James Harrington

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

Joy to see the hosts burst out of bubble

10 September 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE Rugby World Cup party kicked off in France on Friday. Things have been simmering along with anticipation here for some […]

Racing ramp up interest in Ford

3 September 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN In July, The Rugby Paper reported that ‘grand’ Top 14 side Racing 92 had Sale and England fly-half George Ford in […]

Oyonnax are worth place at top table

27 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Promoted ProD2 champions Oyonnax demonstrated – if there was still any doubt after last weekend’s impressive opening day home win over […]

Lyon take the heat to topple Toulon

20 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A “heat dome” settled over France last weekend to send temperatures soaring as the new Top 14 season’s three-match pre-World Cup […]

Two-step start gives big names extra test

13 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FRANCE’S Top 14 kicks off on Friday evening, with Bayonne entertaining Toulouse in the season opener. Which means the time has […]

Playing numbers game at Castres

6 August 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN “Guys, you’re trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can’t do it. Now, what we might be able to do […]

Bordeaux put their faith in Gazzotti

30 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FRANCE U20 sensation Marko Gazzotti has swapped the Alps for the Atlantic and the ProD2 for the Top 14 after agreeing […]

Fans left in dark as Viaplay row back

23 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE future of live Top 14 – and United Rugby Championship – rugby coverage in the UK is up in the […]

Anger as Biarritz sign up Haouas

16 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TWO weeks ago, the long-awaited sale of ProD2 side Biarritz fell apart, affecting the immediate and longer-term futures of not just […]

90 players in search of a new club

9 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON | FRENCH COLUMN What links 16 props, 12 hookers, 10 second rows, 15 back rowers, 13 scrum-halves, 11 wingers, eight centres, two full-backs, […]

Biarritz are left sweating on future

2 July 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN By the time you read this, ProD2 side Biarritz were supposed to be under new management after a deal finally brought […]

Team of the season is packed with brilliance

25 June 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The 2022/23 Top 14 season is done. Toulouse are champions for the 22nd time, after pipping ambitious La Rochelle to the […]

Garbajosa joins list of axed coaches

18 June 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It has been a busy week in various corridors of power in French rugby – with, in chronological order, the removal […]

Top two get set to put on the glitz

11 June 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It’s the final the Top 14 wanted and needed. Toulouse and La Rochelle – the two best sides in the French […]

Kremer’s red gives Racing easy ride

4 June 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Argentinian back-row Marcos Kremer’s last act for Stade Francais was to get sent off – for the third time this season […]

Toulouse look set to take top spot

28 May 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON Tonight, more than 24 hours after both the Premiership and URC celebrated their champions for the 2022/23 campaign, the Top 14 reaches its […]

Galthie’s message of hope to top 100

21 May 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Top 14 coaches, pundits and fans have had the calculators, slide rules and computer modelling programmes out this weekend as they […]

All to play for in final days of the season

14 May 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Top 14 coaches, pundits and fans have had the calculators, slide rules and computer modelling programmes out last weekend as they […]

Boost for finances as recovery continues

7 May 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE Commission des Championnats professionnels de l’Autorité de régulation du rugby – the new name for the financial auditors of the […]

Toulouse look set to lead from the front

30 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN As the French Top 14 takes a week’s break for the Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals, here’s a look at the […]

Azema is on his way back to Perpignan

23 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Franck Azema is to end his coaching partnership with Pierre Mignoni at Toulon after just one season to return to his […]

Kolbe the latest to consider his future

16 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Heading into the business end of France’s Top 14 season, more than on-pitch matters remain up in the air – quite […]

Non-stop season to challenge the best

9 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN No-one has ever denied – no-one has ever been able to deny – that the French rugby season is an ultra-marathon […]

Parra has his eye on a final flourish

2 April 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN For a while, it looked as if Morgan Parra’s season – and possibly his career – had ended with an unwelcome […]

So, are the coaching changes worth it?

