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It’s time for a root and branch clearout at RFU

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week In what sort of world does the wage packet of one administrator in a sports […]

We can’t compete with the big dogs, admits Steve Diamond

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Steve Diamond will be putting young players on long-term contracts to protect Newcastle from the greater spending power of every other club […]

Guy Pepper full of praise for Sam Underhill

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Jon Newcombe Sam Underhill was one of Guy Pepper’s idols growing up and he’s now enjoying learning from him in person at Bath. In […]

Exeter Chiefs fight hard but Bath go back to top

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Bath……………………………….. 19pts Tries: Pepper 6, Reid 45, Annett 67 Conversions: Russell 7, 68 Exeter……………………………. 15pts Tries: Vermeulen 19, Fisilau 80+2 Conversion: Slade […]

Rob Baxter: We can take a lot from that

1 December 2024 0 comments

Exeter’s losing Premiership run continued but Rob Baxter took heart from the performance against the leaders. “What pleased me was that we were really competitive […]

Santi Carreras class has Northampton Saints on the rack

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Rob Wildman Northampton Saints……. 17pts Tries: Furbank 6, Augustus 48 Conversions: Hutchinson 6, 48 Penalty: Hutchinson 74 Gloucester…………………… 25pts Tries: Carreras 3, 32; Mercer […]

Phil Dowson: We didn’t stand up for fight

1 December 2024 0 comments

Northampton boss Phil Dowson admitted Gloucester “had a point to prove” and that his men “didn’t stand up for the fight”. On a difficult day […]

Pat Lam puts Gabriel Ibitoye in frame for England

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Gary Fitzgerald Harlequins ………………….. 24pts Tries: Dombrandt 3, Murley 21, Northmore 26, Green 63 Conversion: Evans 22, 64 Bristol Bears ………………. 48pts Tries: Ravouvou […]

I’ve no regrets and I won’t be coming back, says Joe Marler

1 December 2024 0 comments

Joe Marler’s big send off was turned sour by Bristol but he still claimed it was the perfect time to hang up his well-worn boots. […]

Newcastle master misfiring Saracens

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Luke Jarmyn Newcastle ……………………. 17 Tries: Hearle 22, Radwan 33 Conversions: Connon 23, 34 Penalty: Connon 2 pts Saracens ……………………… 12pts Tries: Elliott 17, […]

We were not good enough – Mark McCall

1 December 2024 0 comments

Saracens boss Mark McCall showed due respect to a Newcastle side who handled the torrid conditions better. McCall admitted having the likes of Jamie George […]

Alex Sanderson: We need to get our bite back

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees MATCH PREVIEW Sale v Leicester Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, AJ Bell Stadium Alex Sanderson expects Sale to bear their teeth against resurgent Leicester […]

We’ll be locked and loaded for Sale trip -Cheika

1 December 2024 0 comments

■By JON NEWCOMBE WITH wins over Exeter, Newcastle and Saracens, playing away from home in the Premiership currently holds no fears for Leicester. The Tigers […]

Scotland deserve fair share of British & Irish Lions

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Chris Hewett – Thinking Allowed We may be exaggerating here, but not by much: since the wonderful Tom Smith made the last of his […]

Cardiff are too strong for spirited Dragons

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By ROGER PANTING Cardiff……………………………31pts Tries: Mann 31, Millard 39, Sheedy 42, Lee-Lo 50 Conversions: Sheedy 31, 39, 42, 50 Penalties: Sheedy 7 Dragons………………………… 23pts […]

Zebre stun Ospreys to climb off the bottom

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Simon Thomas Zebre………………22pts Tries: Gesi 6, 25, Trulla 43 Conversions: Da Re 7, 44 Penalty: Da Re 57 Ospreys…………. 17pts Tries: Kasende 18, Lloyd […]

Duncan Weir steps up to have final say in tense affair

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Simon Thomas Glasgow…………. 17pts Tries: Matthews 36, Venter 50 Conversions: Weir 37, 51 Penalty: Weir 66 Scarlets…………. 15pts Tries: Macleod 11, Nicholas 46 Conversion: […]

Munster end their losing run

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Kevin Fallon Munster……….. 17 Lions…………….. 10 Munster captain Jack O’Donoghue hopes they can build on this win heading into the Champions Cup. They managed […]

Sharks survive Stormers comeback to take derby victory

1 December 2024 0 comments

Sharks survived a stunning fightback to triumph in Durban. Sharks were cruising going into the final few minutes with a 13-point lead, but they conceded […]

Edinburgh keep Benetton at bay

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Tom Wilson Edinburgh……..50 Benetton……….33 Edinburgh survived an enthralling Augustin Creevy-inspired Benetton comeback in the second half to finish on the right side of a […]

Connacht are blown away by Bulls

1 December 2024 0 comments

By John Fallon Connacht………14 Bulls………………28 Connacht, down to 14 men for almost three-quarters of the game, were blown away by the Bulls. The Bulls also […]

Leinster make it seven wins in a row

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Jim Short Ulster…………….20 Leinster…………27 Leinster’s second string proved far too strong for Ulster to make it seven wins on the spin. “Squad depth is […]

Jacques Vermeulen excited to visit old friends

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Exeter start their Champions Cup campaign away in South Africa on Saturday, but Jacques Vermeulen will feel very much at home. The […]

