From ADAM HATHAWAY at Murrayfield England boss Steve Borthwick admitted his side got what they deserved after another Murrayfield nightmare in Edinburgh. Borthwick’s men went […]
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Farrell pleased with Irish resilience
By SAM JACKSON Wales rattled Ireland in the second half but ultimately fell to their 10th defeat in 11 Six Nations matches in Dublin yesterday […]
Boden quits Knights over lack of funding
By JON NEWCOMBE Fatigued by the ongoing uncertainty over funding and the direction of the Championship, Steve Boden has explained that the need to explore […]
End of an era as Lawes commits to Brive
Courtney Lawes will leave Northampton this summer to join ProD2 side Brive after 17 seasons at Franklin’s Gardens. Lawes said Northampton did “everything they could” […]
Mercer: I’m focused on Gloucester
By PAUL REES If desire to play for England was a factor in selection, Zach Mercer would be one of the first names on the […]
McFarland quits Ulster
ULSTER head coach Dan McFarland has stepped down from his position after nearly six years in charge. Current Ireland U20 head coach Richie Murphy will […]
Dupont looks sharp at 7s
Antoine Dupont’s Olympic dream got off to a winning start with two victories on his sevens debut for France at the World Sevens event in […]
Hammer of the English is too hot to handle again
By NICK CAIN Scotland ……………………….30pts Tries: van der Merwe 20, 30, 45 Conversions: Russell 21, 31, 47 Penalties: Russell 35, 57, 66 England ………………………… 21pts […]
Borthwick’s conundrum: Stick or twist for Ireland
PAUL REES It was England’s first real test this Six Nations as they faced a team that expected to defeat them rather than fantasise about […]
Correction: The truth about the 6NS-CVC deal
AN opinion column in The Rugby Paper on 28 January 2024, stated “RFU needs to justify its CVC Payments” and “The CVC deal is so […]
Van Graan banking on Russell to hit the target
By JON NEWCOMBE Johann van Graan has every faith that Finn Russell can transfer his goal-kicking form for Scotland to Bath if needed in clutch […]
Beaumont signs for another year
SALE forward Josh Beaumont has signed a new deal to stay with the Premiership club for a further 12 months. The 31-year-old has made more […]
England U20 star joins Bristol
BRISTOL have signed England age grade back rower Kofi Cripps for next season. The 20-year-old flanker was formerly part of Wasps’ academy and has been […]
Wales to play Boks in double header at HQ
Four heavyweights of world rugby will grace the Twickenham turf in an historic double header on June 22 – with a clash between South Africa […]
Low degree of danger? This man is just lethal…
BRENDAN GALLAGHER There was a curious moment in the last minute at Murrayfield last night when a message suddenly flashed up on our screens “Duhan […]
Edwards in firing line as France lose rhythm
OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK IT’S too easy to say that France have fallen off and are no longer the team they were, after a […]
Rattled, but Irish still on course for slam
By PETER JACKSON Ireland………………………….. 31pts Tries: Sheehan 21, Lowe 32, Frawley 68, Beirne 81 Conversions: Crowley 22, 33, 68, 82 Penalties: Crowley 7 Wales……………………………… 7pts […]
As usual, Gibson-Park enjoys life in top gear
BRENDAN GALLAGHER It’s more than a little sobering to think that Ireland’s win over Wales on Saturday was probably their “iffy” performance of their 2024 […]
Lethargic France in need of new drive
By PAUL REES PREVIEW…France vs Italy (Today. Kick-off 3pm, Decathlon Arena, Lille) IT does not come any more demanding in the Six Nations than visits […]
England’s Plan A is to run at Portugal
By PAUL REES PREVIEW…England A vs Portugal (Today. Kick-off 1pm, Welford Road) Steve Borthwick left Edinburgh after England’s clash against Scotland last night and set […]
Yet again, Ealing prove they have what it takes
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Ealing Trailfinders’ narrow defeat by Leicester in the Premiership Cup semi-final last weekend has blown most of […]
Merit on the pitch should be decisive
There has been a long-standing tradition in rugby union that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and when Ealing Trailfinders hosted Leicester last weekend TV […]
Six-try Ireland go on rampage to blow Wales away
By SAM JACKSON Ireland U20 …………….. 43pts Tries: Edogbo 18, Gavin 40, Walker 46, Sheahan 63, 67; O’Connor 74 Conversions: Murphy 19, 40, 47, 64, […]
England glad top the table but will face tougher tests
By BEN JAYCOCK Scotland U20 ……17pts Tries: McVie 53, Douglas 66, Gwynn 75 Conversions: Coates 54 England U20….. 30pts Conversions: Kerr 13, 47 Penalties: Kerr […]
Italy shock France with late Botturi try stealing it
By NICK STEVENS France U20 ……. 20pts Tries: Zamora 20, Granell 45, Brau Boirie 62 Conversions: Cotarmanac’h 63 Penalties: Cotarmanac’h 10 Italy U20 ………. 23pts […]
Munster have edge on Quins
