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Nick Cain: Premiership clubs need to set higher standards

13 April 2025 0 comments

The most concerning aspect of the Harlequins no-show against Leinster at Croke Park last weekend, which finished in a 62-0 European Cup rout, is that the club’s leading England internationals, and would-be Test players, lacked the motivation to battle for places on this summer’s Lions tour.

Worcester Warriors return – RFU Board should tell us what it thinks

6 April 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The first act of the new Tier 2 Board, which has prioritised the rehabilitation of […]

RFU must prioritise return of promotion to Premiership

30 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week In defeat, defiance. For supporters of the incumbent RFU administration who voted for the retention […]

Simon Halliday’s blast: The RFU keeps ignoring the Championship

23 March 2025 1 comment

By Nick Cain Simon Halliday has slammed the proposed loan bail-out for Newcastle Falcons, the Premiership’s basement club, and the continued lockdown on promotion-relegation. Halliday […]

Tom Curry wins my Six Nations True Grit award

23 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain The “True Grit” award for the 2025 Six Nations has to go to Tom Curry. I will admit to being one […]

This Premiership cartel is strangling our game

23 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Welcome to gridlock. Everything that is wrong with the English club game, and the governance […]

Six Nations: Rampant England find new ways to impress against Wales

16 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Wales …………………………….14pts Tries: B Thomas 31, 77 Conversions: Anscombe 32, J Evans 77 Tries: Itoje 3, Roebuck 10, Freeman 34, Cunningham-South 38, […]

The 7-1 bench split must be given the boot

16 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The reality of the 7:1 bench split is unmasked. The development ushered in first by […]

PODCAST (S4, E26): France target Six Nations title and Wales target England scalp with Alex Cuthbert

12 March 2025 0 comments

After a cracking weekend of rugby in which the championship tilted in French favour following their stunning win in Dublin, Ollie Little, Brendan Gallagher and […]

Francis Baron: It’s time for the entire RFU Board to go

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Francis Baron has called for the replacement of the entire RFU Board, adding a radical dimension to the demand for change at […]

Six Nations: France get back their va va voom to end Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Ireland…………………………. 27pts Tries: Sheehan 43, Healy 77, Conan 81 Conversions: Prendergast 44, 78, 81 Penalties: Prendergast 35, 43 France………………………….. 42pts Tries: Bielle-Biarrey […]

Tommy Freeman deserves a run in the centres

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The England midfield has been a mishmash of failed partnerships, wishful thinking, haphazard revolving-door selection, […]

Pressure is building on the RFU Board to stand down

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The Whole Game Union has added its weight to the call by Francis Baron for […]

Ben Youngs lifts the lid on Steve Borthwick – but too late

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Ben Youngs lifted the lid last week on Steve Borthwick being a “risk-averse” coach, and stated that the kick-first strategy adopted by […]

Support for change at RFU keeps on building

2 March 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week As the SGM vote calling for regime change at the RFU approaches, it is critical […]

PODCAST (S4, E24): England regain Calcutta Cup, Wales show signs of life & France flourish in Rome, with Nick Heath

25 February 2025 0 comments

Three fixtures told three hugely different stories in the third round of the 2025 Six Nations. Ireland held off a promising performance from Wales, England […]

England 16-15 Scotland: Fin Smith has diamonds on the soles of his shoes

23 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain at Twickenham England …………………………16pts Try: Freeman 9 Conversion: M Smith 9 Penalties: M Smith 56, 67; F Smith 70 Scotland ……………………….15pts Tries: […]

Cut bench in half to make a game of it

23 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The bench is damaging rugby union, and this Six Nations should be a watershed moment […]

PODCAST (S4, E23): Calcutta Cup and Six Nations R3 Preview with Scotland Great Craig Chalmers

19 February 2025 0 comments

It’s almost time for the third round of the 2025 Six Nations, and the headline fixture of the weekend takes place at Twickenham as England […]

Ex-Navy chief aims broadside at ‘one-way’ RFU Roadshow

16 February 2025 0 comments

By NICK CAIN PADDY McAlpine, the chairman of Chichester RFC – a level six community club – has slammed the RFU Roadshow for its attempts […]

Six Nations – England need to be more consistent

16 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Driving force: Tom Willis has the power to make headway up the middle PICTURE: Getty […]

Come in No.10! – Jarrod Evans, ninth time the charm?

16 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Should Marcus Smith’s understudy at Harlequins find himself back on Six Nations duty this weekend at long last, the turnover of those […]

PODCAST (S4, E22): Warren Gatland goes and England sink France with Jamie Noon

11 February 2025 0 comments

A weekend full of statement wins and in the aftermath, a mid-tournament coaching departure. Join the guys to review how England got the job done […]

Six Nations: England ecstasy as Fin Smith seizes the day against France

9 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain at Twickenham England ……………………….. 26pts Tries: Lawrence 36, Freeman 58, Baxter 70, Daly 79 Conversions: M Smith 36, F Smith 71, 80 […]

Freddie Steward, take a tip from the best…

9 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Freddie Steward was not England’s worst performer against Ireland. However, the ease with which he […]

