Dan Lancaster is showing that while his father Stuart’s adventure in Paris is over after his dismissal from Racing 92, he is quietly settling into life in the French capital.
Before crossing the Channel, Lancaster spent two years with Ealing Trailfinders in the Championship, meaning a few eyebrows were raised when he joined his father on the Eurostar.
Accusations of nepotism appeared as Racing struggled early in the season. However, the 23-year-old has kept working and learning from fellow import, Owen Farrell, and the former France fly-half Frédéric Michalak, who is one of Racing’s coaches.
REGULAR GAMETIME
Lancaster made his Top 14 debut off the bench against Castres in Round 1, and since then has featured in a further 17 fixtures, scoring one try, 10 conversions, and 10 penalties.
He played in three of Racing’s four Investec Champions Cup matches and started the quarterfinal away to Connacht in the Challenge Cup where he scored two penalties and two conversions.
Moreover, Lancaster has featured at both fly-half and inside-centre. Versatility is certainly useful at La Defense Arena where Antoine Gilbert and Nolann Le Garrec cover scrum and fly-half, and where Tristan Tedder can cover fly-half and fullback.
KEEPING THE BOSS HAPPY
If Racing go with a six-two split on the bench he sometimes misses out, but if anyone was in any doubt about the impression that Lancaster has made on the club, then the words of bombastic owner Jacky Lorenzetti leave no doubt.
“Should we penalize him? No,” Lorenzetti told rugby paper Midi Olympique. “I am the leader of those responsible and from the moment I said yes, I have no reason to penalise the young Lancaster today.
“We decided, after a discussion between us, to continue with Dan. We may need him, and since (coach) Patrice Collazo arrived, he has shown loyal, positive, and constructive behaviour. He is blameless.”