My body is telling me to quit, says Rob Evans

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Peter Jackson – The man truly in the know Wales are about to be hit by another loss despite spending the final weekend of […]

Let’s hope Newcastle Falcons can keep flying flag

1 December 2024 0 comments

As last season’s final Premiership table confirmed, Northampton and Newcastle could not possibly have been further apart: the Saints sweeping all before them, the Falcons […]

Time for big guns to deliver in the Six Nations

1 December 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES ASSESSES THE FORM OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, FRANCE, WALES AND ITALY IN THE BUILDUP TO THE SIX NATIONS ENGLAND Result: Henry Slade celebrates a […]

Good to see the Eagles soaring again

1 December 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points – By Brendan Gallagher That’s a wrap for the autumn Tests and it would […]

Bruce Houston is on target to snatch it for Pirates

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Mike Sinclair C Pirates………… 15pts Tries: McNab 12, Relton 58 Conversion: Houston 58 Penalty: Houston 76 Chinnor…………… 13pts Try: Feeney 27 Conversion: Slevin 27 […]

Ealing Trailfinders quick off the mark to take home the honours

1 December 2024 0 comments

By William Gupwell E Trailfinders…63pts Tries: Moore 3, 35; Reid 16, De Wee 22, Kernohan 26, Harris 30, Walker 61, 69, 74 Conversions: Willis 4, […]

Doncaster get back to their best in fine style

1 December 2024 0 comments

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster Knights……. 52pts Tries: Olowofela 68, 75; Jones 10, Smith 20, Edwards 26, Kerr 41, Dolly 53, Strong 56 Conversions: Bennett 10, […]

It’s back to business as usual for Bedford

1 December 2024 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham…… 10pts Tries: Myall 16, Dickinson 69 Bedford………….. 17pts Tries: Langdon 3, Adamson 20, James 62 Conversion: Maisey 62 A BREAK-AWAY interception […]

Coventry hold their nerve to keep up the pace at top

1 December 2024 0 comments

By BEN WHITE Ampthill…………. 21pts Tries: Sylvester 16, Jackson 35, Hammick 52 Conversions: Barton 17, 36, 53 Coventry…………27pts Tries: Ma’asi 20, Poole 32, Hutler 38, […]

Six yellows and 20-man brawl mars Hartpury win

1 December 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury………….40pts Tries: Hunt 11, penalty 17, 56, McArthur 22, Morgan 27, Rees 69 Conversions: Bazalgette 12, 23, 28 Caldy……………… 24pts Tries: Royle […]

High-flying Harlequins make it six of the best

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By RORY MORROW Harlequins…… 47pts Tries: K Powell 5, C Powell 21, Pena 27, Hanlon 33, Konkel 39, Latsha 67, Parry 75 Conversions: Tuima […]

Clifford in charge to make sure for Sarries

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens………..32pts Tries: Harrison 15, Corrigan 26, Hunt 52, Bermudez 74 Conversions: Harrison 16, 27, 52 Penalties: Harrison 60, 80 Loughborough.. 21pts […]

Bristol hit heights to take down champions

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By STEWART McCULLOUGH Gloucester-Hartpury……. 14pts Tries: Rugman 45, Hyett 54 Conversions: Sing 45, 54 Bristol Bears…………………..19pts Tries: Keight 7, Aitchison 15, Murray 62 Conversions: […]

Internationals face off in battle of the bottom two

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Sale v Leicester Today. Kick-off 12pm, AJ Bell Stadium SALE Sharks host Leicester in a battle of the league’s winless […]

It’s Bristol or nothing for me – Hollie Cunningham

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Proud Bristolian Hollie Cunningham hopes to inspire the next generation of Bears players and can’t see herself ever playing for anyone else. […]

Clinical Moseley too good for blunt Darlington

1 December 2024 0 comments

National League 1 ■ By DAVID ROBINSON Darlington MP…. 7 Birm Moseley. 24 AFTER a cagey start that suggested a close game, a clinical Birmingham […]

Fylde left to count cost of the cards

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By WILL JUDD Fylde………………. 17pts Leeds Tykes…..22pts LEEDS TYKES were thankful for their resolute defence as they clung on to claim a narrow win […]

It’s party time for Tigers’ duo after convincing win

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By JOSH THOMAS Sheffield Tigers….29 Hull………………………. 15 JAMES LONG marked his Tigers debut with his first-ever try and birthday boy Dom Santamaria also got […]

Harrogate steamroll Otley in derby day massacre

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By TIM THORLEY Harrogate………39 Otley………………… 7 AFTER last week’s weather postponement, Harrogate overcame a depleted Otley side to record only their second win of […]

Taylor’s ton up in Cinderford cruise

1 December 2024 0 comments

National Lge 2 West ■ By JACK TOZER Cinderford……………43 Camborne…………….24 NATHAN TAYLOR’S 100th National League try was one of seven for Cinderford as they whipped […]

Then came Taylor’s Titans too strong for brave Macc

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By RICHARD PHELPS Macclesfield………3 3 Taunton Titans…..55 ROCKY Prowse scored a hat-trick as Taunton Titans overpowered Macc in a high scoring affair. Taunton showed […]