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

“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 […]

RaboDirect Pro12 round 5: preview and predictions

28 September 2012 1 comment

Cardiff v Ulster Second row forward Bradley Davies will make his 100th appearance for the Blues tonight alongside club captain Andries Pretorius who returns to […]

Rugby Championship round 5: preview and predictions

28 September 2012 1 comment

Argentina v New Zealand Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has named the same starting XV that narrowly lost to Australia two weeks ago. The Pumas came […]

Top 14 round 7: preview and predictions

28 September 2012 0 comments

Welsh star Mike Phillips has been suspended until further notice by Bayonne for repeatedly breaking team rules and going on night outs. The 30-year-old scrum-half […]

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 […]

“Martin Johnson is not bitter about axe,” says Brian Smith

27 September 2012 1 comment

Martin Johnson bears no bitterness to those who forced his departure as England team manager according to Brian Smith who argues his absence is denying […]

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 […]

RaboDirect Pro12 round 4: preview and predictions

21 September 2012 0 comments

Cardiff v Treviso Weslh international centre Jamie Roberts will get his first start since his knee injury on the back of 35 minutes last week […]

Top 14 round 6: preview and predictions

21 September 2012 0 comments

This week the duel between Jonny Wilkinson and Frederic Michalak won’t happen as both will start for Toulon and form the half-back pairing for the […]

“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 […]

Stop-gap Karl Dickson wants a permanent place now

20 September 2012 1 comment

Harlequins scrum-half Karl Dickson has targeted a place in one of the England squads after tiring of having his holiday plans ruined. Twice this year […]

“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 […]

English will offer £100m bait to land their jackpot

18 September 2012 1 comment

England‘s Premier clubs will go into Tuesday’s meeting with their Heineken Cup colleagues with a £100m cheque to place on the bargaining table. Premier Rugby […]

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 […]

RaboDirect Pro12 round 3: preview and predictions

14 September 2012 1 comment

Connacht v Scarlets Andrew Browne has been named at blindside flanker for Connacht in what will be his first game since an injury during the […]

Top 14 round 5: preview and predictions

14 September 2012 1 comment

Frederic Michalak makes his first start at fly-half tonight when Toulon travel to Montpellier as Jonny Wilkinson is handed a rest after injuring his neck […]

Rugby Champioship round 4: preview and predictions

14 September 2012 1 comment

New Zealand v South Africa Liam Messam, Sam Whitelock and Andrew Hore have all been drafted back into the All Blacks‘ starting XV for the […]

“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 […]

“Jonny Wilkinson remains in the frame,” says Warren Gatland

12 September 2012 0 comments

Jonny Wilkinson is not yesterday’s man as far as Lions coach Warren Gatland is concerned. Gatland opened the door to the 2003 England World Cup […]

Wallabies get set to cash in on the Lions

11 September 2012 0 comments

The Australians have drawn up plans to cash in on the Lions by charging £200 a ticket for the three-Test series. As proof that there […]

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 […]

Rugby Championship Round Three: preview and predictions

7 September 2012 0 comments

Australia v South Africa Australia have made their intention clear before their crucial clash against South Africa in Perth, they will run the ball and […]

RaboDirect Pro12 Round 2: preview and predictions

7 September 2012 1 comment

Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Wales Grand Slam winners Sam Warburton, Leigh Halphpenny, Alex Cuthbert and Bradley Davies all return for Cardiff in a much stronger […]

Top 14 Round 4: preview and predictions

7 September 2012 0 comments

Mercurial fly-half Frederic Michalack will not make is starting debut for Toulon as Jonny Wilkinson retain his No.10 jersey for the reception of Bordeaux-Begles tomorrow. […]

James Hook finds it’s always time for tee in new tryless Top 14

7 September 2012 0 comments

Welsh fly-half James Hook believes that the emphasis placed on defence by French clubs has placed more responsibility on kickers. The 27-year has just started […]

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 […]

Heart-blow Lloyd Burns set to land job with WRU

6 September 2012 0 comments

Wales World Cup hooker Lloyd Burns is in talks over a new career five months after being forced into premature retirement with a heart condition. […]

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 […]

Pro12 Round 1: Team news and Predictions

31 August 2012 1 comment

Connacht v Cardiff Blues Scrum-half Kieran Marmion makes his first appearance for the province but summer signing Scottish international Dan Parks will not play against […]

Top14 Round 3: Preview and Predictions

31 August 2012 1 comment

Bottom of the table Mont-de-Marsan face the daunting prospect of unbeaten big spending Toulon with Jonny Wilkinson in fine point scoring form. The World Cup […]