Bristol boss Pat Lam says his side are targeting four more wins to finish the season after victory at Gloucester. “It was a huge effort […]
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McCall: We didn’t work hard enough
Saracens boss Mark McCall questioned the work-rate of some of his players after their fitful display at Northampton, admitting it was not something he often […]
Sharp Smith gives Saints extra edge
■By ROB WILDMAN Northampton Saints……41pts Tries: Coles 5, Ramm 12, 46, Freeman 61, Sleightholme 68 Conversions: Smith 5, 12, 46, 62, 69 Penalties: Smith 17, […]
Leicester survive a Newcastle fright night
By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle……………………. 13pts Tries: Redshaw 17 Conversions: Connon 18 Penalties: Connon 2, 63 Leicester ……………………… 19pts Tries: van Poortvliet 4, Montoya 32, Hassell-Collins […]
‘We don’t want to be plucky losers’
Newcastle boss Steve Diamond was frustrated his side failed to capitalise on Tigers’ ill-discipline to end their losing run. Diamond said: “We don’t want to […]
O’Flaherty: We need to learn from our inquest
■By JON NEWCOMBE Sale Sharks vExeter Chiefs PREVIEW… Today. Kick-off 3pm, Salford Community Stadium SALE’S players had good old northern, say it how it is, […]
We’ve got to make sure we play the game our way – Baxter
EXETER boss Rob Baxter has made seven changes to the starting XV following last weekend’s bonus point win over Newcastle. International quartet Henry Slade, Immanuel […]
Time for club owners to come clean on plans
NICK CAIN – READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK SEETHING financial undercurrents are undermining the main pillars of the game in England, with the professional […]
This was a cracker but still too many blowouts
The Premiership run-in produced a highly competitive cracker of a match at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday, with Northampton securing a 41-30 victory over Saracens to […]
Sanzaar miss chance to inject new blood
The 2024 Six Nations has been lauded in the southern hemisphere for its sensational quality and entertainment – which has not always been the case. […]
Monaghan returns to lead Ireland
By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Ireland v Italy Today. Kick-off 3pm SECOND row Sam Monaghan returns from injury to captain Ireland as one of four changes […]
France made to work hard to break down courageous Scotland
By BEN JAYCOCK Scotland …………. 5pts Tries: Martin 34 France……………. 15pts Tries: Arbey 52, Gros 80 Conversions: Queyrol 80 Penalties: Queyrol 13 France laboured their […]
Kildunne has too much for Italians
■By SAM JACKSON Italy………………… 0 England ……….. 48 ENGLAND secured a bonus-point win over Italy in Parma last Sunday despite having No.8 Sarah Beckett sent […]
Red Roses: Saracens second row Rosie Galligan
By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Finchley, North London Date of birth: 30/04/98 Community club: Aylesford Bulls RFC Red Roses debut: vs Ireland February 2019 Caps: 15 […]
Red menace? Don’t get sent off in first place
A STRONG contender for the 2024 Quote of the Year award should be The Rugby Paper columnist Chris Hewett for his witty verdict on the […]
Yorkshire rugby has been shafted
YORKSHIRE rugby won the 1987 County Championship with England inter nationals such as Peter Winterbotom, Rob Andrew and Rory Underwood. Yet Premiership ring fencing means […]
Schreuder happy to be Spencer’s back-up
By PAUL REES Louis Schreuder wasn’t the only South African scrum-half smiling when it was announced at the end of February that he would be […]
Craig enjoying new lease of life at Scarlets
By SIMON THOMAS Alex Craig is an “old school” rugby player enjoying a new lease of life. The second row’s move to the Scarlets has […]
Let’s hope the Lions can find their roar
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED IN THE unlikely event that anyone out there is still searching for something nice to say about the British and Irish […]
Take TMOs seriously? That’s up to you…
IT was a close-run thing, but on the balance of predicatability, the TMO system just sneaked home ahead of Owen Farrell’s behavioural tendencies in last […]
Cardiff fall just short as Crowley hits winner
■By JOHN FALLON Munster ………… 20pts Tries: Beirne 48, Crowley 64 Conversions: Crowley 49, 65 Penalties: Crowley 38, 75 Cardiff …………… 15pts Tries: Thomas 55, […]
Morris finds his form to help Ospreys see off Lions
■By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys …………36pts Tries: Botha 5, Parry 17, Morris 49, Lloyd 58, K Williams 80 Conversions: O Williams 18, 50, 59, Walsh 80 […]
Rowe’s the destroyer as Glasgow take charge
■By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ………………………….3pts Penalties: Lloyd 16 Glasgow……………………….. 45pts Tries: Rowe 6, 69, 80; Hiddleston 25, Cummings 41, Penalty 54, Matthews 64 Conversions: Weir […]
Dragons come good in basement battle
By ROGER PANTING Scarlets on his 100th apchief beneficiary Dragons…………. 20pts Tries: Owen 17, Rosser 23, Dee 42 Conversions: Evans 42 Zebre……………… 13pts Penalties: Evans […]
