Newcastle Falcons winger Christian Wade is on the cusp of breaking the all-time Gallagher Premiership try-scoring record, currently held by Chris Ashton with 101 tries. Wade, with 97 tries to his name, is four short of equaling Ashton's mark and five away from surpassing it.
Wade's prolific try-scoring career spans 15 years and includes spells with Wasps, Gloucester, and his current club, Newcastle. His journey has also seen him play in France's Top 14 for Racing 92 and have a stint in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, although he never made it to their main squad.
Newcastle's head coach, McFarland, attributes Wade's sustained professionalism and ability to maintain his form to his experiences, particularly his time in the NFL. "Christian Wade is a proper professional," McFarland stated. "He spent a few years in the NFL and he's clearly taken a lot from that experience in terms of how to look after himself and how to prepare himself as a rugby player." McFarland also highlighted Wade's positive influence within the team, describing him as a "calming and connecting influence" and a valued member of the leadership group.
Ashton, the current record holder, acknowledged that Wade is closing in on his tally and anticipates that the record will be significantly surpassed in the modern era of the Premiership. Last season saw high try counts, with Northampton's Tommy Freeman and Saracens' Noah Caluori scoring 18 tries each, the highest season total in five years. Caluori notably scored five tries in a single match on two occasions.
Freeman, who started the current campaign with a hat-trick, has accumulated 58 career tries at the age of 25. He recently signed a new contract with Northampton, a team known for its dynamic attacking style. Ashton suggested that Freeman could be a contender to eventually break the record, predicting he could reach "100 plus" tries by the age of 30 if he continues at his current rate.
"It's happening [the record being broken], but it's not going to last long, whoever takes it," Ashton told BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast. "I think it's going to be absolutely blown to smithereens."
While Wade is nearing the record, Ashton humorously noted that Wade "is missing more tries per game than he is scoring tries, but that probably shows where Newcastle's mindset is."