National Leagues

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

Seventh heaven for Mowden Park

4 February 2018 1 comment

By JON EDWARDS Old Eltham’s …14 Darlingt’n MP 19 DARLINGTON Mowden Park weathered a secondhalf fightback to secure their seventh straight win at Old Elthamians. […]

Students strike to salvage late draw

4 February 2018 1 comment

By WARREN KAY Ampthill ……17 Loughb’o S ……17 OWEN Waters nailed a late conversion to see Loughborough Lightening snatch a draw at Ampthill. The visitors […]

Boatman’s late kick ends Esher’s misery on road

4 February 2018 1 comment

By DAVID LAWRENCE First blood: Cairan Moore scores Moseley’s opening try PICTURES: Christophe Lowe Gripping: Moseley skipper Buster Lawrence stops Esher prop Karl Furey STEVEN […]

Jake pulls the strings to stump the Reds

28 January 2018 0 comments

By SIMON LORD Bury St E ……27 Redruth ……….14 BURY St Edmunds deservedly ground out a victory with a battling display against Redruth in appalling […]

Tigers mauled as Tynedale run riot

28 January 2018 1 comment

By BRIAN TILLEY SHEFFIELD Tigers were blown away at a windswept Tynedale, where the rampant hosts ran in 11 tries. The Yorkshire side looked good […]

Brunel must turn French Cup aces into champs

28 January 2018 0 comments

NICK CAIN says don’t write off France – just look at their club teams in Europe France Options at No.10: Anthony Belleau and Matthieu Jalibert […]

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

28 January 2018 0 comments

PETER DODS THE GALA AND SCOTLAND FULL-BACK Istarted the 1984 Grand Slam with a split pair of boots and ended it with a bust eye. […]

Prescott wastes shot at victory

28 January 2018 1 comment

By CAMERON TEMPLE Reding’ns ………12 Tonbridge J….12 LIAM Prescott missed the chance to kick Tonbridge Juddian to victory as he sent a late penalty wide […]

Battling Dale hold out for key victory

28 January 2018 0 comments

By ED WILLIAMS3 A DEFENSIVEbattle was just edged by Wharfedale as they secured a narrow victory over Chester. The visitors set up the first try […]

O’Shea: We’ll have a go, not die wondering

28 January 2018 1 comment

BRENDAN GALLAGHER talks to the Italian camp and finds reasons for optimism this season Italy Masked marvel: Ian McKinley PICTURE: Getty Images It might seem […]

Clifton hold on to down Barnstaple

28 January 2018 0 comments

By WYN TINGLEY Clifton……………24 Barnstaple……19 CLIFTON secured a vital victory against Barnstaple and scored a late try to confirm a bonus point. Clifton scored first […]

Ruthless display as Field too good for Lucs

28 January 2018 1 comment

By GEOFF VICKRESS HUDDERSFIELD outscored Luctonians by six tries to three in difficult conditions at Mortimer Park. Lucs, who were mourning the loss of first […]

Conor is getting it right now says Masi

28 January 2018 1 comment

ITALY’S improved mental strength and fitness under head coach Conor O’Shea will ensure they can go toe-to-toe for 80 minutes against England in next Sunday’s […]

YOUNG GUNS

28 January 2018 1 comment

SAM NIXON BATH PROP Having enjoyed a close-quarters view of Beno Obano’s rise to the top with Bath and England, tight-head prop Sam Nixon has […]

Sale march on to make it 12 wins on the spin

28 January 2018 0 comments

By STEVE SMITH CHRIS Johnson scored 16 points as Sale moved clear at the top of the table with a deserved success over Hinckley at […]

Phillips predicts big future for Wales

28 January 2018 4 comments

Women Wales WALES head coach Rowland Phillips has named 10 uncapped players in his 36-strong squad for the 2018 Women’s Six Nations. Ospreys trio Natalia […]

