Features

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

Bath call in Jason Robinson to mentor Kyle Eastmond

31 July 2012 1 comment

Cross-code legend Jason Robinson is mentoring Kyle Eastmond in a bid to help the former St Helens and England RL man become a star in […]

Saracens pair will push for role in Rio 2016 Olympics

31 July 2012 0 comments

England duo Chris Ashton and Alex Goode are prepared to put their Premiership careers on hold when Sevens makes its inaugural appearance at the 2016 […]

I was fed up facing the same teams all the time says Jersey new boy Richard Haughton

31 July 2012 1 comment

Richard Haughton has revealed how he turned down offers to remain in the Premiership in favour of a move to Championship newcomers Jersey. The 31-year-old […]

New captain Declan Danaher reveals six players will run the London Irish ship

31 July 2012 0 comments

Declan Danaher, after 13 years at Irish, was the obvious choice to captain the Exiles next term but the flanker has revealed that it will […]

New Leeds boss Ian McGeechan keen to embrace Leeds Rhinos

31 July 2012 2 comments

John Bentley has hailed the appointment of Sir Ian McGeechan as being massive for the profile of Leeds Carnegie. Bentley, selected by McGeechan for the […]

Don’t forget me says Welsh winger Tom James

31 July 2012 2 comments

Wales’ forgotten man Tom James is more determined than ever to pull on the Three Feathers and is targeting an autumn return. The Cardiff Blues […]

Kick-chase will destroy the game warns London Irish new boss Brian Smith

24 July 2012 0 comments

Brian Smith has blasted South African-style ‘kick-chase’ rugby, insisting it is killing the game and that English teams should instead look to New Zealand for […]

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley urges Saints to shake off that losers’ tag

24 July 2012 0 comments

Saints captain Dylan Hartley has demanded his side shake off their tag as the nearly men of English rugby. While Northampton have won plenty of […]

Exeter winger Matt Jess: “Team ethic is only concern for Chiefs”

24 July 2012 0 comments

When Bath chairman Bruce Craig told the club’s end-of-season dinner that there wasn’t a single player in his side whom he would swap for an […]

It’s time for Nathan Catt to sparkle says Bath new boss Gary Gold

24 July 2012 1 comment

This is the season that loosehead Nathan Catt will stop being talked of as a potential talent and start becoming a senior player at Bath, […]

Leicester Jordan Crane looking for Leicester Tigers and England place

24 July 2012 0 comments

Jordan Crane is itching to put a season-long absence behind him and challenge Thomas Waldrom for his place in the Leicester side. Crane, 26, has […]

Coventry Nathan Jones: “Some Championship players earn no more than minimum-wage”

24 July 2012 0 comments

Coventry‘s new signing Nathan Jones has hit out at Championship clubs’ pay structures, revealing some of his former Nottingham teammates earn no more than minimum […]

Why those gentlemen of league are on the defensive

24 July 2012 0 comments

While rugby league’s national standing has waned as union’s has risen since the introduction of professionalism, its influence on the XV man code remains as […]

Cornish Pirates Aaron Penberthy ready to unleash full range of skills

24 July 2012 1 comment

Cornish Pirates supporters might have thought they had seen Aaron Penberthy’s full range last season, but the 20-year-old fly-half has said they have not seen […]

We’re doing things even better than the Natal Sharks says Bristol head coach Liam Middleton

24 July 2012 0 comments

Bristol head coach Liam Middleton hopes a recent fact-finding mission to South Africa will make the difference as his side targets Championship glory. Middleton spent […]

New Nottingham boss Marting Haag can make the step up says Ian McGeechan

24 July 2012 1 comment

Sir Ian McGeechan has backed Martin Haag to be a big hit in his first head coach role after Nottingham appointed the former England lock […]

England Ben Morgan’s advance no shock to Brad Harrington

24 July 2012 0 comments

Brad Harrington has not been surprised by the impact Ben Morgan has had in an England shirt. Gloucester‘s new No.8 has established himself as a […]

Newcastle Falcons revival will be key for Jon Golding’s England call

24 July 2012 2 comments

A Newcastle pack getting the better of their Wasps counterparts at Adams Park sounds a familiar tale but this scene took place two years ago […]

My Life in Rugby: Jon Pendlebury – former Leeds, Gloucester and Rotherham lock

24 July 2012 1 comment

As a 20-year-old lad who had only been playing rugby for four years, it was a dream come true when I got a contract with […]

Young Guns: Jordan Burns – Harlequins scrum-half

24 July 2012 0 comments

Harlequins‘ stable of wings is so well stocked that the fastest man in their Sevens side, Jordan Burns, is being groomed as a scrum-half in […]

Man Behind the Match: Bill Beaumont and the 1980 Grand Slam

24 July 2012 0 comments

The Sixties and Seventies were dark times for English rugby. While Wales were enjoying a golden era, each turning year across two decades brought unremitting […]

Moment in Time: London Wasps and 2004 Heineken Cup Semi Final

24 July 2012 0 comments

Stunning game. Truly stunning result. Quite simply, this Anglo-Irish showdown in Dublin was one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, Heineken matches of all […]

20 Questions: Neil de Kock – Saracens scrum half

24 July 2012 0 comments

Where have you been this summer? We went to Europcamp Costa Dorada, just south of Barcelona. We have two kids, aged one and three, so […]

Dream Team: Leo Halavatau – London Irish prop

24 July 2012 2 comments

1. Max Lahiff – I think Max will go far. He is probably the strongest player I have ever played with or against and he […]

