Wasps© Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

Monday Maul focuses on the rebirth of Wasps, a remarkable day in Wales and why Sam Burgess needs space rather than fast-tracking.

Wasps - Rugby's equivalent of a property TV show

The story has a resemblance of one of those lunchtime shows on the BBC.

October 7, 2014. Presenter and Wasps coach Dai Young walk through their old Adams Park home. Rubbish blows in the wind with montages of upset Wasps fans getting rained on interspersing with images of Lawrence Dallaglio lifting every piece of silverware known to rugby man.

"And today, we have someone who had their heyday in the nineties and early naughties, but have since fallen on hard-times. Today we take them from their old, dilapidated, albatross of a home and show them what could be - give them a chance. It will take courage and will court controversy but if they accept the 'Escape to Coventry' challenge, they could get their lives back on track. Their budget today? Well it is in the region of £20milllion. Now Dai, you've been through a lot. Talk to us about what you thought you'd agreed to join back in 2011."

It has been a remarkable transformation for Wasps. After their period of dominance in the Dallaglio era, they fell off the radar and nearly went out of business. Now they are in their plush new Ricoh Arena home and are attracting envious glances from around Europe.

You could forgive the supporters if they feel like they are jet-lagged; the familiar is all a little bit off its natural pivot. With the announcement of Wasps launching their Retail Bond scheme - another ground-breaking move by the club - they are targeting the mantel of the world's richest club.

"We were previously the second-lowest revenue-generating club in Premiership rugby," Wasps CEO David Armstrong told the BBC. "We are now the second highest in Europe. In terms of size of revenue, we will overtake Toulouse in the next few months. We are in a very strong position financially."

And all this just three years after they had a measly £65.16 in their bank account. Coach Dai Young was paying for medical tape and the team bus out of his own pocket. Staff and players weren't sure if they were getting paid.

But now they are settled into their new home. In a piece in Saturday's Independent, deputy chairman Nick Eastwood admits he gets lost in his own Ricoh Arena home, such is the vast nature of the place. Their attendances have tripled and the talk in Coventry is that they are closing in on the signing of a new marquee player - British & Irish Lions wing Alex Cuthbert and South Africa flanker Willem Alberts have been linked.

Andy Goode celebrates© David Rogers/Getty Images

Now housed in their 33,000-capacity stadium, plans are afoot to expand. The Retail Bonds will be pumped back into the playing staff, coaching set-up, their training facilities and the stadium's infrastructure but away from all the glamour of their new toy, the key to the future of this club is in the younger members of the side who have tasted the pauperism and the affluence.

Joe Simpson, Elliot Daly, Christian Wade and Joe Launchbury, to name four, were all integral parts of the side that narrowly avoided relegation in 2012. In the case of Simpson, Wade and Daly they are like lambs in spring as they jog around their new Coventry turf while Launchbury is watching on, itching to get involved as he arrows in on his return from injury. Wasps cannot forget those roots nor can they be spellbound by the bright new shiny things being waved in front of their eyes with their new found wealth.

The summer will offer a time to draw breath, reassess and go again. The supporters will attempt to take stock after the most remarkable of years. But there can be no complacency. Wasps may yet end up in the play-offs this term but this is a season where they have laid foundations. Now they have to build on them.

April 27, 2015. We head back to Wasps to see how their new life has been in Coventry. Pictures and footage of swathes of black and yellow adorned fans smiling are mixed with a jumping Andy Goode, chest-pumping James Haskell and a smiling Dai Young, complete with a small booklet labelled 'The best players in the world who quite fancy Coventry' tucked into his blazer pocket. The board are holding up information on the new bonds. Deputy chairman Nick Eastwood is nowhere to be seen having got lost in the Ricoh Arena.

Judgement Day III a success

A brief straw poll from even the most cynical of Welsh-inclined journalists and personalities all proclaimed Saturday's 'Judgement Day' at the Millennium Stadium a rip-roaring success. The attendance hit 52,762 - 20,000 up on last year - as supporters flocked into the ground to witness back-to-back matches between the four regions. The first served up a remarkable performance from Alun Wyn Jones and the Ospreys' half-backs as they beat the Blues 31-23. Then came the Liam Williams show as he inspired the Scarlets to a 29-10 win over the Dragons.

Time to let Sam, be Sam

On Friday evening at the Recreation Ground, a 25-year-old chap started just his second top-level match in the back-row. He played well - he topped the chart in the carries and tackles - and scored their fourth try. It wasn't anything spectacular, just what you would expect from a talented, eager player.

Sam Burgess was crowned Man of the Match but even he seemed a little embarrassed to have been handed the honour. The Bath win was of course a team effort but the stars that shone the brightest were Leroy Houston and George Ford.

With an honour comes an increase in hype. Burgess came straight to Bath from rugby league without drawing breath. He needs the summer to rest rather than being part of England's World Cup training squad. Let him have a full pre-season with Bath and if England want to bring in him in for the odd day here and there then do so, but let him learn the trade at Farleigh House and then we will see the real Sam Burgess next season.