Stortford picked off after strong opening

28 January 2018 0 comments

By JOHN ALLANSON STORTFORD’S strong start was undone by a couple of missed tackles and Coventry went on to a comfortable win. Cov broke free […]

Clayden ends Sheffield’s

28 January 2018 0 comments

By LEON PICKARD SECOND-ROW Dave Clayden grabbed the only try of the game as Sheffield finally got their first win of 2018 with a hard-fought […]

Trailblazer Brown aiming to hammer down on Italy

28 January 2018 0 comments

SAM PARKHOUSE talks to the England flanker who’s no stranger to international competition FRANCE Lise Arricastre, Cyrielle Banet, Camille Boudaud, Caroline Boujard, Pauline Bourdon, Patricia […]

Students in lively mood after break

28 January 2018 0 comments

By OSCAR MORTIMER LOUGHBOROUH were well rested after a waterlogged pitch cost them their game at Plymouth the week before, but it was Park who […]

Green for go Ireland, but Eddie has depth

28 January 2018 0 comments

ROUND THE TABLE – THE RUGBY PAPER’S BRAINS TRUST Think tank: Clockwise from top left, Jeremy Guscott, Matthew Emery, Peter Jackson, Nick Cain and Brendan […]

Scotland

28 January 2018 1 comment

■Scotland get the honour of kicking of this year’s Championship, but start it with a tricky Friday-night trip to take on Wales at Colwyn Bay’s […]

Sanders rescues Ravers late on

28 January 2018 0 comments

By JAMIE RUSSELL A DOMINANT second half from Caldy enabled them to bounce back and ultimately overturn a nine-point interval deficit. It was far from […]

Schmidt must unleash his terrifying dogs of war

28 January 2018 1 comment

BRENDAN GALLAGHER says Ireland have a back line that can frighten all their Six Nations rivals WHEN you look at the Ireland squad – groaning […]

Briggs is back to guide Irish

28 January 2018 1 comment

Ireland NIAMH Briggs returns to the Ireland set-up after missing last year’s tournament because of injury. The full-back made her comeback at fly-half in the […]

Mugford return eclipsed by the battling of his old pals

28 January 2018 0 comments

By STEVE JACKSON Made it: Darren Fox, left, and his Cambridge teammates celebrate at the end PICTURES: Pinnacle FORMER Cambridge fly-half Dan Mugford starred for […]

Scots can beat Wales if they play fast and error free

28 January 2018 1 comment

Danger man: Outside centre Huw Jones can be lethal if he links with Stuart Hogg PICTURE: Getty Images SO much rests on Scotland winning their […]

France

28 January 2018 0 comments

■FRANCE are desperate to get their hands on the title again after a disappointing third-place finish last season. They improved steadily through the year to […]

Darlington stretch clear with flood of early points

28 January 2018 4 comments

By KEVIN ROBINSON DARLINGTON continue to cling to the shirt tails of leaders Coventry after a convincing win against strugglers Old Albanian. With eight tries, […]

Deano: Eddie can do Slam and win World Cup if Owen and Billy stay fit

28 January 2018 0 comments

NICK CAIN talks to Newcastle boss Dean Richards about England’s prospects in Six Nations and beyond Work-rate: Gary Graham DEAN Richards is predicting a record-breaking […]

Force yourselves into Eddie’s plan for Japan

28 January 2018 2 comments

NEALE HARVEY finds England head coach Steve Bates has set his lads a big challenge Under 20s Returning stars: Quins flier Gabriel Ibitoye and Saints […]

Flawless Fielding scoffs at blustery weather

28 January 2018 1 comment

By GRAHAM COX A TRY double, a long-range penalty and a fine kick to touch, all from Leo Fielding, set up victory for Blackheath in […]

Courtney has big appetite for success – Jones

28 January 2018 1 comment

EDDIE Jones is banking on Courtney Lawes to put the stranglehold on Italy. The England head coach heaped praise on his Northampton ‘enforcer’ for the […]

