Premiership

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

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Carpenter washes stress away

14 May 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES SALE full-back Joe Carpenter only made his Premiership debut in October, but he starts today’s semifinal and has attracted the notice of […]

Too many matches had no real meaning to them

14 May 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Now, as we reflect and are drawing closer to the end of this varied season, we […]

Ashton one of the greats – Cueto

12 May 2023 0 comments

Mark Cueto has paid tribute to former international teammate and soon-to-retire winger Chris Ashton, and his unique ability to finish off opportunities. Cueto and Ashton […]

Series 2 Episode 18 – Mark Cueto on Sale Sharks, Martin Johnson, the England back three and more

11 May 2023 0 comments

In a wonderfully chaotic episode of the Rugby Paper Podcast, host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett are joined by […]

Top flight to be cut down to 10 teams

7 May 2023 2 comments

By PAUL REES The Premiership is set to be reduced to 10 teams as it looks to become more financially viable. The move would see […]

Lawes in the mood to finish on a high

7 May 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Courtney Lawes has set his sights on finishing what has been a frustrating season for last year’s England captain on a high […]

Beaumont predicts a physical encounter

7 May 2023 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Josh Beaumont refuses to read too much into statistics as Sale prepare to welcome Leicester to Salford on Saturday with a prize […]

Spencer: Fire to play for England still burns

7 May 2023 1 comment

By TOM BRADSHAW Ben Spencer smiles and says nothing when asked whether the England coaches have been in touch. Sometimes actions speak louder than words […]

Gopperth to leave Leicester

7 May 2023 0 comments

Jimmy Gopperth will leave Leicester at the end of the season. The 39-year-old New Zealander is the oldest player in the Premiership and would have […]

Lawrence pounces to grab Cup place

7 May 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Bath ………………………………. 61 pts Tries: Reid 2, Dunn 12, 51, 54; Obano 33, 42; Cloete 49, Bailey 73, Lawrence 80 Conversions: Spencer […]

Van Graan praises ‘incredible’ triumph

7 May 2023 0 comments

Johann van Graan hailed his Bath players after Ollie Lawrence’s 83rd-minute try earned a team that has spent most of the last two seasons on […]

Bears win but find the honey has gone

7 May 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Bristol ………………………….. 36pts Tries: Naulago 10, Thacker 15, Bradbury 48, Radradra 56, 72 Conversions: MacGinty 10, 15, 56, 72 Penalties: MacGinty 23 […]

‘I’ve seen a lot of good this season’

7 May 2023 0 comments

Bristol boss Pat Lam said he has seen ‘a lot of good’ this season despite the disappointment of missing out on Champions Cup qualification. “It […]

Red for Ashton as Quins hold on

7 May 2023 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN Leicester ………………………17pts Tries: Montoya 15, Reffell 76 Conversions: Pollard 15, Gopperth 76 Penalties: Pollard 45 Harlequins ……………………20pts Tries: Penalty 12, Murley 21 […]

Wigglesworth: Today, Chris wrote the wrong headlines

7 May 2023 0 comments

Leicester boss Richard Wigglesworth said he felt great sympathy for the plight of Chris Ashton. “Decisions are so close these days,” reflected Wigglesworth after Ashton […]

Sale get in the mood for Tigers showdown

7 May 2023 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sale ……………………………… 54pts Tries: Roebuck 8, James 19, 78; Curry 31, Rodd 43, Quirke 55, Penalty 69, Reed 73 Conversions: Ford 9, […]

Tuilagi: It’s only a flesh wound

7 May 2023 0 comments

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson says Manu Tuilagi will be fit for the semi-final after the England centre left the field in the second […]

Joy for Kidney as Gonzalez seals it

7 May 2023 0 comments

By GARY FIZGERALD London Irish…………………17pts Tries: Gonzalez 26, 71; Pearson 62 Conversions: Jackson 27 Exeter ……………………………14pts Tries: Vermeulen 21, Hendrickson 64 Conversions: Slade 22, 66 […]

Hepher: We saw plenty of fight

7 May 2023 0 comments

Chiefs coach Ali Hepher felt his side showed plenty of “fight” in their last game of the season without getting the rewards. He said: “We […]

Irish going in the right direction – Rogerson

7 May 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Matt Rogerson is confident that the wage upheaval which last week threatened London Irish’s match against Exeter yesterday will not halt the […]

Saracens close in on England wing Watson

7 May 2023 0 comments

Saracens are growing increasingly confident that Anthony Watson will continue his career in the Premiership by joining them next season. The 29-year-old England wing signed […]

Hooper calls time after 15 years at club

7 May 2023 0 comments

Stuart Hooper will leave Bath this summer after 15 years as a player and coach at the Premiership club. “I’ll always be immensely proud to […]

Blackett ready to fire up Bath attack

7 May 2023 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE New Bath recruit Lee Blackett says his time away from the Premiership has enriched him as an attack coach. Blackett has spent […]

Hawkins ruled out by 25-cap restriction

30 April 2023 1 comment

By PETER JACKSON Wales are on the verge of banning Joe Hawkins from international selection following an investigation into his transfer from Ospreys to Exeter. […]

Lawes, Tuilagi provide boost for England

30 April 2023 0 comments

Courtney Lawes has rejected offers from abroad to sign a new deal with Northampton. The 34-year-old England forward, who has 97 caps, made his Saints […]

