Brendan Gallagher

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Brendan Gallagher news, views, opinion and other content.

Georgia’s flyer on his way to the top

9 March 2025 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S THE Rugby Europe Championship final next week between Georgia and Spain […]

When Ireland’s warriors sent French packing

2 March 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher With eight wins against France since 2014, it’s sometimes difficult […]

Now Philippines added to list of honour for the Varsity

2 March 2025 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Back in the day, the Varsity Match on the second Tuesday in December was virtually an England trial game and often went […]

This Italian squad are good – but not quite their best side

23 February 2025 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Having reported on Italy since the early 1990s, I wouldn’t hesitate to nominate the current crop as the strongest all-round Azzurri […]

A Tour de France we’d all love to see for the British & Irish Lions

23 February 2025 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher That hardy perennial, the possibility of another Lions Test against France, has poked its head above the frosty surface again after reports […]

Six Nations sides singin’ in the rain – and I’m loving it

16 February 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher It was raining all over Europe last weekend, large parts […]

Scotland vs Ireland – The rivalry which is a little one-sided

9 February 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher The history books tell us that Ireland currently lead Scotland 71-66 […]

Why can’t we apply the laws fairly?

2 February 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, By Brendan Gallagher You can blow a mental gasket trying to get your head […]

Race is on to win a place in RWC 2027

26 January 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher Qualification for the Rugby World Cup from Rugby Europe – […]

Scotland’s class of 1925 fired by legends

19 January 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher Scotland only have three Grand Slams to lovingly remember but […]

Heroes deserve highest accolade

12 January 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points The second series of BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroesis well underway […]

A Tier Two XV to have you out of your seat

5 January 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points By Brendan Gallagher You won’t ever see my 2024 Tier 2 All Stars […]

London Welsh rise from ashes

5 January 2025 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher remembers when the exiles were the whipping boys – and how things have changed… A tale of redemption, what could be better this […]

My take on the good, the bad and the ugly of rugby in 2024

29 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A Weekly look at the game’s other talking points The Good Lorenzo Pani: His exquisitely crafted try for Italy […]

MY CHRISTMAS DAY XV

22 December 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Versatile: Mark Mapletoft lines up a kick for England PICTURE: Alamy 15 […]

MY CHRISTMAS DAY XV

22 December 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Versatile: Mark Mapletoft lines up a kick for England PICTURE: Alamy 15 […]

My Christmas day XV

22 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points by Brendan Gallagher Backs 15 Mark Mapletoft (England): Born December 25, 1971: Made […]

Hellfire Corner gives a warm welcome to all

15 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Rugby was undergoing a massive boom 150 years ago so […]

The Six Nations logo is an AI experiment that’s gone wrong

8 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points I see the new Six Nations logo has got a […]

Good to see the Eagles soaring again

1 December 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points – By Brendan Gallagher That’s a wrap for the autumn Tests and it would […]

Time to recognise Etzebeth’s talents

24 November 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S THE World Rugby annual awards tonight, held of course in that […]

Why does it always go wrong in the last quarter for England?

17 November 2024 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Where do England minds go in the final quarter of big rugby games? Why do they lose focus and intensity and why […]

Chalking off White’s try was a mistake

17 November 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER No try: Ben White’s touchdown was ruled out PICTURE: Getty Images IT […]

Let’s get truth on Eddie’s regime

10 November 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Trying times: Eddie Jones coaching England PICTURES: Alamy THIS Eddie Jones stuff. […]

Don’t let these tasty clashes pass you by

3 November 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S always famine or feast with international rugby and I guess that’s […]

Call time on this pantomime ploy

27 October 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER THIS 60-second shot clock twaddle. If we must continue to plough down […]

Confused path to rules of combat

20 October 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Man in the middle: Former Wasps prop Will Green PICTURE: Getty Images […]

Mark Ella & Co were the true pass masters

13 October 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Nineteen eighty four might have been one of the most […]

Antoine Dupont & Co need to take on the very best

6 October 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters By Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points I think we established long ago that my admiration of […]

Los Pumas have worked hard to forge own identity

6 October 2024 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher reports on how one country has built a rugby stronghold down in South America There was a time back in the noughties when […]

Drop group action and examine selected cases

29 September 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points by Brendan Gallagher I was very struck the other day by our conversation […]

15 who have a chance to shine in the Premiership

29 September 2024 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher selects a team of young, and not so young, players in the Premiership to keep an eye on this season. The new season […]

Rugby Rivalries that don’t stand the test of time

22 September 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Eyes down all you pub quiz fiends, it’s quiz time […]

Time for Steve Borthwick to prove his worth

15 September 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s talking points By Brendan Gallagher Honeymoon periods are not set in stone and in my estimation […]

Time we stopped indulging the haka

8 September 2024 1 comment

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER THERE is so much disingenuous hypocritical twaddle surrounding the Hollywood production that […]

Catch this team of nations on camera

1 September 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER FLY on the wall sporting documentaries seem to be back in vogue […]

James will prove to be a star at Racing

25 August 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER HERE’S a little prediction that will either leave me with egg on […]

Vivre Le Stade! I’m smitten by fabulous stadium

18 August 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS Stunning: The Stade de France during the Olympics closing ceremony PICTURE: Alamy IT has taken decades to fall in love with the Stade […]

Road to next World Cup lacks jeopardy

18 August 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points UNLESS I’ve missed something pertinent – and it’s not unknown – qualification […]

How the sun keeps shining for Spain

11 August 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Impressive: Joel Merkler in action for Toulouse PICTURE: Getty Images IT’S been […]

It was good to see Scotland support for T2

4 August 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Captured: Gus Warr in action against Canada PICTURE: Alamy SCOTLAND, for reasons […]

Richardis goes the distance with pearler of a kick

28 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Delight: Spain U20 celebrate victory over Fiji PICTURE: World Rugby HISTORY will […]

No stopping the American battlers

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points IT’S exactly 100 years ago since France and the USA met in […]

Don’t let our sport move to summer

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS NOT for the first time I offer a heartfelt warning against those who continue to argue for a switch to summer rugby in […]

Spanish youngsters show how to tackle low

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS I DON’T know if you caught any of Spain’s game against Italy at the Junior World Cup last Sunday but it was an […]

Injury and illness can’t stop the fun

14 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S time to dip back into the 1974 Lions tour again and […]

Don’t lose Six Nations bonus on a Sunday

14 July 2024 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher There have been more reports recently about the Six Nations wanting to do away with Sunday games and have more Super Saturdays […]

There’s more than money to Toulouse

7 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER There have, rightly, been acres of words written about Toulouse in recent […]

Dangers of brain trauma not new

7 July 2024 0 comments

The perceived wisdom is that rugby was not overly aware of the dangers of concussion and brain trauma back in the day but I’m not […]

Scratch XV that downed Boks

7 July 2024 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher was at Sixways when a National League One team caused a big upset – here he looks back to the year 2000 and the […]

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