It is amazing how swiftly perceptions can change in sport. Remember how English cricket once revolved around the County Championship until Twenty20 cricket and the Indian Premier League came along? Or the days when the most famous footballers in England ran pubs in retirement to help make ends meet? Progress can sweep aside old-school certainties quicker than you can say leather balls and neat side partings.
The same is true in rugby union. Even without the chilly financial draught blowing through many clubs in England and Wales there is no ignoring the rise of the French Top 14 as an attractive rival to the Premiership. Salaries are higher across the Channel, crowds are growing steadily and the rock stars of the national team are increasingly rubbing shoulders with bright-eyed English émigrés.
