OWEN Farrell said Saracens remained on course for another Twickenham final because of their ability to adapt their gameplan. A close victory at Bath was […]
Latest Posts
Dominant Chiefs set up shot at the semis
By MARK STEVENS Exeter Chiefs ……………… 58pts Tries: Slade 20, Feyi-Waboso 33, 65, John 40, Skinner 43, 71, Jenkins 77 Conversions: Slade 21, 33, 40, […]
Baxter: We must recharge quickly
EXETER DoR Rob Baxter says his team will have to recharge quickly in their quest to reach the top four with their remaining fixture away […]
Superior Saints go on 14-try rampage
By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton………………..90pts Tries: Furbank 1, Dingwall 12, Sleightholme 21, 56, 66; Langdon 27, 35; Mitchell 39, Waller 47, Matavesi 50, 78; Iyogun 53, […]
We had a job to do and we went out and did it, says Dowson
NORTHAMPTON director of rugby Phil Dowson felt sympathy for Gloucester after their 14-try drubbing but said his side had a job to do to secure […]
Russell masterclass has Bath in top gear
By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle……………………. 17pts Tries: Blamire 30, 40+2, Stuart 63 Conversions: Connon 64 Bath ……………………………… 28pts Tries: du Toit 4, Spencer 13, Cokanasiga 27, […]
Diamond calls for 80-minute showing
NEWCASTLE boss Steve Diamond told his players and staff “to stop feeling sorry for themselves” after Falcons’ suffered a 20th league defeat on the spin. […]
James at his best as Sale keep in the race
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sale ……………………………….31pts Tries: Warr 8, Taylor 13, James 34, O’Flaherty 43 Conversions: Ford 9, 14, 35, 44 Penalties: Ford 57 Leicester …………………….. […]
‘I’m going to stick with this motley lot’
ON an evening of final home appearances for some big names, Sale coach Alex Sanderson announced live to the home crowd after the game that […]
Time to put an end to marquee players
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK ARE marquee players, or coaches, worth it, or are they just a Premiership owners’ vanity project? Judging […]
Mistake to reduce value of the scrum
The danger World Rugby’s high-handed law-makers face with their insistence on trying to marginalise the scrum is that it could easily lead to non-compliance, and […]
Calling MPs will add to pressure
The decision of Championship clubs to contact their local MPs to ask for Government to mediate in its gridlocked negotiations with the RFU/Premiership, is putting […]
Glasgow gunning for top two spot
By BRYN PALMER Bulls …………….40 Glasgow……… 34 GLASGOW salvaged two bonus points from a stirring last-quarter comeback to maintain their hopes of a top-two finish. […]
We blew our chances to win, admits Thomas
By SIMON THOMAS Lions…………….. 34pts Tries: Venter 7, Q Horn 18, Tshituka 73, 79 Conversion: Nohamba 8, 19, Lombard 74, 80 Penalties: Nohamba 30, 43 […]
Flanagan can’t believe it as Dragons fall away
By ROGER PANTING Dragons………….21pts Tries: Keddie 14, Wainwright 59 Conversions: O’Brien 59 Penalties: Reed 7, 26, 49 Stormers………. 44pts Tries: Davids 34, 66, Roos 73, […]
Munster make it seven in a row
Munster ……… 47 Connacht……… 12 By JOHN WILKINS MUNSTER made it seven wins on the spin with a seven-try victory over Connacht with seven different […]
Leinster get in the mood for a double triumph
Leinster ……….. 61 Ospreys…………14 By SAM JACKSON JORDAN Larmour scored a hat-trick as Leinster showcased their credentials of a possible Champions Cup and URC double […]
Everitt set for Irish crunch
Edinburgh …….40 Zebre……………..14 By BRYN PALMER EDINBURGH head coach Sean Everitt believes another five points will seal a URC play-off place as his side warmed […]
Northampton swoop to sign England U20s fly-half
By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton have signed England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt. Having endured the hardship of London Irish folding, the tyro playmaker showed grit and […]
Tbilisi win was key – Skivington
By JON NEWCOMBE George Skivington has credited the European Challenge Cup win against Black Lion in Tbilisi as the moment Gloucester turned their season around. […]
Davies, 36, open to offers
Wales centre Jonathan Davies is leaving Scarlets at the end of the season and hopes for one final opportunity with another club before retirement. Davies, […]
Devoto calls it quits at Exeter
EXETER centre Ollie Devoto will leave the club at the end of the season. The 30-yearold has scored 21 tries in 127 appearances during an […]
Rugby’s holy trinity prove the difference
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED SINCE time immemorial, rugby has been cloaked in its own cliches: Prince Obolensky was always “dashing”; Colin Meads lived his life […]
Mo’unga likely to be back in black
SO he hasn’t gone for good, after all. Not quite. If the All Blacks have their way, as they invariably do in these circumstances, Richie […]
Power of the four musketeers
A common theme of last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals was the influence of the four scrum-halves, the catalysts of teams that look to get the […]
Mine was very much the road less travelled
My Life in Rugby – Mike Ross, the former Ireland, Harlequins and Leinster prop talks about his life in the game I started playing rugby […]
Davies the leading light in Welsh quartet
