Premiership

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Premiership news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

Farrell and Saracens give Harlequins first taste of defeat

30 September 2012 2 comments

Champions Harlequins suffered their first defeat of the season to the hands of Saracens in a 18-16 thriller at The Stoop. After two games where […]

Dean Mumm, an Aussie ‘old-timer’ who became a young Chief

29 September 2012 1 comment

Dean Mumm, at 28, should be reaching his peak as a second row, but in Australian terms he has already been thrown onto the international […]

Saints’ scrum put Wasps to the sword

28 September 2012 0 comments

Northampton remains unbeaten and go top of the table with a convincing 24-6 win over London Wasps at Franklin’s Gardens. The Saints’ pack put on […]

“I’ll have to bring my A-game to beat Sarries,” says Harlequins Mike Brown

28 September 2012 1 comment

Harlequins full-back Mike Brown is adamant he will have to be a the top of his game to deal with Saracens areal attack if the […]

Premiership round 5: preview and predictions

28 September 2012 0 comments

Bath v Sale Olly Barkley, who is moving to Racing Metro on Monday, will start his final game for Bath Rugby at fly-half as the […]

Leicester Manu Tuilagi is the best says Saracens Joel Tomkins

28 September 2012 2 comments

Joel Tomkins admits that Manu Tuilagi has set the benchmark for English centres but the Saracens cross-coder maintains it will not be long until he […]

How Jonny Wilkinson helped Joe Gray see the light

26 September 2012 0 comments

Harlequins hooker Joe Gray has revealed how Jonny Wilkinson’s dedication to training inspired him to become one of the finest lineout throwers in the game. […]

Vision of TV cash helps London Welsh chase targets

25 September 2012 0 comments

Lyn Jones has been the green light to make further signings to bolster London Welsh‘s survival bid after details of the proposed £152m windfall from […]

Premiership round 4 review

24 September 2012 0 comments

Bath (Lost 22-29 to London Irish) The West country boys couldn’t get into the game for most of the match against a much improved Exiles’ […]

Naqelevuki helps Exeter to gritty win over Saracens in woeful conditions

23 September 2012 0 comments

A crucial second half from Sireli Naqelevuki helped Exeter claim a spirited 14-12 win over Saracens in horrendous weather conditions at Sandy Park. Naqelevuki’s try […]

We’re on the cuff of doing something special – Worcester Richard Hill

21 September 2012 2 comments

Worcester head-coach confessed it was hard to pick up the players’ spirit on Monday morning but he is adamant the Warriors are on the verge […]

Premiership round 4: preview and predictions

21 September 2012 1 comment

Exeter v Saracens Injuries to Craig Mitchell and Tom Johnson mean Carl Rimmer and James Phillips come into the pack while Haydn Thomas is given […]

“Be ready put your body on the line,” Conor O’Shea tells his players

21 September 2012 0 comments

Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea is looking forward to the challenge Leicester will set but pleads his player to be ready put their body […]

Tom Youngs: “My debt to selfless George Chuter”

21 September 2012 1 comment

Leicester‘s Tom Youngs admits he is still a work in progress as a hooker and has no qualms in tapping up Tigers rival George Chuter […]

Why joining Northampton Saints was no-brainer for Luther Burrell

20 September 2012 0 comments

Powerhouse centre Luther Burrell says his desire to learn from Northampton‘s impressive array of England stars drove him to leave Sale Sharks. The ambitious 24-year-old […]

“I just had to cherry-pick Gloucester,” says All Black Jimmy Cowan

19 September 2012 0 comments

All Black scrum-half Jimmy Cowan revealed he has joined Gloucester because of the club’s ‘parochialism’ and argued that he heads to Kingsholm to reignite, rather […]

Premiership round 3 review

17 September 2012 0 comments

Bath (lost 14-18 to Northampton) A great start and even put the Saints on the back foot but they kept kicking the ball away as […]

Myler’s kicking boots earn Saints a gritty win at the Rec

14 September 2012 0 comments

Stephen Myler put on a impressive kicking display to help Northampton claim a 18-14 win at the Rec against Bath and climb to the top […]

“Time to get the season going,” London Irish Brian Smith tells his players

14 September 2012 1 comment

Head coach Brian Smith reckons it’s time for London Irish to get their season going but warns his players they will have to be at […]

Premiership round 3: preview and predictions

14 September 2012 0 comments

Bath v Saints Bath made two changes to the side that beat London Wasps last Saturday as they look to continue their winning start to […]

“I’ve got to oust Nick Easter to achieve my dream,” says Tom Guest

14 September 2012 1 comment

Harlequins No.8 Tom Guest admits his international aspirations will remain on hold unless he can elbow aside Nick Easter and nail down a starting spot. […]

Saracens Mako Vunipola is in shape to make up for lost time

13 September 2012 0 comments

On the face of it Mako Vunipola‘s life at Saracens could not have begun any better – two starts, two man-of-the-match awards – however, the […]

Premiership Round 2 review

10 September 2012 0 comments

Bath (beat Wasps 30-23) They arrived at the Rec on the back of an unconvincing win at Worcester facing the flying Wasps but they rolled […]

Inspirational Dylan Hartley lead Northampton to bonus-point win over Exeter

9 September 2012 0 comments

Dylan Hartley put down an early marker for a Lions selection with a superb performance to help Northampton claim a 24-21 bonus-point win over Exeter […]

London Wasps will have to meet fire with fire at Bath says Dai Young

7 September 2012 1 comment

London Wasps head coach Dai Young reckons his side will have to meet fire with fire if they want to comeback from the Rec with […]