26 March 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Changing boss mid-season is never a decision taken lightly – which makes it unusual that there has been such a high […]

I’m off to the farm after this, says Jessy

19 March 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France have had a quietly dramatic week in the lead-up to the Women’s Six Nations, which kicks off for Les Bleues […]

Jelonch’s injury the latest to hit France

12 March 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FRANCE international Anthony Jelonch has had surgery to repair the ACL rupture he suffered midway through the first half of Les […]

Sofa, so good for the TV audience

5 March 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The impending World Cup and being home to the second-best international side on the planet are having a positive effect on […]

Michalak takes up Racing 92 challenge

26 February 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Racing 92 this week confirmed that Freddie Michalak will join the staff as attack coach on a three-year deal from June, […]

Time is running out for Castres

19 February 2023 2 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Pierre-Yves Revol, president of Top 14 strugglers Castres, was in no mood to mince his words this week as he laid […]

Hot seats which are always on the line

12 February 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Who’d be a high-level coach? They’re loved and hated, praised and criticised in equal measure on a near-daily basis. Their reputations […]

Bordeaux look set for season of turmoil

5 February 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Bordeaux lost to Stade Francais in Paris last night in the final match of the 17th round of the Top 14 […]

Laporte’s shadow still hangs over game

29 January 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Politics at the top of the FFR overshadowed the return of the Top 14 this week, which – nine months out […]

Gibbes given his marching orders after Tigers mauling

22 January 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Christophe Urios will take charge at Top 14 side Clermont on Monday, after the “breathing space” afforded his predecessor Jono Gibbes […]

France must wait for Meafou

22 January 2023 0 comments

Remember last year’s Patrick Schickerling incident? When Exeter’s Namibian front row thought he had qualified to play for England through residency, having arrived in the […]

Triple top! Galthie has tough ‘to-do’ list

15 January 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Delight: Fabien Galthie celebrates beating England to secure the 2022 Grand Slam PICTURE: Getty Images FRANCE coach Fabien Galthie has three […]

Clermont snatch it to take heat off Gibbes

8 January 2023 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN CLERMONT coach Jono Gibbes, no doubt, breathed a huge sigh of relief, as his side came from behind to beat basement […]

Convicted Laporte ‘suspends himself’

31 December 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN PICTURE: Getty Images AS 2022 gives way to 2023, and about three weeks after he was convicted of corruption charges, the […]

Top clubs finding it tough in Europe

23 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Reigning Champions Cup title holders La Rochelle and 2021 winners Toulouse have been notable exceptions but Top 14 clubs have not, […]

Conviction that spells the end for Laporte

18 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Bernard Laporte’s future as president of French rugby’s governing body has to be untenable after he was found guilty of corruption […]

Kpoku on alert as he gets set for Saracens

11 December 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Raring to go: I’m massively excited about our match against my old club, says Lyon’s Joel Kpoku PICTURE: Getty Images Two […]

Clermont face fight to hold on to Penaud

4 December 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Star player: Damian Penaud is one of the hottest properties in French rugby PICTURE: Getty Images Damian Penaud is one of […]

Toulon’s Kolbe has Japan in his sights

27 November 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FIFTEEN months ago, news of Cheslin Kolbe’s switch from Toulouse to Top 14 rivals Toulon delivered an electric shock to what […]

Lucu gets chance to show what he can do

20 November 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Opportunity: Maxime Lucu steps up for France in today’s match against Japan PICTURE: Getty Images When an international side has a […]

Urios falling out of favour as Marti looks at options

13 November 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Under pressure: Bordeaux head coach Christophe Urios overseas training and, inset, Laurent Marti PICTURES: Getty Images A YEAR is a long […]

Bayonne turning home into a fortress

6 November 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN HEADING into the three-week international break, two Top 14 teams in particular will be pretty happy with their opening 10-game block. […]

The going now gets tough for Toulouse

30 October 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN IT’S very much a case of so far, so good for Top 14 leaders Toulouse, who headed into this ninth weekend […]

Davidson’s departure puts Mela on the spot

23 October 2022 1 comment

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Of the three words in Arnauld Mela’s week-old job title ‘interim head coach’ at Top 14 side Brive, the first one […]

Lancaster bombs out Giroud at Racing 92

16 October 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Injury concern: France may be without full-back Melvyn Jaminet for the autumn internationals PICTURE: Getty Images The announcement this week from […]

Labit and Ghezal set to link up in Paris

9 October 2022 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France attack coach Laurent Labit is set to replace Gonzalo Quesada at the head of Stade Francais – and is expected […]

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