By MARK STEVENS In terms of an on-field audition, Northampton’s Tom Pearson could not have done much more to impress watching England head coach, Steve […]
Latest Posts
Paterson: Ref right not to re-set shot clock
By JON NEWCOMBE Scotland’s record points scorer Chris Paterson has defended referee Christophe Ridley’s decision to not re-set the shot clock in the dramatic finale […]
There’s plenty of talent on its way through – Skivington
By MARK STEVENS George Skivington insists the future is bright in terms of the talent coming through within the English rugby set-up. Handed the perfect […]
Hodge on his way back to fast lane
By MARK STEVENS Josh Hodge has set his sights on an exciting end to the season after making an impressive return to action following injury. […]
‘Big Mac’ has his eye on the prize
By ROB COLE The extent of the impact Wales newbie Mackenzie Martin is making this season can be judged in many ways. His club, Cardiff […]
Andre’s heading home
ON THE BLINDSIDE Andre Esterhuizen will leave Harlequins at the end of the 2023/24 season and return to South Africa for family reasons. The Springboks […]
McNicholl on his way
ON THE BLINDSIDE Wales wing Johnny McNicholl has left the Scarlets with immediate effect to take up a playing opportunity in New Zealand. McNicholl, 33, […]
Nowell extends deal to stay at La Rochelle
ON THE BLINDSIDE By MARK STEVENS Jack Nowell’s French connection is set to go on for a few more years yet, after the Cornishman this […]
Tonkin gets the call to join Ealing
ON THE BLINDSIDE By JON NEWCOMBE Ealing Trailfinders have moved quickly to find a new forwards coach following the news that Cornel van Zyl has […]
Dream Team with Michael Le Bourgeois
The Bedford Blues player-coach and former Wasps and Jersey Reds centre chooses the best XV he has played with or against 1. Joe Marler – […]
If England cut the errors, they will be in the game
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK ENGLAND will be disappointed with the result at Murrayfield and will look at the Scotland game as a […]
Time to replace red-carded players
AFTER another international game is potentially ruined at the weekend by non-deliberate head contact it is time for a law change. In the case of […]
No relegation ‘embarrassing’ for the game
AS A fan of Coventry Rugby Club, I’m finding it increasingly awkward when I meet non-rugby fans or those attending their first game at Butts […]
How can coaches be so optimistic?
I KNOW untimely injuries have not been helpful but what a disappointing showing over all three games (and quite a few at the World Cup […]
Dump the old brigade, Steve
BRIAN Clough always told us: “Football is a simple game complicated by coaches. Ping the ball to teammates along the ground – short distances and […]
Don’t lose players in France
BANNING players seeking a secure financial future across the Channel is self-defeating. Argentina would not have a competitive team if they adopted this stance. Can […]
Care merits his century, says Youngs
By PAUL EDDISON BEN Youngs has backed his long-time rival Danny Care to step up on what would be his 100th appearance for England against […]
Bristol go on the rampage
Bedford Blues….. 33pts Bristol Bears……. 54pts BRISTOL Bears ran in eight tries as they put on show at Goldington Road on Friday night. There were […]
Borthwick must stop delaying and rebuild
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK WHEN Steve Borthwick took over from Eddie Jones as England head coach he said that he had […]
Furbank would be central to my team
An English upset against Ireland on Saturday is about as likely as Donald Trump losing his fake tangerine tan. However, witnessing France’s epic no-hoper victory […]
Forde finds his feet as Connacht romp home
By JOHN FALLON Connacht ……….26pts Tries: Jansen 23, 58; Blade 6, de Buitlear 10 Conversions: Hanrahan 6, 24, 59 Scarlets ………… 10pts Try: E Jones […]
Classy Ulster make the most of their good start
By KEVIN FALLON Ulster ……………. 49pts Tries: Addison 4, Lowry 18, 33, Sheridan 29, McCann 57, 75, Timoney 72 Conversions: Cooney 5, 19, 30, 33, […]
Carre leads fightback but Cardiff lack power
By ROGER PANTING Cardiff …………………………. 20pts Tries: Carre 35, 38; Summerhill 75 Conversions: de Beer 35 Penalties: de Beer 11 Leinster………………………… 33pts Tries: Russell 4, […]
Edinburgh are too good for Ospreys
By SIMON THOMAS Edinburgh……… 19pts Try: Watson 17 Conversion: Healy 18 Penalties: Healy 22, 25, 35, 73 Ospreys …………. 15pts Tries: Parry 47, Morris 67 […]
Haley quickly back to business
By JOHN FALLON Munster ……… 45 Zebre …………….29 MUNSTER full-back Mike Haley crowned his first match back from injury in eight months with a superb […]
Smith finishes a proud man
By SAM JACKSON Benetton ……….. 9 Glasgow ………. 19 GLASGOW head coach Franco Smith was proud of how his side stuck to the process despite […]
Bulls ……………..40 Stormers ………22
