What’s in The Rugby Paper this Sunday: 12/11/23
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Marcus Smith of Harlequins gets away from Jasper Wiese of Leicester Tigers during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Leicester Tigers and Harlequins at Welford Road on May 15, 2021 in Leicester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
There’s another big weekend of domestic rugby action to look forward to in The Rugby Paper this Sunday, with 2021 Premiership champions Harlequins heading to 2022 winners Leicester for a crunch match alongside plenty of other exciting fixtures.
But it is 2023 champions Saracens that Lawrence Dallaglio says are still the blueprint for any professional side and that they are red hot favourites to secure back-to-back titles.
They’ll also be hoping to regain their crown in the Premiership Women’s Rugby after it was snatched away by Gloucester-Hartpury last season, and we’ll have an in-depth preview alongside exclusive interviews with Saracens’ May Campbell and Cherry and Whites head coach Sean Lynn.
Gloucester’s men kick off the Premiership action this weekend with a match against West Country rivals Bath tonight, before Bristol take on Sale and Leicester host Quins on Saturday, and alongside reports on those three matches we’ll be previewing Saracens’ trip to Newcastle and Northampton Saints vs Exeter Chiefs on Sunday.
We’ll continue to keep up with the United Rugby Championship, as Connacht look to remain unbeaten at Edinburgh before we look ahead to Dragons match against Leinster with the Newport side seeking their first win, and in the English Championship we’ll be across Bedford vs Hartpury as well as all the action from National Leagues One, Two North, Two East, and Two West.
Back on the international scene, Ben Kay says Steve Borthwick will carry on using the “South Africa blueprint” to ensure England can repeat their impressive World Cup in Australia in four years time, while Wallabies legend David Campese criticises such an approach as he calls out the lack of instinctive flair in rugby union and sees it as a carbon copy of what rugby league used to be.
Finally, don’t forget to check out some of our features, which this week include – alongside our columnists – Bristol Bears’ Louis Treveritt as our Young Gun, ex-Northampton and Saracens back rower Calum Clark talking about his life in the game in My Life in Rugby, and ex-Scotland and Edinburgh prop Allen Jacobsen picking the best players he played with or against in Dream Team.
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