By Tom Jeffreys Newcastle………………………………….14 Tries: Stephens 75 Penalties: Connon 10, 26, 59 Northampton Saints……………………16 Tries: Langdon 53 Conversions: Smith 54 Penalties: Smith 15, 38, 64 […]
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Top of the world
Springboks take fourth title after epic showdown From ADAM HATHAWAY Siya Kolisi and his Springboks joined the rugby immortals as they landed back-to-back World Cups […]
George urges RFU to listen to old boys
By ADAM HATHAWAY Jamie George has urged the RFU to listen to England’s seasoned internationals before rubber-stamping proposals over new playing contracts. Twickenham chiefs have […]
Roberts given new role on WRU Board
By ROB COLE Jamie Roberts has been selected for a new role in Welsh rugby after being appointed as one of three Independent Non-Executive Directors […]
Randall’s out to get the world at his feet
By PAUL REES When Harry Randall was released from the England squad in the summer, the scrum-half was told he needed to work on his […]
Spencer’s aiming to follow in Dupont’s footsteps
By TOM BRADSHAW Bath captain Ben Spencer is taking a leaf out of the book of French maestro Antoine Dupont as he chases more England […]
Majestic Boks win in battle of Paris
By NICK CAIN New Zealand……………….. 11pts Tries: B Barrett 57 Penalties: Mo’unga 16, 37 South Africa …………………12pts Penalties: Pollard 2, 12, 18, 33 SOUTH Africa […]
Brilliant Boks are worthy champions
BRENDAN GALLAGHER So they have only gone and done it! South Africa have become the first team to win four World Cups which is pretty […]
Bronze beauties: Dan and Earl steer England to third in the end
By NICK CAIN England ……………………….. 26pts Tries: Earl 7, Dan 44 Conversions: Farrell 9, 45 Penalties: Farrell 3, 13, 30, 65 Argentina ……………………. 23pts Tries: […]
Borthwick quick to look to the future
From ADAM HATHAWAY Steve Borthwick finished his first World Cup campaign as England head coach and immediately put his business head back on after the […]
Kamikaze Kids in unison once again
BRENDAN GALLAGHER OK, it wasn’t a cracker but nor was this play-off game a dud. In a tournament marked by a handful of games for […]
Borthwick needs to rebuild England pack
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK IT was a well executed England game-plan against South Africa in the semi-final, but the other side of […]
Borthwick has tough decisions to make
PAUL REES FOURTH in the Six Nations, third in the World Cup. Redemption rather than progress for England given the pool they were in and […]
French missing out at the chapel
FRENCH fans have had plenty of reasons to pray during this tournament. First Antoine Dupont got injured and had to be rushed back for the […]
Love match in Paris
THE main media centre in Paris is located at Roland Garos the mecca of French tennis and home of the French Open. In the press […]
It’s been a hell of a ride, Ben
WORLD CUP DIARY By Adam Hathaway Happy times: England’s Ben Youngs, left, and Ellis Genge with their bronze medals after the bronze match PICTURES: Getty […]
It’s raining beer! But we made it…
THE Rugby Paper nearly did not have a front-page quotes piece from last Saturday’s semi-final between England and South Africa. A minute before the game, […]
Old boys keen to share memories
THE All Blacks have been tapping into the experience of their old boys with Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, right, and Conrad Smith, World Cup winners […]
Schmidt is happy to stay in background
JOE Schmidt, the former Ireland coach now with New Zealand, has kept such a low profile in this tournament the only way you would know […]
Horses for courses as All Blacks name team
NEW Zealand were based in a plush hotel, The Paris Country Club, in Saint-Cloud ahead of the final, bang on the famous racecourse which is […]
Time for the boss to share a drink
JAMIE George revealed Steve Borthwick would change the habit of a lifetime on Friday night and have a beer with the lads at the end […]
Questionable energy
A FRENCH utility company were doing the rounds amongst fans on Friday night at the third-placed play-off between England and Argentina at Stade de France. Representatives […]
Some more bad timing
LAST Thursday, South Africa were announcing their team for yesterday’s final and the 7/1 bench split, no second scrum-half in the 23, but coverage of […]
Aki on the shortlist
IRELAND centre Bundee Aki, right, is on the four-man shortlist for the World Rugby men’s player of the year award. France captain Antoine Dupont is […]
Isiekwe agrees to stay at Saracens
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England lock Nick Isiekwe is the latest player to agree to a new deal to remain with Premiership champions […]
Andrew pads up at ECB
