Brendan Gallagher

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

Twenty years on and still looking good…

3 December 2023 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher looked on as England’s World Cup winners from 2003 got together recently WAISTLINES have expanded and hairlines receded while even those still blessed […]

A game in desperate need of some answers

26 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points IF THERE is one thing I have learned over the last six […]

When relegation battle was the key

19 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Twenty years on from England’s World Cup triumph – Wednesday is the […]

Young guns who fired the triumph of 2003

19 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS While we rightly ruminate on the 20th anniversary of England’s World Cup triumph we should also doff a 30th anniversary cap to a […]

The Beast of Bezier broke the mould

12 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points French rugby said goodbye this week to the toughest guy in the […]

This diminished Premiership is benefiting no-one

12 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS TIME waits for no man. As the World Cup recedes in the rear-view mirror and we concentrate on the Premiership it’s slightly alarming […]

Uni links are vital to make-up of clubs

12 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS CLOSE match-ups with local University sides are nothing particularly new. The great Coventry sides back in the day enjoyed a massive Loughborough University […]

Marta try was my favourite moment

5 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points SO that’s a wrap and after this final debrief I suggest we […]

Lions of Europe would be a fine team to watch

5 November 2023 0 comments

A long time ago I concluded that the self-interest of the Six Nations runs so deep, and they are so frightened of rugby advancing elsewhere […]

Brilliant Boks are worthy champions

29 October 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER So they have only gone and done it! South Africa have become the first team to win four World Cups which is pretty […]

Kamikaze Kids in unison once again

29 October 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER OK, it wasn’t a cracker but nor was this play-off game a dud. In a tournament marked by a handful of games for […]

England’s finest right to the end

29 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Now here’s a little in-house admission. A couple of months ago, when […]

Lagisquet’s effort cannot be ignored

29 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS World Rugby could desperately do with an injection of PR savvy not to mention a certain generosity of spirit. Take their awards ceremony […]

Paying the price of a lopsided draw

22 October 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER And there, ladies and gentlemen, we can see the mortal danger of having such a lopsided draw. We may have spent all last […]

Why the final step is often one too many

22 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER If I had a fiver for every time I’ve heard the expression […]

Pleased Dickson made the right call

22 October 2023 0 comments

Did you, like me, cheer inwardly when Karl Dickson could be heard on comms explaining that not all hits to the head are foul play […]

Sorry end for Sexton and his band of brothers as they fall short yet again

15 October 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER No No No. Not again surely? After 36 years of trying to win a quarter-final Ireland have fallen short again but what drama. […]

A French-inspired XV to take on the world

15 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points The ProD2 Twitter account – sorry X account – conveyed congratulations earlier […]

Why do Aussies let so many escape?

15 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS The problems facing Australian Rugby are many and numerous but a largely unmentioned issue would appear to be letting outstanding Australia-qualified and Aussie […]

Keep Portugal in game

8 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Portugal might have become the surprise package of RWC2023 for some, but […]

Austin’s bite would add to the show

8 October 2023 0 comments

I miss Austin Healey. There, I said it. I miss his eagle eye spotting stuff I have missed; I miss him questioning a team’s tactics […]

Warrior spirit at heart of the game

1 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points I’VE been surprised that some have been surprised at Antoine Dupont’s determination […]

Shame of the RFU blazers

1 October 2023 0 comments

It’s funny what tugs at your emotions and I was caught unaware last week by the traditional pre-season picture of the Premiership club skippers or […]

Chile’s enthusiastic approach helps England rediscover their mojo

24 September 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER CHILE have given us many things. Some of the greatest vineyards and wines on the planet; soaring belching volcanoes, an extraordinary number of […]

Time for Italy to play like big boys

24 September 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER AS keen observers of sport, we are all amateur psychologists and, with that in mind, it’s been fascinating watching Italy grapple […]

Another fine mess! Pinto ban so unfair

24 September 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER WORLD Rugby and their disciplinary officials have come up with some crass […]

When you go down to 14, it’s flight or fight… and England fought

10 September 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER SOMETIMES a little adversity does you good and it certainly sparked a reaction from England in Marseille last night. Already under the cosh […]

Stick with 20 teams but bring in Trophy

10 September 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points IT’S very rare, in fact unique, for me to disagree with anything […]

Diagram shows how difficult it is to tackle head-on

10 September 2023 0 comments

THE RFU are of course totally correct in their desire to improve and “make safe” tackling techniques at grassroots and junior rugby but it does […]

Mixed reviews on opening nights…

3 September 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER NOT long now … but first comes the ubiquitous opening ceremony that […]

Tricky to get the message

3 September 2023 0 comments

So apparently we will be watching something called the Investec Champions Cup this season – all mention of Europe now seems to have been binned […]

All true rugby fans will delight in this long overdue Fijian victory

27 August 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER NOBODY ever really owes you anything in sport….. but it’s my firm belief that rugby owed Fiji this historic, deserved and accomplished win […]

Big beasts need to set the right mood

27 August 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points SO where did the last four years go? The final warm-up matches […]

Brothers linking arms for Chile

27 August 2023 0 comments

Chile is a minute rugby community compared with many giants of the game and is inevitably centred on geographical pockets of enthusiasm for the game…and […]

It’s time for England to climb out of their self-imposed bunker

20 August 2023 1 comment

BRENDAN GALLAGHER OK, I’ve counted to ten and imagined myself snoozing in a hammock on some Pacific atoll. I am calm … but what the […]

The cruellest time to suffer an injury

20 August 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER The agony of these eve of World Cup injuries! I thought I […]

At last! The old hands finally agree to come to the party

13 August 2023 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER Fired up: Jamie George found his second wind when England were on the ropes I THINK it’s the Buddists who insist one of […]

Samoa look ready to spring surprise

13 August 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER This column has had its say – whinge – about certain individuals […]

Italy need to protect their stars

13 August 2023 0 comments

We are barely halfway through the dreaded World Cup warm-up season and Italy in particular are feeling the pain from these, frankly, bloody awkward fixtures. […]

It will be tough to dethrone Dupont

13 August 2023 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher looks at the players who could light up the tournament So who will emerge as the iconic player and/or personality of Rugby World […]

A sense of revenge and destiny in the air

13 August 2023 0 comments

RWC 2023 is nearly upon us and it’s difficult to think of a more eagerly anticipated tournament, for all sorts of reasons the main one […]

England need to start trusting their instincts

6 August 2023 1 comment

BRENDAN GALLAGHER But what does it all mean? That is always my big problem with these trial games – sorry, World Cup warm-up matches – […]

At last! Spain show us what they can do

6 August 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S BEEN a bittersweet roller coaster five or six years for Spanish […]

The time that Dixon bolted out of the blue

6 August 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS Bolters seem to be less common in top rugby these days but as teams finalise their World Cup squads the experience of the […]

The Rainbow Nation enjoys day of history

6 August 2023 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher looks back at the players who shone on the biggest stage Rugby World Cup has spawned many iconic moments and images and topping […]

Japan host great party as Boks snatch the glory

6 August 2023 0 comments

Japan, having been thwarted at the death in their efforts to stage RWC2011, finally achieved their aim in 2019 and made a splendid job of […]

Arendse can light up the World Cup

23 July 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER NO sooner had it started than the abbreviated Rugby Championship is nearly […]