Premiership Round 2: preview and predictions

7 September 2012 1 comment

Bath v London Wasps Lee Mears will make his 250th appearance tomorrow in a Bath side with two changes from the team that claimed their […]

Chance to have controlling interest lured Shane Geraghty back to Irish

7 September 2012 0 comments

Fly-half Shane Geraghty has relished the link-up with Brian Smith and says the opportunity to be the fulcrum in London Irish‘s new-look backline was enough […]

So far so good for London Irish’s new ‘offloading machine’ Seitaimata Sa

5 September 2012 2 comments

Plenty of Rugby League converts take months if not years to adapt to the intricacies of Union, but London Irish-bound Setaimata Sa says his Kiwi […]

Top clubs may fight salary cap in court

4 September 2012 0 comments

The legality of Premiership Rugby‘s salary cap is set to be challenged under European Union competition law, according to a leading club insider. Emboldened by […]

Saint-Andre’s regime is to blame for Sale’s slump, says Pete Anglesea

3 September 2012 2 comments

Former director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre must shoulder the blame for Sale‘s slump in fortunes, according to forwards coach Pete Anglesea. But Anglesea insists the […]

Premiership preview (1 day to go): Harlequins, Leicester, Saracens

31 August 2012 0 comments

With the Aviva Premiership starting tomorrow, we take a look at what lays ahead for the last three of the 12 teams. Today, Harlequins, Leicester […]

Aviva Premiership Round 1: Team News and Predictions

31 August 2012 0 comments

Exeter v Sale Tom Johnson returns to the Exeter team after making his England debut on their summer tour to South Africa while new signing […]

Conor O’Shea challenges Harlequins to become a great team

31 August 2012 2 comments

Good teams win titles, but great teams back it up time and again. That is the view of Harlequins‘ head honcho Conor O’Shea as his […]

Premiership preview (2 days to go): Northampton, Exeter, Sale

30 August 2012 0 comments

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only two days away, we take a look at what lies ahead for the 12 teams. Today, Northampton, […]

Dylan Hartley says Northampton don’t need Chris Ashton

30 August 2012 1 comment

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley says winger Chris Ashton is gone and forgotten after turning his back on the club to join Saracens. Ashton, 25, racked […]

Fijian Josh Matavesi can lead the Worcester Warriors great offensive

30 August 2012 0 comments

Worcester boss Richard Hill reckons Josh Matavesi could provide the X-Factor to spark the Warriors’ backline into life. Hill’s men struggled to cross the whitewash […]

Premiership preview (3 days to go): London Irish, Bath, Gloucester

29 August 2012 0 comments

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only three days away, we take a look at what lays ahead for the 12 teams. Today, London Irish, […]

Loyal Matt Smith content to be an unsung hero at Leicester Tigers

29 August 2012 0 comments

No player better embodies the qualities of the archetypal Leicester player than Matt Smith – Tigers through and through, massively appreciated inside the confines of […]

Alex Gray hopes fast start can earn green light at London Irish

29 August 2012 1 comment

London Irish No.8 Alex Gray is hoping for ‘second season syndrome’ in reverse as he looks to put a disappointing first year at the Exiles […]

Premiership preview (4 days to go): Worcester, London Wasps, London Welsh

28 August 2012 0 comments

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only four days away, we take a look at what lays ahead for the 12 teams. Today, Worcester, […]

“I’m more than just a fast mover,” says Wasps winger Christian Wade

28 August 2012 1 comment

Wasps winger Christian Wade is sick of being labelled simply a speed merchant and is determined to prove he has more than one trick up […]

Saracens Andy Saull working to build same power as Jacques Burger

24 August 2012 3 comments

English rugby has been crying out for a classic openside who can link play in the loose, turn over the ball in the tight and […]

New Exeter signing Ian Whitten is out to prove he’s not just a stop-gap

24 August 2012 1 comment

Ian Whitten spent last season stepping in whenever needed at Ulster – now at Exeter he intends to make himself part of the furniture. There […]

Prop stars give Worcester’s Matt Mullan best of both worlds

22 August 2012 1 comment

Mentored by Phil Vickery at Worcester and Graham Rowntree with England – Matt Mullan doesn’t have to look too far for scrummaging advice. It’s been […]

“I’ve come South to toughen myself up,” says Scotland giant Richie Gray

22 August 2012 2 comments

Richie Gray wants to emulate boyhood hero Martin Johnson and become a master of the dark arts of forward play following his move to the […]

‘Battered’ Sale Shark flanker Hendre Fourie in battle to play again

20 August 2012 0 comments

England flanker Hendre Fourie has suffered another setback in his comeback from a debilitating shoulder injury. The 32-year-old admits that the no-holds-barred approach which has […]

Cipriani and Gray to make Sale debuts

17 August 2012 0 comments

Danny Cipriani and Richie Gray are set to make their Sale debuts after being selected among the replacements for tomorrow’s friendly game against Glasgow Warriors. […]

Waldouck handed first Saints start against Leinster

17 August 2012 0 comments

New Northampton Saints signing Dominic Waldouck has been selected to make his home debut for his new club in tomorrow’s pre-season friendly against Heineken Cup […]

Gary Gold and Bath look at tie-up with Super Rugby side

15 August 2012 2 comments

Bath are considering forming an alliance with a Super Rugby side in a groundbreaking move which could involve trans-hemisphere player swaps. Former Springbok assistant coach […]

Reformed Shark Andy Powell is the new ‘Sebastien Chabal’

15 August 2012 1 comment

Sale Sharks are to extend Andy Powell’s contract in recognition of the Welshman’s emergence as ‘the new Sebastian Chabal.’ The Premiership‘s sole surviving northern club […]

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