Room 101: Mike Denbee – London Welsh flanker

24 July 2012 0 comments

1. The Tube The London Transport system is, on a good day, the quickest, cheapest and most convenient way to travel. The problem lies with […]

I’m now tougher and smarter, says returning golden boy Danny Cipriani

20 July 2012 1 comment

Danny Cipriani says the defensive frailties which have blighted his career have been sorted out and that his critics will see a tougher, more mature […]

Newcastle Falcons wanted to swoop on Gavin Henson

20 July 2012 0 comments

Newcastle made a bid to sign Gavin Henson before the RFU reversed their decision barring London Welsh from promotion to the English Premiership. Their offer […]

It’s great to feel up for the England challenge, says Saracens full-back Alex Goode

20 July 2012 1 comment

For a player who always seems so confident, full-back Alex Goode makes the surprising admission that a lack of self-belief had held him back before […]

Ryan Walkinshaw: “I aim to make Gloucester a flagship club in Europe”

20 July 2012 0 comments

Ryan Walkinshaw is a remarkable young man. Thrust into the cut-throat world of global business at the age of 23 following the untimely death of […]

Promising London Wasps back row Sam Jones happy to learn from Haskell

20 July 2012 1 comment

Sam Jones was just a schoolboy apprentice the last time James Haskell was playing in a Wasps shirt – now the England international returns to […]

Diccon Edwards ‘got it wrong’ with Leeds’ youth policy says departing Lee Blackett

20 July 2012 0 comments

Lee Blackett has revealed his anger at the way senior players were jettisoned at Leeds by Diccon Edwards’ youth-based policy. The versatile Blackett has crossed […]

New Bristol signing James Grindal gears up for big time again

20 July 2012 1 comment

James Grindal ended a 13-year consecutive run in the top flight when he swapped Leicester for Bristol this summer, but such is the first impression […]

Bath winger Tom Biggs has still got that blond ambition

20 July 2012 0 comments

Winger Tom Biggs believes his England ambitions will remain on the backburner while Bath are languishing in the lower reaches of the Premiership table. The […]

Man Behind the Match: Stuart Barnes and the 1992 Pilkington Cup final

20 July 2012 0 comments

During the dying embers of amateurism, Twickenham on Cup final day was a very special occasion, and more often than not it was the great […]

Moment in Time: Worcester Warriors and the 2004 Premiership promotion game

20 July 2012 1 comment

It was Boy’s Own stuff. Twelve years earlier, Worcester had been a modest rugby club minding its own business in the backwaters of Midlands Two […]

Room 101: George Chuter – Leicester hooker

20 July 2012 0 comments

1. The Rolling Stones This really pains me. I’m a HUGE Stones fan. But I feel it has to be said that they’ve over-stayed their […]

Dream Team: Chris Cracknell – former Bath and Worcester flanker and England Sevens Star

20 July 2012 0 comments

1. Nathan Catt – Not a household name yet, but he will be. I am certain he will be pulling on an England shirt soon. […]

Young Gun: Nathan Earle – Saracens winger

20 July 2012 1 comment

Every so often you can pinpoint the exact moment when a sporting star is born. For Wayne Rooney it was his goal for Everton against […]

20 Questions: Gareth Steenson – Exeter fly-half

20 July 2012 2 comments

How’s the summer been? I got married to Karen so it’s been a big summer. We went to Orlando and Miami on honeymoon and I […]

My Life in Rugby: Heino Senekal – former Blues, Pirates and Namibia lock

20 July 2012 0 comments

Playing for Namibia in three consecutive World Cups from 1999 to 2007 was without a doubt the biggest achievement of my rugby career. I became […]

Dominic Waldouck: I need a new challenge

10 July 2012 0 comments

Wasps centre Dom Waldouck is leaving to join Northampton Saints. Waldouck, who had a year to run on his contract at Wasps, handed in a […]

Charlie Sharples : “Ducking out on England was my best career move”

10 July 2012 0 comments

Charlie Sharples insists it was a simple decision to miss England‘s summer tour, even if he concedes he admits he has fallen further down the […]

It’s our fairytale and we aim to slay those giants says London Welsh

10 July 2012 0 comments

London Welsh face the toughest possible start to life in the Premiership with opening games against Leicester and champions Harlequins. But Kelvin Bryon, the club’s […]

Stuart Lancaster locates a drop of Southern comfort

10 July 2012 1 comment

Stuart Lancaster insists the ‘‘gap is closing” between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres despite another summer series wipe-out. England, Wales and Ireland failed to win […]

Josh Matavesi magic means attack, attack for Worcester Warriors

10 July 2012 0 comments

After playing alongside Frans Steyn and Juan Martin Hernandez in the Racing Metro midfield, Worcester new boy Josh Matavesi is keen to sprinkle some of […]

Sarecens out to take the JP Morgan’s trophy back says Jackson Wray

10 July 2012 0 comments

One of the many consequences of London Welsh’s elevation into the top flight is that there will be a new champion in the J.P. Morgan […]

Rugby League legend Keith Senior returns to rugby Union 20 years later

10 July 2012 1 comment

Talk to anyone in either code about legendary Rugby League centre Keith Senior and the soundbites are always the same. “Great player for Leeds Rhinos […]

Dean Richards’s tough love will revive Newcastle Falcons says Simon Keogh

10 July 2012 2 comments

Newcastle players had better get ready to roll up their sleeves on the field – and in training – under Dean Richards, according to members […]

Man Behind the Match: Shane Williams and the 2008 Wales win over Australia

10 July 2012 0 comments

In 2008 Wales swept to a second Grand Slam in four seasons under the newly installed coach Warren Gatland – a remarkable achievement. However, the […]