Six Nations Predictions League: Round Two with Brett Igoe and The Rugby Analyst

7 February 2025 0 comments

Ahead of round two, the boys from the podcast, alongside this week’s guest, Irish analyst Brett Igoe and YouTube’s Rich Isaac (The Rugby Analyst), have […]

Six Nations – England wilt in Dublin’s red hot furnace

2 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Ireland…………………………. 27pts Tries: Gibson-Park 35, Aki 52, Beirne 64, Sheehan 72 Conversions: Crowley 65, 73 Penalty: Prendergast 56 England………………………… 22pts Tries: Murley […]

Stop giving No.9s so much protection

2 February 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Welcome to the 2025 Six Nations, and, unfortunately, a new abomination of a law trial […]

Six Nations Predictions League: Round One with Jeremy Guscott and The Rugby Analyst

31 January 2025 0 comments

Ahead of the 2025 Six Nations opener in Paris tonight the boys from the podcast, alongside this week’s guests, England legend Jeremy Guscott and YouTube’s […]

PODCAST: (S4, E20) – Six Nations Championship Preview with Jeremy Guscott and the Rugby Analyst

29 January 2025 0 comments

Here. We. Go. The Six Nations is just two sleeps away and we can’t wait! Join host Ollie Little and a special panel of Rugby […]

Time to be brave and start with Henry Pollock at flanker for England

26 January 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Are England fit for purpose going into the Six Nations? Steve Borthwick listed a lack […]

Do the right thing, Bill Beaumont, and tell Bill Sweeney to be on his way

26 January 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain Bill Beaumont has a duty to advise Bill Sweeney that his tenure as RFU chief executive is over, rather than face […]

S4, E19: England & Scotland hit by injuries, French clubs fire and South Africans slump

22 January 2025 0 comments

What to make of that Champions Cup weekend? On one hand we saw a classic in Northampton’s victory over Munster, however the issues with the […]

Good news on Maro Itoje, but England’s problems persist

19 January 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Having been a long-time advocate of Maro Itoje as England captain, my first reaction to […]

Sorry, Nick, but it’s different in France

12 January 2025 0 comments

NICK Cain has spent several issues arguing the case for promotion from the Championship and made an unfavourable comparison with French rugby. Unfortunately, it is […]

Ollie Lawrence’s play-acting was shameful to watch

12 January 2025 0 comments

Ollie Lawrence’s sham injury in the closing minutes of a knife-edge finish between Northampton and Bath at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend has seen some commentators get themselves in an almighty tangle.

2025 Predictions: More Antoine Dupont dominance + The British & Irish Lions to win down under

7 January 2025 0 comments

2025 has begun and a year of rugby excitement awaits. With it being a World Cup year for the Women’s game and a Lions tour […]

We need return to the County game

5 January 2025 0 comments

In Rugby Paper December 29, Paul Rees refers to Exeter’s Rob Baxter, whose club were bottom of the Premiership after eight successive defeats. Exeter are […]

Hybrid Hash will tie Steve Borthwick in knots

5 January 2025 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The description ‘Hybrid Central Contracts’ does not inspire confidence. Hybrid usually means a bit of […]

Steve Diamond adjusts the cap to fit

29 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The season of good cheer got a kick-start last week with Steve Diamond’s musings about […]

No surprise as France show how it’s done

29 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain Vannes versus Bordeaux is one of my highlights of the 2024-25 season so far, because if you want to see a vibrant, […]

Call to axe Sweeney ‘as soon as possible’

22 December 2024 0 comments

By NICK CAIN BILL Sweeney’s tenure as RFU chief executive is in a precarious position after Bill Beaumont’s announcement as an interim RFU Board Chairman […]

Bill Beaumont needs to show clear thinking

22 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week Bill Beaumont is stepping into a saloon in which the tables and chairs have been […]

Beaumont needs to show clear thinking

22 December 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BILL Beaumont is stepping into a saloon in which the tables and chairs have been smashed, and […]

Beaumont needs to show clear thinking

22 December 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BILL Beaumont is stepping into a saloon in which the tables and chairs have been smashed, and […]

S4, E16: Rugby Paper Podcast 2024 Awards and Champions Cup debate

19 December 2024 0 comments

In our last episode of 2024, the gang is back together in full force. Host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain, Chris Hewett and Brendan […]

Hundreds of voices cannot be ignored

15 December 2024 0 comments

FOLLOWING Nick Cain’s TRP articles and others in the national press, and the calls from the three former RFU chairmen for a challenge to the […]

Ring fence has made English rugby go soft

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week The most positive aspect to come out of the opening round of the European Cup […]

S4, E15: Jack Kenningham talks Champions Cup, Ilona Maher, England prospects and Harlequins Big Game 16

11 December 2024 0 comments

Join us for this week’s episode of the Rugby Paper Podcast as Harlequins flanker Jack Kenningham joins host Ollie Little and columnists Chris Hewett and […]

Calls for RFU chiefs to quit at fever pitch

8 December 2024 0 comments

Mounting calls for RFU chiefs to quit By Nick Cain Calls for Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive, and Tom Ilube, the RFU Board chairman, […]

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