By JAMES RILEY THE Bulls kept themselves in URC title contention by defeating their fierce South African rivals at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld. Hooker Johan […]
Lions …………….40 Sharks ………….10
By TOM JEFFREYS THE Lions condemned the Sharks to their 10th loss of the season, defying torrential weather conditions to score six tries on their […]
I want to get that England shirt back, says Scarratt
By MARK STEVENS The smiles said it all, after 13 painstaking months on the sidelines, the pure joy of returning to competitive action was evident […]
De Beer happy to welcome Sheedy
By SIMON THOMAS Cardiff’s Tinus de Beer says he will welcome the arrival of fellow fly-half Callum Sheedy at the Arms Park to help share […]
Browne out to give Scottish an extra edge
By BEN JAYCOCK Upon his return from England U20s camp, London Scottish loanee Harry Browne is determined to help his side stop the rot and […]
Borthwick should put faith in this trio
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED PETER Winterbottom knows a thing or three about our sport, so you would expect him to make some telling points over […]
Best ever? It has to be NZ’s 1987 masters
ON the subject of six-seven-eight combinations from dreamland, those of us who spent our rugby careers (for want of a better description) pretending to be […]
Houston in control to take Caldy to cleaners
By LUKE JARMYN Caldy ……………… 14pts Tries: Penalty 50, Sproston 79 Conversions: Barker 80 Cornish P ……….32pts Tries: Stevens 7, Trewin 22, Johnson 29, Georgiou […]
Cornish hits treble top to keep Ealing top of the pile
By EDDIE McATEER Ealing T ………….52pts Tries: Twelvetrees 4, Cornish 29, 38 58; Penalty 44, Alo 53, Kernohan 63, Holmes 70 Nottingham……26pts Conversions: Twelvetrees 5, […]
Smith’s masterclass has Hartpury firing on all cylinders
By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury………… 61pts Tries: Adderly-Jones 4, R Smith 12, 24, 73, Morgan 19, Hillman-Cooper 35, Austin 42, Short 59, JJ Williams 76 Conversions: […]
Coventry show McGeechan there’s a lot of work to do
By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster…………………….. 12pts Tries: McBryde 66, Greenwood 78 Conversion: Bennett 66 Coventry ……………………….27pts Tries: Ball 38, Penalty 61, Hitchcock 80 Conversions: Pellegrini 38, […]
Mob weather early storm for first win in four months
By BEN WHITE Ampthill …………35pts Tries: Jackson 9, Elliott 25, Adejimi 53, Strong 70, Hallett 80 L Scottish ……… 12pts Tries: Lloyd-Seed 2, Marshall 4 […]
‘It’s been a great start but there are tougher challenges ahead of us’
Q&A Ben Jaycock catches up with England U20 head coach Mark Mapletoft to assess the current state of play in the Six Nations So, Mark […]
Fasogbon’s making most of his seat in the front row
Afolabi Fasogbon says England U20s forwards get excited for scrum time and with the 6ft 4in, 20 stone-plus powerhouse on their side it’s easy to […]
Appleton confident Portugal can meet Spanish challenge
By NICK POWELL PREVIEW… Portugal vSpain Today. Kick-off 3pm, Estadio do Restelo in Lisbon PORTUGAL host Spain in today’s second semi-final looking for a statement […]
Majestic Georgia march on into final
By BEN JAYCOCK Georgia………………………… 43pts Tries: Tabutsadze 4, 37, 75, 80, Modebadze 50, Gorgadze 56, Ivanishvili 64 Conversions: Lobzhanidze 52, Niniashvili 65, Abzhandadze 79, 80 […]
Germany to take on Dutch for fifth place
Play-offs round-up GERMANY and the Netherlands will contest the fifth-place final. Poland have been relegated to the Rugby Europe Trophy after their heavy 54-7 loss […]
How one player really can make a team tick
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER WHY have France fallen off a cliff ?Can it really all be […]
It doesn’t feel right to see Italy at the bottom
Various non rugby specialists have contacted me this week asking why Italy are currently bottom of the Six Nations table. Patiently I have described the […]
It’s time for take – off, England
Paul Rees says that, with Ireland at home and France away to come, Borthwick’s men must become relentless IT WAS three years ago last weekend […]
The team culture at Exeter blew me away
My Life in Rugby with Bryan Rennie – The former Scotland A, Border Reivers, London Irish, Exeter & Bristol centre, now general manager of the […]
Price takes the tough times in his stride
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AS THE supreme tighthead prop of his generation, Graham Price played 91 times for Wales and the […]
JPR, rugby’s supreme warrior
PETER JACKSON THEY packed Llandaff Cathedral to its 12th century rafters on a St David’s Day like no other for 80 minutes of songs and […]
The flying Scot who still leads the field
PETER JACKSON Until Scotland’s converted Junior Springbok struck last weekend, England had not been hit by a Five or Six Nations’ hat-trick since Maurice Richards’ […]
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