Stormers …… 13 Ulster ………….. 7
A LATE Evan Roos try helped Stormers seal a hard-fought win over Ulster. Nick Timoney’s converted score gave Ulster a 7-0 half-time lead but the […]
Sharks ……….23 Edinbrugh …. 13
EDINBURGH suffered back-to-back defeats in South Africa as the Sharks – who had begun the day bottom of the table with two wins from 12 […]
Big guns fire for Leinster
Leinster ………. 47 Bulls …………….. 14 By JOHN FALLON LEINSTER brought most of their big guns back for this one and head coach Leo Cullen […]
Benetton snatch it in final play of game
Benetton ……… 18 Connacht ……..14 By KEVIN FALLON BENETTON captain Eli Snyman said this is a huge win for the Treviso side as they struck […]
The scrum is fighting to stay in the game
Paul Rees wonders whether some of World Rugby’s law tweaks will mean the end of the scrum as we know it A BANE or a […]
Japan rugby full of talent, warns Savea
By BEN JAYCOCK Ardie Savea has issued a warning to England not to underestimate Japan in the two sides’ first ever meeting in Tokyo this […]
Ulster’s new boss
FORMER health trust chief Hugh McCaughey will take over from Jonny Petrie as temporary Ulster CEO. Petrie left the province by mutual consent last week. […]
Matson to move on from Stoop
FORMER Harlequins senior coach Tabai Matson will leave the Premiership club at the end of the season. The 50-year-old coached the Premiership side from 2021 […]
Gatland’s left with mountain to climb
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AN alternative Wales squad, one untainted by the Six Nations whitewash, is to be found scattered across […]
Wales can’t afford four
The Scarlets’ proud proclamation welcoming fans to ‘Heart and Soul Rugby Country’ looks even more threadbare this weekend. A loss of almost £3m last season […]
Ulster have little to offer
Shortly after Dan McFarland’s abrupt exit as Ulster’s head coach, chief executive Jonny Petrie dismissed any questions over his future at Ravenhill. “I’m committed to […]
Care takes long road
Danny Care’s Test career spanned a longer period than every other scrum-half centurion; George Gregan (139 for Australia), Ben Youngs (129 for England), Aaron Smith […]
‘I’m playing again after near death experience’
By JON NEWCOMBE Henley Hawks forward Morgan Macrae has fulfilled his goal of playing again just seven months after nearly dying from a cardiac arrest. […]
Brothers decide to call time at Saints
NORTHAMPTON prop Alex Waller and his brother Ethan will retire at the end of the season. Alex, 34, said on Tuesday he would hang up […]
Ampthill overcome 14-point deficit to beat Ealing
Championship ■ By BEN WHITE AMPTHILL secured their second straight Championship home win, spectacularly coming back from a 14-point deficit at halftime to defeat league […]
Ionians face tough battle to avoid the drop
By TOM JEFFREYS Hull Ionians have three games left to make up a five point deficit and extend their 22-year stay in the National Leagues. […]
Riley’s delight as Tigers retain spot
By BEN JAYCOCK Last season’s National Two North winners Sedgley Park Tigers have held their own in the third tier and last Saturday retained their […]
Impressive students on track for top four finish
By BEN JAYCOCK Gareth Elliott has led Exeter University to an impressive campaign in National Two West as the student side look set for a […]
Putting 50 points on the Aussies was a highlight
My Life in Rugby with Ruaridh Jackson – The former Scotland, Glasgow, Wasps and Harlequins fly-half talks about his career in the game IT was […]
What’s in The Rugby Paper: 31/03/24
Time is running out for the RFU‘s new Professional Game Partnership (PGP) to be agreed, and you can find the latest progress after a meeting […]
Quins women put through their paces in CrossFit challenge
Northern Irish CrossFit athlete Emma McQuaid put three Harlequin women’s players through their paces at her fantastic home gym. CrossFit athletes are known as the […]
‘NFL hurts more than rugby’ – Wade’s warning to Rees-Zammit
Christian Wade has backed Louis Rees-Zammit to be able to forge a role as a “special teams” player in the NFL but warned that the […]
Paraguay skipper Garcete sets sights on World Cup 2027
Combative Paraguayan second row Mariano Garcete, 26, is captain of club and country but has his eye on something greater. “I watched Uruguay play France […]
Trailblazing Springbok Latsha loving life at Harlequins
Harlequins prop Babalwa Latsha is enjoying the opportunity to play in the Women’s Premiership and hopes to transfer her skills and knowledge to her international […]
Super Rugby Americas week six review
Round Six of the Super Rugby Americas season exploded into life on Friday night as Pampas recorded a hard-fought 38-20 victory against Peñarol. The Uruguayan […]
Series 3, Episode 31: Picking a British & Irish Lions XV for Australia 2025
The British & Irish Lions are just over a year away from heading down under to take on Australia! With dust settling after the 2024 […]
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