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former England fly-half Rob Andrew is taking on a major role in English cricket after being appointed as the […]
Hatley’s Aussie days look over
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former England and Bath scrum coach Neal Hatley, below, faces an uncertain future with Rugby Australia set for a […]
Toulon have prop Sinckler in their sights
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Toulon have launched a double raid on Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad to lure Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam […]
Sale let league boys in
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Sale Sharks answered an emergency cry for help from England’s rugby league team preparing for their second Test match […]
Campbell training with Fury
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Glasgow Warriors and Jersey Reds lock Nick Campbell, the current Scottish heavyweight boxing champion, has been in a […]
Dickens in jeopardy
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEILFISSLER LEICESTER are reportedly looking for a new backs and attack coach despite only appointing Alan Dickens to the role at […]
England will struggle to replace Marler and Cole
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Here is a prediction. England will not win another World Cup, or Six Nations Grand Slam, or […]
Why wait until 2030? Get this contest going now
The closed-shop in international rugby union was reinforced this week after the second coming of the Nations Championship was announced by World Rugby in Paris, […]
True leaders stay calm
WHEN are the authorities and referees going to stop the increasing dissent by players in games. The latest example was Owen Farrell in the England […]
Farrell’s time is done
I WISH to take issue with Ben Jaycock’s assessment of Owen Farrell as 9/10 last Saturday. His kicking from hand was poor apart from his […]
SA quality counted
I FEEL that all England supporters need to pause, assess, and put things into perspective. Styles and factors make games, and there was much about […]
I think Smith could be England’s Faf de Klerk
THEY say: ‘hindsight is a wonderful thing’… If only we could go back and NOT change the front row against South Africa. I’ve been critical […]
Don’t panic, Sarries
WITH regards to Nick Cain’s article last week, about Saracens’ poor start to the season, without wishing to sound like too much of a pedant, […]
No problem with draw
I DO wish that rugby correspondents would stop whining about the current World Cup draw! Yes, it was unbalanced so why oh why couldn’t it […]
Koch clearly coming in at wrong angle
Out of line: the England/South Africa final scrum I HAVE attached the aerial shot of the last scrum in the SA v England semi-final. In […]
Dream Team with Lewis Moody
The RWC 2003-winning England flanker and former Bath and Leicester player chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. Julian White – […]
Village teams which gave stars their start
SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND WHEN the Principality Stadium crowd rises to salute Leigh Halfpenny as he makes his final appearance on the international […]
Shillcock keeps his cool to snatch win
By BEN JAYCOCK Bath ……………………………… 24pts Tries: Muir 14, Du Toit 54 Conversions: Russell 55 Penalties: Russell 37, 48, 71, 78 Leicester …………………….. 25pts Tries: […]
McKellar: We were excellent from start
Leicester head coach Dan McKellar was delighted with his team’s performance as they beat Bath late on. He said: “We were excellent from minute one. […]
Evans on target to cut down Bristol
By ROGER PANTING Bristol ……………………………21pts Tries: Vakatawa 36, Thacker 48 Conversions: Sheedy 49 Penalties: Sheedy 25, 29, 62 Harlequins ………………….. 23pts Tries: Hammond 21, 44 […]
Lam: We made far too many mistakes
Bristol’s Director of Rugby Pat Lam believed this his side were their own worst enemies as they went down to Harlequins. “We were quite quickly […]
Baxter’s Exeter 2.0 beginning to flourish
By MARK STEVENS Exeter ………………………….. 43pts Tries: Fisilau 2, Frost 18, Iosefa-Scott 37, Feyi-Waboso 39, Armstrong 71, Penalty 80 Conversions: Slade 4, 19, 40, 72 […]
We just weren’t at the races, admits Sanderson
Sale DoR Alex Sanderson admitted his side were ‘not at the races’ as they tasted defeat for the first time in the Gallagher Premiership this […]
Saracens get their act together at last
By LUKE JARMYN Gloucester …………………….. 3pts Penalties: Barton 5 Saracens …………………….. 24pts Tries: Willis 24, 49, Lewington 28 Conversions: Lozowski 25, 29, 50 Penalties: Lozowski […]
Skivington: Defeat was an anomaly
Gloucester boss George Skivington labelled the West Country side’s heavy defeat to Saracens “an anomaly” after it brought their seven game winning run to an […]
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