■By BEN JAYCOCK Preview… Perpignan v Lions Today. 1pm LIONS head coach Ivan van Rooyen will be banking on the strength of his squad as […]
Latest Posts
Four-try Lake guides Ospreys safely home
■By ROB COLE Ospreys ……………………….. 43pts Tries: Lake 7, 26, 46, 56; Thomas 17, Morris 76 Conversions: Williams 8, 19, 27, 48; Walsh 77 Penalties: […]
Clermont dominate to see off Edinburgh
By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont……….. 31pts Tries: Moala 25, Newsome 31, 62; Bibi Biziwu 69 Conversions: Belleau 27, 32, 64, 70 Penalties: Belleau 38 Edinburgh……… 18pts […]
The Viking will put steel back into Bath
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE Viking – a.k.a. RG Snyman – is expected to arrive in Bath this summer, and given […]
Sorry to see European Champions Cup lose its shine
The quality of rugby union’s competitions is crucial to its future as a professional sport. However, what we are witnessing is gold standard club/provincial competitions […]
£750,000 payoff for Jones just staggering
We have now discovered that Eddie Jones was almost certainly paid the equivalent of a full year’s £750,000 salary in a severance package negotiated with […]
Lloyd blow a problem for Scarlets and Gatland
■By ANDY HOWELL Castres …………. 34pts Tries: Raisuqe 5, Fernandez 32, Papali’i 38, Dumora 43, Le Brun 66 Conversions: Le Brun 5, 43, 66 Scarlets […]
Barton is on target to rescue Gloucester
■By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Black Lion ………. 10pts Try: Matkava 20 Conversion: Matkava 21 Gloucester ……… 15pts Penalty: Matkava 68 Penalties: Barton 11, 17, 28, 48, […]
Newcastle are hoping for a cold front in basement battle
By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Newcastle v Montpellier Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Kingston Park IT will be a case of bottoms up at Kingston Park today when […]
Pau no match for powerful Sharks
By SAM JACKSON Sharks ……….. 45 Pau ………………… 5 LUKHANYO Am and Eben Etzebeth scored two tries apiece as the Sharks launched their maiden Challenge […]
Perfect Pienaar downs Zebre
By BEN JAYCOCK Zebre ……………15 Cheetahs …….33 CHEETAHS scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar was perfect off the tee as the South African invitational side secured a routine […]
Dyer at the double to seal victory for Dragons
By SIMON THOMAS Dragons………… 24pts Tries: Hewitt 43, Davies 74, Dyer 77, 80 Conversions: Reed 44, 80 Oyonnax………….. 7pts Tries: Treilles 22 Conversions: Soulan 23 […]
Rocketing ticket prices proving tough on fans
Assistant Editor Ben Jaycock surveys the top two divisions to find out which clubs charge the most – and where you could find a bargain […]
Minnows can make splash of a whale
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED ACCORDING to Donald J Trump – you may have heard of him – “losers” are the lowest of the low, “suckers” […]
We need outcome that we can trust
It has been heading our way for many months, but now it seems horribly real. The concussion lawsuit laid against three governing bodies – World […]
We need the game to be more exciting
Former RFU President Bob Reeves on how to solve rugby’s problems WHAT game do we want? If we asked, ‘what game do we need?’, we […]
Toxic social media
SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: [email protected] THE recent decision by Owen Farrell to remove […]
Too close for comfort
I AM sure that we are all concerned at this season’s falling attendances at Premiership matches but there is a measure of “shooting ourselves in […]
Coach to Coach with Paul Morris
Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill talks to Cinderford director of rugby Paul Morris Steve Hill: How and why did you get into coaching […]
A team stuffed full of captains
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER I was having one final lingering look at that 2003 England reunion […]
I can’t see how a single action can cover it all
Lawyers and the legal system move in mysterious ways but as a layman it’s difficult to understand how the law firm Rylands Garth hopes to […]
Too many are being pushed to the edge
Paul Rees says it’s time to ensure players spend less time in the gym and more with the ball in their hands Max Malins […]
Race for the top is going to be close
The Premiership is taking a short rest after eight rounds and by Christmas will have reached the halfway stage. It is a consequence of a […]
It’s time for Lions to hunt change
By JOE SANTAMARIA Crunch: Jonny Wilkinson weathered the storm to kick three late points to earn the Lions a draw against Argentina in Cardiff in […]
Varndell: We need to help players to handle this abuse
By NICK POWELL FORMER Premiership top try-scorer Tom Varndell wants better training around coping with social media abuse for players in the professional game following […]
No room at the top for Welsh regions
