Loose Pass

Welcome to Loose Pass - our weekly assortment of disjointed thoughts. This week we will be mostly concerning ourselves with the dawn of spring and mountaineering...

Ring out the church bells! The Guinness Premiership has shaken off its winter of discontent with a veritable hailstorm of tries.

Following much gnashing of teeth over the rather pedestrian start to the season, the last round of matches produced a massive, season-best 3.5 tries per game.

Okay, it's pretty pathetic when compared to our brethren below the equator. But it's a start and we have no bones about declaring that this slender swallow makes the summer.

For contrary to what the naysayers would have us believe, the dearth of tries in the north in recent months has had more to do with rain and mud than tactics and talent. Running rugby is solar powered.

The same seasonal variation can be seen in reverse as southern pitches begin to grow slow.

Yes, the tries are still raining down, but Super 14 averages appear to be trending downwards - particularly in the last couple of weeks following the Bulls' migration off the Highveld.

But credit must also go to the Premiership's officials who have been at pains to promote attacking rugby and to ward players off making negative decision at the breakdown.

As Saracens boss Brendan Venter said after seeing his side thump Newcastle: "Referees are helping the fact the rugby is opening up. I've had some difficult times in this chair talking about referees, but now they are freeing up things at the breakdown and favouring the attacking teams."

Of course, all this leaves to one side the vast assumption that more tries make for exciting rugby.

Indeed, the game of Round 18 was not Sarries' 58-15 mauling of the Falcons. Not even close. It was Northampton's 14-9 over Wasps. There was one try, and it meant something.

Average tries per game:
(Last seven complete rounds of the Premiership versus first seven rounds of the Super 14)

Super 14: 4.3, 7.2, 5.3, 4.1, 7.7, 4.3, 5.5.
Premiership: 3.0, 1.9, 3.3, 2.3, 2.3, 3.0, 3.5.

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With plenty of full houses across the Premiership and ticket sales on the up and up, club bosses won't be overly concerned as to whether their sides score one try or ten.

Nor do they need gimmicks or dancing girls to attract real fans to the games (although some of the latter might be nice).

So it is with a certain schadenfreude that we watch Wasps' plans to hijack St George's Day go, well, south.

The grandiose launch of their showpiece game against Bath at Twickenham on April 24 was picked up by just two media outlets - if you could call them that.

"Alexandra Burke was outside of Selfridges posing with a group of rugby players and their big balls *nudge nudge wink wink*," said Mr Paparazzi.

And Heat chipped in with: "Lucky Alexandra Burke got to grips with some rugby players and their balls (the ones they use on the pitch!) - we wish we could do such things."

Hmm.

Still, if it can attract a few of the unconverted, why not?

And with a pound per ticket being donated to 'Help for Heroes' it would be rude not to show our support.

Spurious non-holidays and fancy jerseys aside, free-running Bath versus resurgent Wasps should be a cracker. Let's get involved.

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Move aside, Gav! Make way, Danny! Meet rugby's new prince of petulance: Tom James.

It has emerged that the Cardiff Blues wing was prompted to "absent himself" from the Wales camp after being dropped by Warren Gatland following defeat to England in the Six Nations opener.

This from a man who sealed his first Test cap, won off the bench against South Africa in 2008, with the following words:

"I know it was a Welsh cap but to me it was nothing. I didn't get to touch the ball. As soon as I went on we were defending, It was a massive disappointment, unbelievable. I thought it was rubbish. It was pointless going on. I still think I'm better than Mark Jones, who didn't stand out like Shane Williams."

So where to next for the misunderstood wunderkind? Will it be Melbourne or the bosom of a well-remunerated lady?

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Proper rucking has been outlawed, swinging your proverbial handbag can find you in court, and "failure to ensure the safety" of the man you have tackled could land you with a ban.

And now Nanny tells us we can't even drop our trousers and run naked across the field of play. Bah.

Yep, advisers to the British government are moving to ban rugby clubs and student societies from holding booze-fuelled initiation ceremonies.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has attacked what it called the "culture of excessive drinking" in universities and colleges.

The report - resplendent beneath the somewhat misleading title of 'Pathways to Problems' - says universities and clubs should be encouraged to act against groups that promote excessive drinking.

Several groups have backed the recommended measures, including the National Union of Student.

And Chris Sorek of the alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware added a helpful: "Taking part in drinking games is never a good idea."

Thanks, Chris. Now we know.

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Stars of England's recent past have formed an orderly queue outside the door of Rugby House in Twickenham, ready to stick a boot into those passing in and out.

But one man is conspicuous by his absence.

In any other year, Josh Lewsey would be there, steel toe-caps buffed, polished and at the ready. But this is not any other year.

The former England fullback is currently preparing to follow George Mallory and Andrew Irvine's route up the North Ridge of Mount Everest ... and succeed where the pair failed by making it to the summit - and home - without pesky death getting in the way.

It's an inspiring story - Lewsey's climbing partner was shot in the chest whilst fighting in Iraq - and it's all for a good cause, so please give generously.

Compiled by Andy Jackson