ball-handling. Saracens were chasing shadows most of the afternoon but then they also kicked it away relentlessly and that was some of the Chiefs’ best possession.

Back to the debate, apparently the Northampton Saints may not triumph in the coming fortnight because they have the weakest scrum – yet the best midfield in Europe bar Bordeaux. Whether it be the laws of the game mistakenly communicated by our not so august world authorities, whistles being blown as a result to influence an outcome, we need to see the best of our ‘product’ on show next weekend, then hope it may translate somehow onto the world stage. The six top centres in England will be on show in the semifinals, I so hope that it will be they who show us the way forward. Our dear props- and hookers- can dream in the bar afterwards of their wider exploits. Match-time, all we and the viewers we are trying to attract really want to see is a solid scrum conducted at pace (please, sir) and some good quick ball. Now for that cup of tea.