Nick Cain

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

Itoje is the best man to captain England

3 December 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN – READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Maro Itoje should be England’s next captain following Owen Farrell’s decision to make himself unavailable for […]

Don’t confuse hatred on social media with responsible debate

3 December 2023 0 comments

NO-ONE in their right mind wanted to see Owen Farrell exit the international stage after announcing this week that he wants to prioritise his and […]

20 years on and little to give us any real hope

26 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THIS week saw the 20th anniversary celebrations of the 2003 England squad winning the World Cup for […]

Our starting XV for 2027

26 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN An England team for the 2027 World Cup is a long shot which would leave most snipers well wide of the target. However, […]

Welfare of rugby in England is at stake

19 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The Championship clubs are standing up to be counted by sticking an iron bar through the spokes […]

The Tank who is adding weight to Bath’s attack

19 November 2023 0 comments

Thomas du Toit may not have featured in as many headlines as Finn Russell, but the South African prop has been an equally significant figure […]

We can’t afford a weak Six Nations

19 November 2023 0 comments

There was a ray of sunshine for the Lions this week when their preparations for the 2025 tour of Australia were given a boost. It […]

Game in England is heading for a storm

12 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE return of England A – the national second team known as the Saxons when they last […]

For once, ‘Hugh Bacardi’ was speechless…

12 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN HUGH McHardy is one of those irrepressible, generous characters who give such vibrancy to the social and playing fabric of rugby union that […]

Barnes showed why he’s the best

5 November 2023 0 comments

Wayne Barnes retired at the top of his game on Thursday after taking charge of a record 111 internationals, the last of which was last […]

Perfect Pollard was the key difference

5 November 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE aftermath of South Africa’s record fourth win in the World Cup final in Paris last weekend […]

England will struggle to replace Marler and Cole

29 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Here is a prediction. England will not win another World Cup, or Six Nations Grand Slam, or […]

Why wait until 2030? Get this contest going now

29 October 2023 0 comments

The closed-shop in international rugby union was reinforced this week after the second coming of the Nations Championship was announced by World Rugby in Paris, […]

One-sided victory is nothing to celebrate

22 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK TONY Rowe is one of the most vociferous of the Premiership owners, and he held court after […]

Coventry show the right spirit

22 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN If you were looking for an example of the true spirit of the game look no further than Coventry’s support for rugby union […]

Why take off key players?

22 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN The main factor in France being edged out by South Africa in last weekend’s quarter-final classic was that there was a drop-off after […]

The twin pillars of England’s rebuild

15 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Ollie Chessum and Marcus Smith play with such enthusiasm when they pull on the Red Rose jersey […]

Time to discover if spine is strong

15 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN One of the oldest methods of assessing the strength of a team is to look at the 2-8-9-10-15 positions that form the spine. […]

Magic money tree can’t last for ever

8 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BILL Sweeney does not much care for accountability. It is why his first press conference for nine […]

Pellegrini shows the depth of talent

8 October 2023 0 comments

Pat Pellegrini’s beautifully taken chip-and-chase try for Tonga against South Africa in last weekend’s World Cup clash in Marseille was a great showcase not just […]

Schism which is set to tear game apart

1 October 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK There is a schism waiting to happen in the English game, and it was in clear sight […]

For once, Erasmus makes the wrong call

1 October 2023 0 comments

Rassie Erasmus is not known for missing many tricks when it comes to tactical thinking, whether in selection or playing mind-games. However, South Africa’s controversial […]

Great to see Ardao shine on world stage

24 September 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK One of the great joys of World Cups is the platform that gives for us to discover […]

RFU hierarchy must address core financial issues

24 September 2023 2 comments

NICK CAIN The reaction to the landmark RFU Council letter in which 30 members have challenged the current leadership of RFU Board chairman Tom Ilube, […]

Prem Cup shows the sham of no relegation

24 September 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN The early rounds of the new Premiership Cup has shown the RFU-endorsed ring-fencing of English rugby’s top league to be an utter sham. […]