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Four international fly-halves took flight from Wales last year, understandably so given the alternative of staying put […]
When Goodall was the bigger man
Ken Goodall shall forever be remembered as one of Ireland‘s greatest back row forwards, a humble man with a freakish talent ever willing to bust […]
Morgan has final say to make sure for Hartpury
By BEN WHITE Ampthill …………36pts Tries: Elliott 3, 27; Bracken 24, Jackson 32, 59 Conversions: Parks 4, 25, 28, 33 Penalty: Parks 52 Hartpury……….. 44pts […]
Coventry denied by powerful Pirates
By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates ………… 22pts Tries: Hocking 69, Johnson 79 Coventry ……………………..12pts Penalties: Tries: Houston 15, 18, 22, 51 Martin 5, Trinder 32 […]
Doncaster win the battle but Ealing take the title
By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster……… 20pts Tries: Fox 25, Margetts 59 Conversions: Bennett 25, 59 Penalties: Bennett 40, 68 Ealing T …………. 12pts Tries: Cornish 9, […]
Barker steps up to snatch it for Caldy at the death
■By JOHN LYON Caldy ……………… 31pts Tries: Royle 9, 23; Gerrard 19, Booth 75 Conversions: Kilcourse 10, 20, 24; Barker 76 Penalties: Barker 80 Cambridge […]
Blues take the honours to land top four finish
By MO SHER L Scottish ……… 31pts Tries: Nutton 3, Ferdinand 14, Musk 40, Osborne 48, Ingall 79 Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 4, 15, Law 80 Bedford […]
Brown glad to celebrate her century in fine style
By TOM JEFFREYS Harlequins …… 47pts Tries: Layzell 9, Brown 12, Powell 30, Cromack 42, Lochner 70, Mayhew 75, Hele 80 Conversions: Cromack 10, 13, […]
Harrison leads from front to seal it for Saracens
By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens ………. 54pts Tries: Breach 2, 6; Bridger 11, Campbell 14, Gondwe 38, Rose 64, Gregson 78, Evans 80 Conversions: Harrison 3, […]
Chiefs dominate from the off to keep Trailfinders quiet
By TOM JOHNSON Trailfinders ….. 10pts Tries: Dow 79, 80 Exeter …………….40pts Tries: Moloney 11, 57; Allen 17, Wilkins 45, Sinclair 48, Orchard 71 Conversions: […]
Heath are crowned thanks to first-try rule
by Josh Thomas Regional 1 Championship final Heath …………….35 Barnstaple….. 35 HEATH’S late heroics secured the Regional 1 Championship despite sharing a draw with Barnstaple […]
Longlevens defy battling Widnes
Counties 1 Championship final Longlevens ….25 Widness……….19 LONGLEVENS held off a fierce second half fightback to win the Counties 1 Championship. The Griffins were 20-7 […]
Brunel push Old Ruts all the way
Counties 2 Championship final Brunel Uni ……. 31 Old Ruts………. 43 OLD Rutlishians claimed the Counties 2 Championship but were pushed all the way by […]
Southend go out on a high
Regional 2 Championship final Northampton Old Scouts …26 Southend Saxons …35 SOUTHEND showed true grit to twice come from behind and claim the Regional 2 […]
Blues hold on in battle at the top
Super Rugby Pacific round-up By BEN JAYCOCK Bluse held on with their backs to their try line as they edged past the Hurricanes 31-27 to […]
Imbalance of northern sides may push up travel costs
By BEN JAYCOCK DESPITE his side being shifted back to National Two North, Chester fourth official Martin Buck said it doesn’t solve the bigger problem […]
50 years ago, the Lions start to sweat
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER At the start of the year, this column promised to dip into […]
GB face Monaco battle for Olympic decider
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER ANY rugby tourist, or indeed anybody who finds themselves in striking distance of Monaco, should consider looking in on the Olympic […]
Titans time their run to perfection and finish with the lion’s share
Following Rotherham’s late run to secure the National Two North title, Ben Jaycock canvassed the views of our reporters to select The Rugby Paper’s Team […]
Essex facing tough start to county champs
By BEN JAYCOCK At the end of last season, Essex were promoted to Division 2 but faced a daunting start to this season’s Bill Beaumont […]
Repaying loyalty is absolutely paramount
Steve Hill puts the questions to Tom Huggins, head coach at Dudley Kingswinford RFC Why did you get into coaching rugby and how did you […]
Kildunne and Jones join GB Sevens
Red Roses Grand Slam stars Ellie Kildunne and Meg Jones will join Great Britain Sevens women’s squad in preparation for the SVNS Grand Final and […]
Oxfordshire in charge
By NATHAN EDWARDS Division 2 round-up IT was the opening weekend of the Bill Beaumont Cup and the return of county rugby, all competing for […]
Yarrow sparks Durham
Division 3 round-up By MO SHER DURHAM opened up their campaign at Billingham with a hard-fought 43-34 win against Notts, Lincs and Derbys. The win […]
Rugby Union News 24/7
Recent Posts
Ilona Maher: Rugby union needs culture shift to create stars and grow the game
15 January 2025Simon Easterby welcomes return of Leinster quartet for Ireland’s Six Nations title defence
15 January 2025Philippe Saint-Andre challenges Sale Sharks to win something
12 January 2025Handre Pollard: Argentina will test Steve Borthwick’s England
12 January 2025Newcastle Falcons to open player contract talks despite relegation worry
12 January 2025
The best betting sites
