Domestic rugby is back, and we’ll have action from all of the Premiership and United Rugby Championship games being played this weekend in The Rugby Paper this Sunday.
Things get underway in the English top flight with Saracens heading north to Sale Sharks, where scrum-half Gus Warr says learning off the abundance of stars at the club in recent years has made his game develop to the next level.
Newcastle host Bristol, also on Friday, looking to get their first win of the season. Head coach Alex Codling insists that despite his side losing their first eight Premiership games that England coaches should visit Kingston Park regularly.
Alex Dombrandt will be in action for Harlequins against Bath on Saturday, and the number eight reveals he’s having a rare break over Christmas before returning to action fully fired up ahead of Harlequins’ Big Game match against Gloucester.
Chris Hewett delves into why he thinks Toulouse, who recently blew Domrbandt’s side away at the Stoop, are the most entrancing side in Europe, as Paul Rees analyses the opening two rounds of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup and how each nations’ teams have been performing.
Luke Jarmyn investigates the reasons behind the mass number of former Jersey Reds players that have stayed on the island despite job offers from English rugby’s top two tiers, alongside all four games being played in the Championship with Doncaster chasing the division’s Christmas number one spot.
A level below, Chinnor director of rugby and former England No.8 Nick Easter says National One is the best division in England due to it being the highest league with promotion and relegation.
In our Coach to Coach feature, former Richmond boss Steve Hill speaks to Anastacia Long, who started England prop Kyle Sinckler’s rugby journey at Graveney School, while Christian Scotland-Williamson discusses his own career in the game in My Life in Rugby.
And last but not least, former Cardiff Blues, Scarlet and Exeter Chiefs lock Damian Welch selects the best XV he played with or against in Dream Team, while Leicester Tigers prop Cameron Miell is our Young Gun.
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