We must not ignore Cipriani’s treatment

17 September 2023 1 comment

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Danny Cipriani’s recent biography has shined a light on the player cliques within the England team that […]

Bunker boys need to be fair

17 September 2023 1 comment

NICK CAIN Tom Curry’s red card after a bunker review was to be expected under the current laws aimed at preventing head high impact in […]

France’s love of the game is clear to see

10 September 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK – AT THE WORLD CUP THE French love nothing more than a good fête, with every city, […]

Sweeney must be held to account

10 September 2023 1 comment

BILL Sweeney has ducked so far below the parapet when it comes to answering questions about the RFU’s administration of the game in England that […]

Borthwick seems set on rewarding failure

3 September 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK AS England limped into Le Touquet after being beaten by Fiji, the preparations for their World Cup […]

My England team to challenge Argentina

3 September 2023 0 comments

The wishful thinking that if England beat Argentina it will be a cakewalk from Pool D into the knock-out stages took a kicking last weekend. […]

England heading to the Badlands

27 August 2023 0 comments

STEVE Borthwick has taken a fork in the road which has led England into the Badlands of international rugby. With two weeks to go until […]

Boks have the clout to retain the crown

27 August 2023 0 comments

South Africa’s record 35-7 blitz of New Zealand at Twickenham on Friday night showed that the reigning world champions have the clout to keep the […]

Don’t let RFU make an ass of the laws

20 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE Owen Farrell disciplinary fiasco has multiple layers, but the one that looks most skewwhiff is the […]

Jones still making the wrong headlines

20 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN Eddie Jones is good at grabbing headlines, but increasingly they are not the sort that does rugby union any favours. This week Australia’s […]

Edwards showed the way

20 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN Shaun Edwards had two of the greatest low tacklers the English game has produced when he was coaching at Wasps – flanker Joe […]

Can Big Billy the tank still break the barriers?

13 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK WHEN Steve Borthwick picked his 33man England squad for the 2023 World Cup this week there were […]

Ruling out France-based players is yet another self-inflicted wound

13 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN The RFU is in a mess over international player eligibility, because its rules dictate that rising England stars Jack Willis (Toulouse), Henry Arundell […]

Too much Politburo, too little democracy

6 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THERE are aspects of the way the RFU is being run that would not have been out […]

Argentina threaten England’s progress

6 August 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN There has been far too much talk about England’s “free pass” into the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup, especially given Argentina’s performances […]

No room for deals – time to get serious

30 July 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK MAKE no mistake, the 2023 World Cup starts for England this weekend. Even though head coach Steve […]

We should not wait so long for RFU review

30 July 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN IT is inconceivable that in any other era in English rugby a vote of no-confidence in the governance of the RFU Board, and […]

A man-mountain who needs to be stopped

9 July 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Posolo Tuilagi is a force of nature who stands between England U20 and the chance of another […]

England missing that killer instinct

9 July 2023 0 comments

Steve Borthwick has been liberal with the superlatives when describing the performances of some of the players in his England World Cup training squad. He […]

Battle lines drawn over game’s future

2 July 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK HALLELUJAH! The English Championship clubs have finally got their act together to form a united front after […]

Veterans not the answer at No.9

2 July 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN The selection call by Steve Borthwick to pick two veteran scrumhalves, Ben Youngs and Danny Care, in his 41-man World Cup training squad […]

England’s Bath bias difficult to justify

25 June 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK IF England international selection is meant to be a meritocracy it is hard to understand how Bath […]

Time for Blackett to seize his chance

25 June 2023 0 comments

JEFF Blackett gave a valedictory interview this week which beggared belief. The retiring RFU Council grandee, who was President for two years (2020-22), a senior […]

From European Cup honour to Eurotrash

18 June 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The European Cup is sinking thanks to the tinkering of EPCR and its stakeholders in the Premiership, […]

Crowley’s quick exit was not deserved

18 June 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN The most discordant note struck in the international game this week was Kieran Crowley’s axing by Italy. Crowley’s contribution to Italy’s progress outstrips […]

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