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AS Anglo-Welsh duels of the blood-and-guts variety go, one springs foremost to mind: a humdinger of a […]
Only right that the Lions play in Ireland
The Lions used to go out of their way to make friends in little towns not much bigger than villages. Now that they have to […]
Red Roses: Ella Wyrwas
SARACENS SCRUM-HALF Birthplace: Enfield Date of Birth: 07/03/99 Community Club: Saracens Minis Red Roses Debut: 2023 vs Scotland Caps: 6 Why I Play Rugby: I […]
Varley gets Bears back in winners’ enclosure
By JAMES GALLAGHER Loughborough L ……….. 17pts Tries: Morrall 11, Treder 51, Williams-Morris 76 Conversion: Rowland 12 Bristol Bears ………….. 46pts Tries: Wills 2, Varley […]
Doidge on fire as lively Exeter prove too strong for Harlequins
By EDDIE MCATEER Harlequins………….27pts Tries: Robinson 41, Sims 66, Cromack 73 Conversions: Tuima 42, 67, 74 Penalties: Tuima 16, 28 Exeter Chiefs…….52pts Tries: Tuttosi 12, […]
Crake leads from front as Trailfinders win at last
By BEN CONEYBEARE Trailfinders ….36pts Tries: Crake 3, 30; Haflin 9, Barwick 36, Dow 57, Zackary 73 Conversions: Green 4, 37, 80 Leicester T……..7pts Tries: […]
Mann happy he made the switch from football
By SIMON THOMAS Football’s loss is proving to be rugby’s gain in the case of URC top tackler Alex Mann. He spent three years on […]
A walk in the Park as Benji inspires visitors
By GRAHAM COX Blackheath ……. 0 Rosslyn Park..15 THREE unconverted tries for Rosslyn Park gave them a comfortable win in a match they controlled from […]
Warboys claims it in dramatic style
By JOHN VAUGHAN Chinnor………………..27 Birmingham M……24 CHINNOR snatched a dramatic win deep into injury time when George Worboys kept his cool to slot over a […]
Hosts celebrate a ‘must-win’ victory
By NIGEL WILCE Cinderford…………..40 Taunton Titans …. 31 CINDERFORD boosted their season with a thrilling win over Taunton in a must-win game for both sides. […]
Late Hayman try seals fine success for Rams
By TIMOTHY FORRESTER Richmond ………40pts Tries: Jones 1, 48, Spring 17, Mpiko 58, Hitchcock 71, Kaye 77 Conversions: Burrage 18, 49, 59, 72, 78 Rams […]
Yates leads the way as Park take maximum points
By TOM BULMER Darlington MP…….29 Leicester Lions …… 3 DARLINGTON Mowden Park returned to winning ways with a dominant display against Leicester Lions. Garry Law’s […]
Mead is in at the double for hosts
By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A………….22 Sedgley Park……….. 3 ALBION made it six from six at home this season with a hardearned win over a resolute […]
FC weather storm to earn vital victory
By GARETH DANIELS Sale FC………………….. 8 Bishop’s S……………… 7 SALE secured the narrowest of victories in the tightest of contests. The most notable moment of […]
Is promotion to Championship far too big a gamble to take?
By BEN JAYCOCK Blackheath have aspirations to go as far as they can in the rugby pyramid, but head coach James Shanahan questions why any […]
Super Steelers get off to strongest of starts
JAPAN RUGBY By BEN JAYCOCK ALL Blacks Brodie Retallick and Ardie Savea each scored two tries to power the Kobe Steelers to an 80-15 thrashing […]
Harrison helps the in-form Dalesmen
By ANDREW SMITH Huddersfield………. 12 Wharfedale…………26 A LATE try from Rian Harrison secured a bonus-point win on the road for in-form Wharfedale. The Dalesmen dominated […]
Ionians undone by late Otley scores
By MALCOLM KNOWLES Hull Ionians…………34 Otley……………………..39 WHEN Hull Ionians scored after 65 minutes through Ben Stephen and scored again three minutes later through Josh Britton […]
Fisher to the fore as hosts fall short
By RICHARD GORE Hull…………………. 10pts Sheffield…………33pts HULL found a welldrilled Sheffield side too much for them to handle in an entertaining game where the hosts […]
Foreman holds his nerve to earn home side draw
By MIKE BROWN Billingham…………..25 Lymm……………………25 Deadeye: Ryan Foreman BOTH sides walked away with two deserved points in what was a great game for the neutral. […]
Titans prove too good for Hoppers
By BEN PITKEATHLY Preston G………… 7 Rotherham T.. 34 THERE was to be no early Christmas present for Preston Grasshoppers as their wait for a […]
Terrier-like Tykes are back to showing Yorkshire grit
By MATTHEW LUDDINGTON When Peter Seabourne took on the role of Leeds Tykes director of rugby last summer, the club had been through a tumultuous […]
Try-star Ferguson fires up superb students
By FREYA COLLINGTON Exeter Uni………29 Clifton…………… 24 EXETER University eventually came out on top in a tight encounter against Clifton at Rubber Crumb. Clifton gained […]
Rampant Walsh turns on the style
By JAMES GALLAGHER Loughborough S….50 Chester…………………26 LOUGHBOROUGH Students produced some free-flowing rugby to come out on top in a high-scoring thriller against Chester. The game […]
Old Reds triumph in 11-try classic
By JACK TAYLOR Old Redcliffians …45 Dudley K ………………29 IN terms of value for money, there was no better place to be than Scotland Lane […]
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