By TOM EVANS Harlequins ……. 35pts Tries: Walker 23, Edwards 37, Hammond 42, Bradley 69, Zheng 76 Conversions: Edwards 24, 38, 43; Slevin 70, 77 […]
Dream Team with Warren Seals
The Sedgley Park and former Boland Cavalier, Darlington Mowden Park and Yorkshire Carnegie fly-half chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. […]
Double for McFarland as Saracens find feet
By PAUL CLEMENCE Saracens ……31pts Tries: Tizard 2, McFarland 8, 15; Lewington 28, Hallett 70 Conversions: Vunipola 3, 9, 70 Leinster…… 19pts Tries: Jenkins 45, […]
Waugh’s battle is going to be tough
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED WHO has the toughest job in rugby? It certainly doesn’t belong to the loadsamoney establishment lawyers plotting a course across the […]
Ealing showed they are worthy
Ealing Trailfinders knew it was a big day and they gave it a proper lash. A single point behind Leicester with 90 seconds left on […]
Doncaster keep their mind on the job in hand
■By LUKE JARMYN Nottingham…… 14pts Tries: Graham 7, Sylvester 17 Conversions: Arden 8, 18 Doncaster……… 20pts Tries: Wilson 3, Metcalf 13, Brown 20 Conversions: Bennett […]
Martin leads the way for Coventry to take control
■By PAUL SMITH Coventry ………. 34pts Tries: Wilson 2, Martin 41, 62; Poole 46, Wand 70 Conversions: Pellegrini 41, 46, 70 Penalties: Pellegrini 50 Ampthill […]
Hartpury leave it late to snatch it from Bedford
■By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury……………………….. 41pts Tries: Short 6, 55; Adderly-Jones 11, Morgan 25, Hillman-Cooper 79 Conversions: Bazalgette 7, 12, 26, 56, 80 Penalties: Bazalgette 40+1, […]
Clinical Twelvetrees calls the shots for Ealing
■By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge ……… 7pts E Trailfinders ..57pts Tries: Conversions: Asiedu 2 James 3 Conversions: Twelvetrees 13, 30, 36, 45, 60, 71 Tries: Alo […]
Hearn steps up to pluck draw from the jaws of defeat
■By MO SHER L Scottish ………33pts Tries: Davies 19, Nutton 24, Sheppard 34 Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 20, 25, 35 Penalties: Lloyd-Seed 16, 48, 50, 66 Caldy […]
Dugmore and King star for Pirates
■By PHIL WESTREN C Pirates ……….33 Royal Navy…….. 0 PIRATES ran five tries past the Royal Navy with a number of players making their mark […]
Rugby’s stuck in the ice age. It needs to open up
Ben Jaycock talks to Freddie Burns about life in Japan and what he thinks the sport must do to attract the youngsters FREDDIE Burns is […]
Still out in front, the rocks of ages
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW They have been resting in the front row of the Pantheon now for almost half a century, […]
Swift move to fit in another international
ANOTHER so-called Test match is squeezed into a congested calendar with such indecent haste that nobody can be sure as to the identity of the […]
Lawes can bring some order
Paul Rees says the former England captain who has signed for Brive will have much to offer when he retires Brive will be delighted that […]
Red Roses: Gloucester-Hartpury prop Maud Muir
By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Oxford Date of Birth: 12/07/01 Community Club: Oxford Harlequins Red Roses Debut: vs New Zealand November 2021 Caps: 25 Why I […]
Scarratt is glad to be back after 13 months
By STEWART McCULLOUGH Bristol …………….33pts Tries: Pam 17, Skeldon 32, 46, Ward 36, Gallagher 63 Conversions: Reed 17, 36, 46, 63 Loughborough.. 17pts Tries: Taufoou […]
Harlequins the happier as Chiefs hold on for draw
By MARK STEVENS Exeter Chiefs …………………19pts Tries: Menin 20, MacDonald 29, Buchanan 65 Conversions: Cantorna 21, 30 Harlequins ……………………..19pts Tries: Powell 5, Latsha 35, Cowell […]
Gloucester determined
By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Sale v Gloucester Today. Kick-off 2pm WOMEN’S Premiership pacesetters Gloucester-Hartpury face bottom side Sale for the second time in a week. […]
Champ sides can compete
SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4EU email: newsdesk @therugbypaper.co.uk UNLUCKY Ealing! They really gave Leicester a […]
Tigers can’t keep pace with battling Trailfinders
By JAMES RILEY Leicester ………14pts Tries: McGhie 32, Brody 41 Conversions: Jones 33, 42 Trailfinders ….29pts Tries: Crake 14, 36; Schell 19, Dow 29 Conversions: […]
Do players really know the laws?
PETER Jackson correctly says, “a defending team cannot charge from their goal line until the kicker moves in any direction”. Surely if you were a […]
Ealing prop shows way
MANY top players have left England for financial, family or motivational reasons. With bankruptcies of four top clubs, disillusionment with national selection and results, who […]
I just love playing and had an amazing career
My Life in Rugby with Mark Best – The former Ulster, Jersey Reds and Doncaster Knights centre discusses his career in the game PLAYING in the […]
When the B grade was full of A stars
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER AS England A crank back into action today against Portugal A after […]
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