Premiership

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

Ludlow relishing his role as defence linchpin

23 September 2018 0 comments

Chopped: Lewis Ludlow tackles Bristol’s Ed Holmes TACKLE-MASTER Lewis Ludlow wants Gloucester to prove their title credentials by stripping away Saracens’ veneer of invincibility. It […]

Ford counting on crowd comfort to spark Tigers

23 September 2018 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE Star man: George Ford has hit a rich vein of form PICTURES: Getty Images GRAHAM Kitchener returns from injury to make his […]

Winless Warriors wary of new Bakewell factor

23 September 2018 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY Ready for battle: Marco Mama WORCESTER are desperate to snap a run of three straight defeats and flanker Marco Mama knows his […]

Farrell set to follow Schmidt as Irish boss

23 September 2018 0 comments

Main man: Andy Farrell ANDY FARRELL is being groomed to become coach of Ireland if the current boss, New Zealander Joe Schmidt, stands down following […]

Taylor’s talents in demand

23 September 2018 2 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter:@neilfissler WASPS are fighting to hang onto England hooker Tommy Taylor who is attracting interest from […]

Henry Trinder says Cipriani has got Kingsholm rocking and can ignite his own England career

19 September 2018 0 comments

The Gloucester fan favourite talks about the Cherry and Whites’ playmaker

Murphy’s law can make Manu Tuilagi lethal for Leicester, says George Ford

19 September 2018 0 comments

“We are looking a bit more threatening” – Geordan Murphy can put right the ‘disservice’ done to Tuilagi

Leicester Tigers Will Spencer handed four-week ban for red card against Wasps

19 September 2018 0 comments

Spencer was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Tommy Taylor

Peter Pan Strettle hooks in the Saints

16 September 2018 0 comments

By NICK CAIN Prolific: Alex Lewington dives over for the first of his two tries PICTURES: Getty Images THESE sides met four times last campaign […]

Saints will try to unleash Taqele

16 September 2018 1 comment

NORTHAMPTON boss Chris Boyd said that he hoped to utilise huge Australian wing Taqele Naiyaravoro –who marked his Franklin’s Gardens debut by bowling over Bill […]

Bristol concede five in second half shake-up

16 September 2018 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING GLOUCESTER stayed unbeaten but they remain the most infuriating of sides by being incapable of producing a consistent performance over the whole […]

Cokanasiga acrobatics prove he’s more than just muscle

16 September 2018 2 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER TWO of England’s brightest prospects – Joe Cokanasiga and Zach Mercer – lit up a hectic afternoon as Bath claimed a timely […]

Penalty count killed us – Lam

16 September 2018 2 comments

BRISTOL director of rugby Pat Lam was annoyed at the way in which his side imploded in the second half. He said: “The biggest issue […]

Gustard blasts lethargic first half

16 September 2018 2 comments

TODD Blackadder hailed his new juggernaut out wide, Joe Cokanasiga, after his try-double. “Joe was sensational today, not just his finishing but his workrate, he […]

Hooker Tolofua wanted by Clermont

16 September 2018 1 comment

SARACENS look set to lose French hooker Christopher Tolofua when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Blindside understands that Tolofua is […]

French are sniffing for Armand

16 September 2018 0 comments

EXETER CHIEFS flanker Don Armand is attracting the interest of French teams with his Sandy Park contract up at the end of the season. It […]

Marx can make mark in Europe

16 September 2018 1 comment

Convert: Marx SPRINGBOK hooker Malcolm Marx might be under contract to the South African Union until 2020 but his CV is already doing the rounds. […]

Vito looking to cross the Channel from La Rochelle

16 September 2018 0 comments

Eyeing Premiership: Victor Vito FORMER All Black Victor Vito is looking at his options in the Premiership next season with his contract with La Rochelle […]

Warriors face loss of big three star men

16 September 2018 0 comments

Move? Ben Te’o WORCESTER Warriors are facing losing three of their best players who are all out of contracts at the end of the season. […]

Deano hails effort of his 13-man Falcons

16 September 2018 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD DEAN Richards feels his side took a big step to climbing up the Premiership table after ‘refusing to be bullied’ at Sixways. […]

Solomons: We could have 12 points now

16 September 2018 2 comments

ALAN Solomons was left frustrated by his Warriors lack of killer instinct after seeing another game slip away. But the Worcester boss refused to blame […]

Sensational Slade keeps Chiefs on maximum momentum

16 September 2018 0 comments

By MIKE SINCLAIR CLOSE-UP JACK NOWELL Exeter wing U DENNY SOLOMONA Sale wing Nowell, Eddie Jones’ preferred England choice, made a highenergy first appearance of […]

Diamond: We can still make top six

16 September 2018 2 comments

BETTER but not good enough! That was the honest verdict from Sales Sharks boss Steve Diamond who said: “Our performance was better than the last […]

Self-assured Searle ready for Ford test

16 September 2018 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY UNSUNG Wasps duo Billy Searle and Joe Atkinson aim to buck conventional wisdom by proving academy routes are not always best when […]

Guy’s primed for ‘war’ against his old mates

16 September 2018 0 comments

New Tiger: Guy Thompson LEICESTER TIGERS back rower Guy Thompson is braced for a huge battle on his first return to Wasps as a visiting […]

Craig’s right, lose control and you don’t get it back

16 September 2018 0 comments

A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME JEFF PROBYN Non-starter: American Football is not a role model for the English Premiership PICTURE: Getty Images Isn’t […]

How have Leicester’s last eight coaches fared?

