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France too strong for spirited Japan

10 November 2024 0 comments

By James Harrington France…………….52pts Tries: Bielle-Biarrey 4, 28; Gailleton 10, Roumat 19, Mauvaka 34, Gros 42, Boudehent 54, 65 Conversions: Ramos 11, 20, 29, 43, […]

Roll up, roll up: Crowds are rising to record levels

10 November 2024 0 comments

CROWD numbers in French rugby’s top two professional leagues have risen to record levels, according to figures released from the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). […]

France have talent to spare

3 November 2024 0 comments

ON the face of it – and, indeed, at the heart of it – a back row combination of Charles Ollivon (a former captain of […]

Magnificent Sam Marques deserves place at the top table

29 September 2024 0 comments

The splendid Samuel Marques – 35 but still going strong and mulling coming out of international retirement – has been declared the ProD2 player of […]

La Rochelle hit lucky

25 August 2024 0 comments

It was a while ago, now, but French rugby watchers with longer memories may recall the other Top 14 semi-final between Toulouse and La Rochelle […]

Racing 92 confirm Le Garrec is leaving

18 August 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN On the move: Scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec will be joining La Rochelle PICTURE: Getty Images YES, it’s still August – I’ve […]

DREAMTEAM

28 July 2024 0 comments

MAX BODILLY, THE EALING TRAILFINDERS AND FORMER EXETER CHIEFS AND CORNISH PIRATES CENTRE, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH… 1. Alec Hepburn – […]

Top of the world

21 July 2024 0 comments

England U20s too strong for France in final showdown By BEN JAYCOCK Head coach Mark Mapletoft praised the England U20s as some of the most […]

Time for players to behave properly

14 July 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN There are no ‘good’ responses to Melvyn Jaminet’s violently racist outburst on social media, or the serious sexual assault allegations levelled […]

Try from the end of the world…

30 June 2024 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher looks back to 1994 when New Zealand last lost at Eden Park, beaten by a brilliant French team that scored one of the […]

Fantastic four-timer the aim for French

23 June 2024 0 comments

FRANCE Three-time reigning champions France will be hoping to do what only New Zealand have done before and win four U20s World Championships on the […]

Baa-Baas call for Whitelock

16 June 2024 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA TWO-TIME World Cup winner Sam Whitelock will join up with the Barbarians squad for Saturday’s Killik Cup clash against Fiji. Whitelock, 35, holds […]

There is no warm welcome for Spain

16 June 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Gone but still winning. Sort of! London Irish may have met with […]

Carbonel winner ensures last-gasp Montpellier survival

16 June 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE English Football League’s Championship play-off final is sometimes referred to as ‘the richest game in football’, with £100million of spoils […]

Hogg has eyes set on Top 14 surprise

9 June 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Stuart Hogg’s reported surprise reverse-ferret back into the professional game after his retirement last year – and repeated suggestions that he […]

Pink city deserves its place at the top

2 June 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Anybody watching the crowd scenes in front of the big screen […]

Gopperth misses out on top flight

2 June 2024 0 comments

FRENCH COLUMN By JAMES HARRINGTON Jimmy Gopperth won’t be the oldest-ever player to feature in the Top 14 next season after all, after his Provence […]

Young guns who are shining for the Chiefs

26 May 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees talks to Exeter DoR Rob Baxter to find out how his investment in homegrown talent is paying off at 9 and 10 Exeter […]

Dramatic finale puts Brive into play-offs

19 May 2024 0 comments

By JAMES HARRINGTON The ProD2 supplied a final glorious regular-season round for the ages in a perfectly timed reminder to broadcasters interested in bidding for […]

I may sell Toulon for €1 – Lemaitre

12 May 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A matter of weeks after ProD2 strugglers Biarritz were sold for €1, Toulon owner Bernard Lemaitre suggested he might be willing […]

Young Guns: Harlequins & England U20 centre Sean Kerr

28 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Sean Kerr revealed kicking in front of a vibrant, hostile crowd in France during England U20s Six Nations title decider in Pau […]

Record crowds flock to matches

28 April 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON – FRENCH COLUMN More people than ever are flocking through the turnstiles of Top 14 and ProD2 matches, according to figures published by […]

I’m loving every single minute

21 April 2024 0 comments

Mark Stevens finds former Exeter Chiefs playmaker Joe Simmonds enjoying his new life in France In the picturesque town of Pau nestled at the foot […]

Long wait for away win goes on for Dragons

21 April 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Benetton………..36pts Tries: Smith 7, Lucchesi 30, Uren 35, Ratave 45, Iachizzi 71, Lamaro 75 Conversions: Albornoz 8, 36, Umaga 76 Dragons………….19pts Tries: […]

