Lawrence Dallaglio believes Christian Wade’s three seasons with NFL side Buffalo Bills have transformed him into a more complete player.
The World Cup winner also believes the 33-year-old’s spell in the United States could potentially reignite his England career after an explosive return to rugby with Gloucester.
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Wade’s only appearance for England so far came over a decade agoCredit: Getty
Despite establishing himself as one of the greatest try scorers the Premiership has ever seen, with 85 scored, Wade has only been capped once by England.
That was in 2013 against Argentina and, despite his try scoring brilliance for Wasps, he was constantly overlooked.
This was put down to Wade’s defensive weaknesses, particularly under the high ball, rather than his attacking threat.
As a result, Wade made the brave and groundbreaking decision to leave the sport in 2018 to have a crack at the NFL with the Buffalo Bills as a running back.
Many critics thought this signalled not only the end of his England aspirations, but also his rugby career – but they were wrong.
Wade signed for Gloucester in the summer, to fill the void left by NFL-bound Louis Rees-Zammit, after a six year absence from the English game, spending time in Paris with Racing 92 after the NFL.
And, in just his second game back in the Premiership, he broke the league hat-trick record with his 15th treble in a scintillating performance in the 44-41 win away to Bristol.
This display convinced England rugby icon Dallaglio that Wade’s time in the NFL has made him a better rugby player.
Dallaglio exclusively told talkSPORT: “He is box office, always has been and always will be. Christian has been doing this season what he’s always done, which is score some phenomenal tries. He has that ability to do special things on the field.
“Attacking wise, he does it with a bit of style and panache and he hasn’t lost any speed. If anything, he’s probably a bit quicker. I think his experiences in the NFL have only served to prove what we’ve missed.
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Wade spent just under four years in the NFL with the Buffalo BillsCredit: Getty
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Dallaglio believes his American football stint has improved his rugby gameCredit: Getty
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Wade has enjoyed an excellent return to rugby with GloucesterCredit: Getty
“He has improved his defensive play, which is significant as previously I think there were always question marks around his appetite and ability to defend aerially, which is such a big part of the game now in the back three, and his appetite to defend full stop.
“Previously, he would gamble and make mistakes, but so far this season what we’ve seen defensively from Christian without the ball is something we haven’t seen before.
“That will go a long way towards getting him picked [for England] if he’s consistent with that. I think what we’re seeing now is a much more rounded player.
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“You don’t go and join an NFL franchise and not have to work hard. He’s got the talent, there’s no doubt about that, he’s always had the talent and the flair.
“I think there’s a discipline about working in an American sports franchise which has probably given him even greater tools to be even more successful in rugby.
“He certainly looks like he’s a better player, and he wasn’t doing too badly when he left, by the way! He’s still right up there on Premiership tries scored and he’s got the most hat-tricks now and he’ll be sniffing out any other records that need to be beaten.
“He’s an exciting player and it’s great that we’ve got him back in our league.”
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Wade has always been an unstoppable attacking force, but is now a more ‘well rounded’ player following his time in American footballCredit: Getty
Although the odds are stacked against an England return for Wade, head coach Steve Borthwick cannot ignore the 33-year-old if he continues this electric form leading up to the 2025 Six Nations Championship.
For Dallaglio, Wade’s age should not deter the England boss from selecting him, as he explained: “I won the Rugby World Cup at 31-years-old [in 2003] and there were a lot of players in my team who were a lot older than me at the time.
“I don’t see age as defining your selection, the quality of your play and the consistency is what should define your selection.
“No one is writing him off [internationally]. England have got some exceptionally talented players, but who knows? He doesn’t seem like a Steve Borthwick pick on paper,but if he keeps putting in those sorts of performances on both sides of the ball, never say never.”
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