Moon enjoying hard work as he aims to help Saints to the title

30 April 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Alex Moon is looking to cap what he feels is his best season for Northampton by helping the Saints reach the Premiership […]

Barnes welcomes Champ clubs in Prem Cup

30 April 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK The Premiership Cup will involve Championship teams next season and Hartpury director of rugby John Barnes believes it’s a great move for […]

Sharks in the market for Wallaby Latu

30 April 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Sale Sharks could bring bad boy Tolu Latu to the Premiership this summer after he expressed an interest in […]

Versatile prop gets hand from Genge & Sinckler

30 April 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Bristol’s Rhys Charalambous believes spending time with Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler this season is helping to drive his development. The prop, […]

Sanderson annoyed by Ashman’s move north

30 April 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Alex Sanderson is unhappy with the departure of Ewan Ashman to Edinburgh next season, adamant the hooker would be better off staying […]

Let’s hope this new-look Cup has meaning

30 April 2023 0 comments

So the Premiership Cup is to remuster in yet another guise this autumn as a joint competition with the Championship sides which I would greet […]

We need to rebuild in the north

30 April 2023 1 comment

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL A radical move to bring together Sale Sharks with Newcastle Falcons – and potentially Doncaster or Leeds Tykes – to create a […]

Premiership-Championship Cup confirmed

24 April 2023 0 comments

The addition of Championship teams to the Premiership Rugby Cup, first reported in The Rugby Paper on 9th April, has been confirmed by Premiership Rugby, […]

Atkinson enjoying life at Gloucester

23 April 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Seb Atkinson is ending the season on a high having feared his career might be over just as it had started following […]

Exit for Wilson

23 April 2023 0 comments

Mark Wilson will leave Newcastle Falcons’ coaching team at the end of the current season, as revealed on Blindside earlier this month. The 33-year-old Cumbrian, […]

McGuigan set for coach job

23 April 2023 0 comments

Sale winger Byron McGuigan will retire at the end of the season and move on to the club’s coaching staff. The 33-year-old joined the Sharks […]

I’m quicker, stronger and better, says Lynagh

23 April 2023 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Louis Lynagh claims he has returned from his injury nightmare “quicker, stronger and better than ever”. And the young winger is determined […]

Sanderson backs his ‘squadfather’

23 April 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Alex Sanderson says Sale will be a different proposition in the Premiership play-offs than they were two years ago in his first […]

Whitten keen to finish on a high

23 April 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Exeter may be the underdogs in next Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final against holders La Rochelle in Bordeaux, but Ian Whitten says recent […]

Lawrence on fire as Bath find their mojo

23 April 2023 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Harlequins ………………….. 35pts Tries: Murley 6, Wallace 23, Smith 35, Gjaitema 55, Dombrandt 70 Conversions: Smith 7, 24, 36, 56, 71 Bath […]

Bayliss: We are proud of our effort

23 April 2023 0 comments

Bath back rower Josh Bayliss, who came on early in the first half, felt their win against Harlequins showed that things were coming together at […]

Simmonds lands late winner to stun Bears

23 April 2023 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Exeter ………………………….. 22pts Tries: Whitten 25, Ewers 36, Iosefa-Scott 70 Conversions: J Simmonds 26, 71 Penalties: J Simmonds 79 Bristol ……………………………21pts Tries: […]

We made it far too easy for Exeter, admits coach Lam

23 April 2023 0 comments

Pat Lam was left with a sour taste in his mouth after watching his Bears fail to finish the job off when they had 14-man […]

Sale take hard route to land a home semi

23 April 2023 0 comments

By ADAM HATHAWAY Gloucester ………………….. 22pts Tries: Ludlow 47, Rees-Zammit 56, May 80+2 Conversions: Hastings 48, 57 Penalties: Hastings 31 Sale ……………………………… 25pts Tries: J-L […]

Sharks told to get on fun bus

23 April 2023 0 comments

ALEX Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby, praised his side’s guts – then promised a big night out on the bus back to Manchester. Sale […]

Collins double keeps Saints in the running

23 April 2023 0 comments

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL Newcastle……………………… 5pts Tries: Radwan 4 Northampton………………. 66pts Tries: Mitchell 8, 57, Collins 15, 29; Augustus 40, Hill 44, Smith 53, Graham 59, […]

Dowson lines up Leicester friendly

23 April 2023 0 comments

Tom Collins is hoping he has not made his final appearance for Northampton. The popular long-serving winger, whose brace against Newcastle took him to 50 […]

Irish must be sharp, says Van Rensburg

23 April 2023 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Saracens v London Irish Today. Kick-off 3pm, StoneX Stadium PUTTING a kitchen accident to one side, Benhard Janse van Rensburg has […]

McCall: We need to hit our peak form for the play-offs

23 April 2023 0 comments

Saracens can secure first place in the league today but all DoR Mark McCall really cares about is hitting peak form for the play-offs. Sarries […]

Old rivals set for spicy showpiece

23 April 2023 0 comments

Premiership Cup Final By ROB COLE PREVIEW… Newport v Cardiff Today, kick-off 3pm Principality Stadium CLUB games in Wales don’t come any bigger than Cardiff […]

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