JIFF looks likely to play a vital role

21 April 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON – FRENCH COLUMN It’s logical – as the final stop-start sprint in a hard-fought Top 14 season begins – to think purely in […]

Connacht know they must rise to the occasion

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Benetton v Connacht Today. Kick-off 12.30pm CONNACHT know they will have to go up a gear to see off Benetton today. […]

Bundee’s back to boost Connacht

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Pau v Connacht Today. 5.30pm IRELAND duo Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham come into the starting XV as Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins names […]

‘Immortal’ Whitelock to retire

7 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON NEW Zealand’s mostcapped player Sam Whitelock will retire at the end of the French club season in June. The lock, who played […]

Young Guns: Rams and England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt

7 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK George Makepeace-Cubitt was the only player in England U20s’ victorious Six Nations squad not connected to a Premiership club but the talented […]

Japan rugby full of talent, warns Savea

31 March 2024 0 comments

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 […]

It’s time to consider talent, not geography

24 March 2024 0 comments

If everyone is heading to French club rugby, including the England centurion Courtney Lawes, it makes Courtney Lawes right: rival unions need to rise above […]

Toulon heading in right direction

24 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOULON coach Pierre Mignoni earned something of a reprieve this weekend, as his side’s 54-7 win over Montpellier at Stade Mayol […]

Band of brothers grab the glory

17 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK France………………………….31pts Tries: Ferte 12, Gourgues 24, Carbonneau 26, Castro 45 Conversions: Reus 13, 25, 27, 46 Penalties: Reus 56 England……………………… 45pts Tries: […]

Toulouse and Stade in line for a race to glory

17 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The top two tiers of French domestic rugby have been on hiatus this weekend, giving fans a clear run at the […]

Ireland deny England title in a thriller

10 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK England U20………………. 32pts Tries: Carnduff 3, Spencer 55, James 68, Waghorn 76 Conversions: Kerr 4, 69, 78 Penalties: Kerr 11, 35 Ireland […]

Battling U20s still have a lot to learn

10 March 2024 0 comments

England U20s entertaining 32-32 draw with Ireland in Bath on Friday night was pure curate’s egg. The good part was that they had the scrummaging […]

Oyonnax have to keep on believing

10 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Oyonnax manager Joe El-Abd promised last week that his side would ‘fight to the end’ following their so-near-so-far 35-39 home defeat […]

Mapletoft’s tyros hope to continue their Grand Slam quest

8 March 2024 0 comments

England U20s will hope to inflict Ireland‘s first loss in the Six Nations since July 2021 and take a giant step towards a Grand Slam. […]

Big two leading charge

3 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON STADE Francais and reigning champions Toulouse look set to continue their twohorse race for top spot with both victorious this weekend. Paris-based Stade […]

Still out in front, the rocks of ages

25 February 2024 0 comments

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, […]

Collazo may risk all to beat the drop

25 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It is a truth universally accepted in French domestic rugby that the side propping up the Top 14 at Christmas is […]

Toulon need to win over the critics

18 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious whether a side is in good shape or not. A simple look at the Top 14 […]

Calvet’s likely to step in at Agen

11 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France Under-20s coach Sebastien Calvet has emerged as favourite to replace Bernard Goutta on the conveyor-belt of managers at ProD2 side […]

Davidson relief as Castres stop rot

4 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The afternoon after the Friday-night chastening Six Nations defeat in Marseille before, a subdued French rugby audience tuned in to the […]

Galthie looking for mix of renewal and continuity

28 January 2024 0 comments

Six Nations team-by-team previews: France James Harrington anticipates an Era of Expectation from the side who stalled at the World Cup Fracncehead coach Fabien Galthie […]

Lyon get it right against Perpignan

28 January 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON In a league featuring the likes of Racing 92 and Toulouse, Toulon and La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Stade Francais, there’s a ‘big match’ […]

Pau ………………..28 Zebre …………….27

21 January 2024 0 comments

JOE Simmonds was the star of the show as he contributed 18 points in Pau’s win over Italian side Zebre. Zebre fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli missed […]

Lucu the man to replace Dupont

21 January 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN An email drop and social media flurry confirmed the line-up of France’s 34-player training squad for the Six Nations, which kicks […]

Cheetahs excited for trip to Dam

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Cheetahs v Pau Today. 1pm THE Cheetahs are gearing up for this historic clash as the South African franchise host a […]

Farrell’s future the only talk in town…

7 January 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Fabien Galthie will have a reduced training squad for the 2024 Six Nations after a player release agreement was reached between […]

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