14 September 2018 0 comments

From Dean Richards to Matt O’Connor…

We’re notorious for getting off to a bad starts, says Sale number 8 Josh Beaumont

14 September 2018 0 comments

Exeter Chiefs are next up for Steve Diamond’s side

Ring-fence would help Premiership clubs blood kids, says Northampton boss Chris Boyd

13 September 2018 0 comments

The Northampton Saints head coach lauds the academy products available to him at his new club

EXCLUSIVE: Maro Itoje in advanced talks to stay at Saracens and say no to French suitors

12 September 2018 0 comments

The Saracens lock’s current deal expires at the end of the season

Bristol Bears bring in Springbok international on loan amid injury worries

12 September 2018 0 comments

A crisis at full-back has been eased by Pat Lam dipping into the market

£30m loss by Premiership clubs means door won’t be closed on fresh investment

11 September 2018 0 comments

CVC’s £275m bid for a majority stake in the Premiership has been rejected

Mighty Mouse Marcus is big cheese for Quins

9 September 2018 0 comments

THERE has not been much to recommend the run of new jerseys that have replaced the famous old Harlequins quartered shirt, and the latest lime […]

Simmonds and Slade make rash Wasps pay for errors

9 September 2018 1 comment

By NICK CAIN Double trouble: Henry Slade dives over for his second try for Exeter PICTURES: Getty Images Quick start: Elliot Daly breaks clear of […]

Goneva’s too sharp

9 September 2018 0 comments

VERINIKI Goneva’s subterfuge of placing the ball on his foot in goal last weekend in an attempt to dupe Saracens into thinking he had grounded […]

Young: It doesn’t look great for Shields

9 September 2018 0 comments

AN already long Wasps casualty list grew with Wasps DoR Dai Young confirming England blindside Brad Shields was taken to hospital with a suspected broken […]

Cipriani lays on feast for England’s Eddie

9 September 2018 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Not enough: Danny Cipriani can’t stop Elliott Stooke scoring for Bath PICTURES: Getty Images Off he goes: Ruan Ackermann races through THERE […]

Jones tells Cips what he must do

9 September 2018 0 comments

MAN-of-the-match Danny Cipriani said: “With the start we had we should have won but Bath did tremendously well to come back. “At the very end […]

Hartley try helps Boyd get his first win at the Gardens

9 September 2018 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY It’s a tall order: Ahsee Tuala of Northampton shows good strength on the break PICTURES: Getty Images And he’s gone: James Lang […]

Gustard questions Saints’ legality

9 September 2018 2 comments

HARLEQUINS supremo Paul Gustard felt his side were harshly treated at the breakdown. He lamented: “Saints’ breakdown work in week one was heavily penalised and […]

Beaumont: Now we need a big reaction

9 September 2018 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Frustrated: Josh Beaumont hopes the Sale cobwebs have blown away JOSH BEAUMONT admits this is a big year for him as he […]

Heem aims to honour Adams’ 50th game

9 September 2018 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY Fighting talk: Bryce Heem says Warriors can flourish BRYCE HEEM insists Worcester can prove their critics wrong by gunning for a top […]

It’s been a difficult week – Diamond

9 September 2018 0 comments

Out: Francois Hougaard FORGOTTEN England No.8 Josh Beaumont returns to Sale’s starting XV as part of a back row shuffle, while Mark Jennings comes in […]

No CVs needed, Tigers tell would-be bosses

9 September 2018 0 comments

LEICESTER TIGERS are believed to have told agents that they are not going to be accepting applications to replace Matt O’Connor. O’Connor was last week […]

Gloucester prop Val eyes move to Top 14

9 September 2018 0 comments

Off? Rapava-Ruskin VAL Rapava-Ruskin could be looking to depart Gloucester when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Rapava-Ruskin, who left his […]

Ref Sara is on the up

9 September 2018 1 comment

SARA COX, below, is being tipped by many observers to become the first female to referee in the Premiership before the end of this season. […]

Itoje rubbishes French talk and stays at Sarries

9 September 2018 0 comments

New deal: Maro Itoje MARO ITOJE is set to pledge his loyalty to Saracens by penning a new three-year contract with the Premiership champions. The […]

Ford takes charge as Tigers find their claws

9 September 2018 0 comments

Fast out of the blocks: Adam Thompstone scores Tigers’ third try after just 14 minutes PICTURES: Getty Images Helping hand: Manu Tuilagi enjoys the attention […]