Strange gives Welsh boys licence to thrill

28 January 2018 0 comments

Round-up FRANCE were runners-up last season but must do without 19-year-old fly-half sensation Matthieu Jalibert, who was called up to the senior squad. In his […]

Esher stay ahead as tries just flow

28 January 2018 0 comments

By JAMES AYLES A FLURRY of first-half tries set the tone for Esher as Tom James, Chris Arnold, Ben Loader and Charlie Gossington all scored, […]

Scots must go Full Monty to strip Wales down in Cardiff

28 January 2018 2 comments

Brendan Gallgher looks back on the Six Nations matches between Wales-Scotland in Cardiff SCOTLAND will sweep into Cardiff later this week on a wave of […]

Rhys has become the victim of politics

28 January 2018 0 comments

Sad: Rhys Webb has been robbed of his Cardiff farewell PICTURE: Getty Images The lucky ones find a way of bowing out with a World […]

Superb Street turn on the style at Geese

28 January 2018 0 comments

By BEN CARTER LI Wild Geese …0 Broadstreet….34 BOTTOM-PLACED Broadstreet produced a wet-weather masterclass as they cruised to superb a five-try demolition of London Irish […]

Ruthless Ampthill power to victory.

28 January 2018 1 comment

By ALLAN FOSTER Pritchard converting. And one became two midway through the opening half when Joe Bercis drove over from close range for a converted […]

If the scrums are competitive you will see a great game predicts Gatland

28 January 2018 0 comments

Smart: Warren Gatland AS you would expect, Wales coach Warren Gatland is among those who have clocked that Wales enjoy the same sequence of fixtures […]

Burton knew how to pick a winner when he took Liz to Cardiff

28 January 2018 0 comments

FROM his vantage point somewhere in Milan, Marvin Hagler will be keeping a beady eye on Ireland’s fortune over the coming weeks. The ‘Marvelous’ one […]

Hawks soar after late penalty try

28 January 2018 0 comments

By NICK PITSON A PENALTY try two minutes from the end gave Henley Hawks a bonuspoint win against a committed and well-organised Old Redcliffians. The […]

Buckle: Carnegie still have Ealing in sights

28 January 2018 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA JOE BUCKLE believes Yorkshire Carnegie’s high standing in the Championship is testament to the strength of character within the squad. For a side […]

Never a dull moment – six of the most memorable Wales v Scotland encounters in Cardiff

28 January 2018 2 comments

Game-changer: Stuart Hogg is yellow carded then sent off by referee Jerome Garces in 2014 1923: Wales 8 Scotland 11 Known as Gracie’s match on […]

Can Wales half-backs hit it off like Gareth and Barry?

28 January 2018 0 comments

AN UNCANNY piece of Celtic history will be repeated in Cardiff next Saturday after exactly 50 years. When Wales and Scotland lined up in the […]

Davis double act stuns the Raiders

28 January 2018 1 comment

By KEITH BROOKING Worthing ………19 Taunton ……….25 PAUL Davis scored two tries as Taunton Titans produced a superb second-half comeback to dismiss Worthing. In wet, […]

Jones: Injuries or not, failure not an option

28 January 2018 0 comments

Wales Experienced head: Alun Wyn Jones PICTURES: Getty Images ALUN Wyn Jones believes the experience of head coach Warren Gatland can help Wales defy a […]

wait for a win

28 January 2018 3 comments

On target: Sale’s Chris Johnson kicks more points PICTURES: Steve Wells Menace: Hinckley’s Jonny Sykes threatens the line The theme continued in the second half […]

No joy for Dons on their travels to Kent

28 January 2018 0 comments

By JOSHUA JOHNSON CANTERBURY secured their 11th win of the season with a hard-fought victory against Wimbledon. In a low-quality affair, the hosts just about […]

Watson well aware that away form will determine Scots’ fate

28 January 2018 0 comments

GARY HEATLY talks to openside Hamish Watson about the challenges ahead Scotland Scalp hunter: Hamish Watson Hamish Watson knows that for Scotland to be considered […]

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