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England XV to host France

15 December 2024 0 comments

An England XV will host a France XV in an uncapped match at Twickenham on Saturday June 21 as a warm-up for the three-Test summer […]

I’m getting there, says Jack Kenningham

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Cameron Stephens – From the Rugby Paper Podcast Harlequins flanker Jack Kenningham is grateful to be fit and firing this season after coming back […]

Darge: We’re all set for Toulon challenge

15 December 2024 0 comments

■By BRYN PALMER Hopeful: Rory Darge in action for Glasgow PICTURES: Getty Images SCOTLAND flanker Rory Darge believes Glasgow’s 2023 Challenge Cup final defeat by […]

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, […]

Saints enjoy a six-try romp

8 December 2024 0 comments

At the double: Juarno Augustus scores for Saints PICTURE: Alamy PREMIERSHIP champions Northampton kicked off their quest for European glory with a six-try 38-8 win […]

No Zach Mercer decision until end of season

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Gloucester will not decide on Zach Mercer’s future until the end of the season as speculation that he will return to France […]

England were not too far off – Henry Slade

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Henry Slade believes England deserved more credit for their performances this autumn, insisting it was ‘small margins’ that prevented them from truly […]

Joe Heyes determined to prove himself at the top level

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Jon Newcombe Joe Heyes has used the hurt of missing out on a place in England’s Autumn Nations Series squad to drive him on […]

Hot-shot Ilona Maher set to light up the league

8 December 2024 0 comments

Bristol Bears coach Dave Ward says superstar signing Ilona Maher will be a major asset to Premiership Women’s Rugby and will ‘shock’ people with her […]

Tommy Freeman is happy to have a crack at centre

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Tommy Freeman has started all of England’s internationals this year on the wing but fancies having a crack in the centre. Freeman […]

Jack Nowell: I’m loving life on and off the pitch at La Rochelle

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Brendan McGilligan As Jack Nowell stepped off the plane to start his La Rochelle career, he was stepping into the unknown challenges that would […]

I’d rather have the old Champions Cup format – Stuart McCloskey

8 December 2024 0 comments

Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey admits he preferred the Champions Cup’s previous format, with the current structure leaving some teams with an “absolutely terrible draw”. Teams […]

We’re not afraid to get into a dog-fight, says van Graan

8 December 2024 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS WHEN Johann van Graan took charge of Bath in the summer of 2022, the South African made no secret of the fact […]

Winners? It’s hard to look beyond Toulouse – Chris Robshaw

8 December 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees talks to Chris Robshaw about the Champions Cup – and why he rates England’s chances in the Six Nations Chris Robshaw felt lost […]

Time for Bristol Bears to step up to the plate

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken and unmissable every week… English clubs like Saracens, Leicester, Bath, Northampton and, to a lesser extent, Harlequins have got pedigree […]

Clermont have far too much class for Benetton

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Sam Jackson Clermont………..28 Benetton…………. 0 Clermont out-muscled Benetton to cruise to a commanding bonus point victory with Peceli Yato and Barnabe Massa both grabbing […]

Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell get back in the old routine

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Adam Hathaway Northampton Saints…… 38pt Tries: Dingwall 3, Mayanavanua 8, Augustus 43 62; Langdon 49, Pollock 74 Conversions: Smith 4, 9, 50, 75 Castres……………………………. […]

Henry Pollock wins Phil Dowson’s backing

8 December 2024 0 comments

Northampton boss Phil Dowson has tipped Henry Pollock to thrive in Pretoria against the Bulls in next week’s Champions Cup clash. The 19-year-old was the […]

Saracens bounce back in fine style

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Saracens……………………… 27pts Tries: Carre 22, George 48, Willis 56, Earl 64 Conversions: Burke 49, 57 Penalty: Burke 35 Bulls………………………………… 5pts Try: de […]

Tom Willis: We knew it would be tough

8 December 2024 0 comments

Star man Tom Willis was proud his side fronted up in the first half and showed intelligence to execute in such dire conditions. “We knew […]

Stormers have no answer to Toulon chargers

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Stormers……….. 14 Toulon………….. 24 Match Action Toulon beat the Stormers in front of a bumper crowd at Nelson Mandela Stadium. The visitors […]

Ulster facing Antoine Dupont threat

8 December 2024 0 comments

Match Preview By Ben Jaycock Toulouse v Ulster Today – 3.15pm Ulster are gearing up for the daunting visit to reigning champions and Top 14 […]

Exeter Chiefs fail to cash in on Sharks’ mistakes

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Sharks …………………………. 39pts Tries: Buthelezi 21, Mapimpi 24, Williams 27, Kolisi 36, 56 Conversions: Hendrikse 22, 28, 37, 57 Penalties: Hendrikse 46, […]

We didn’t convert, admits Jacques Vermeulen

8 December 2024 0 comments

Exeter Chiefs captain Jacques Vermeulen felt his side left points out on the field playing back on his old stomping ground in Durban. “I think […]

Harlequins leave it too late in Paris

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Gary Fitzgerald Racing 92 ……………….. 23pts Tries: le Garrec 15, Naituvi 39, Spring 61 Conversion: le Garrec 16 Penalties: le Garrec 59, 66 Harlequins […]

Bath fail to make most of chances

8 December 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Bath ……………………………………………………….. 20pts Tries: Dunn 47, Roux 56 Conversions: Russell 47, 56 Penalties: Russell 4, 30 La Rochelle …………………………………………… 24pts Tries: Jegou […]

Stade Francais’ two reds clear the way for Munster to take control

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Kevin Fallon Munster ………….33pts Tries: Abrahams 16, Daly 30, Kendellen 50, Farrell 55, Coombes 79 Conversions: Crowley 16, 30, 51, 56 Stade Francais .. […]

George Horne hat-trick seals it for Glasgow Warriors

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Bryn Palmer Glasgow Warriors …. 38pts Tries: Horne 2, 12, 39; Rowe 16, Jones 23, Cummings 64 Conversions: Horne 3, 13, 17; Jordan 24 […]

It felt like a Test match-Ewels

8 December 2024 0 comments

BATH skipper Charlie Ewels believed they had enough chances to win. The England second row said: “I liked how we stayed calm and also that […]

Joe Heyes hoping to put on a magic show in Bordeaux

8 December 2024 0 comments

Match Preview By Jon Newcombe Bordeaux v Leicester Tigers Today. Kick-off 1pm, Stade Chaban-Delmas Joe Heyes is hoping that Leicester can rekindle a bit of […]

My British & Irish Lions team are ready for take-off

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week… There is a view that picking a Lions Test team almost seven months before the […]

‘Enforcer’ Udwin oversteps the mark

8 December 2024 0 comments

THE quango-like blindness to accountability in the top echelon of this RFU administration, and their erosion and disregard the democratic conventions embedded in the RFU […]

TV deals are driving fans away from game

8 December 2024 0 comments

HAVING spent large sums of money over the years, attending live rugby and subscribing to Sky Sports and TNT to watch televised games I was […]

What we need is good leadership from the RFU

8 December 2024 0 comments

WE represent 50 former Blackheath Rugby Club players – the world’s oldest open club – including Doug Hursey, President of Kent. We write in response […]

World 7s is a waste of time and money

8 December 2024 0 comments

WHY do we participate in the travelling circus that is the World Sevens Series? Rugby 7s is now very rarely played in clubs, never discussed […]

Gabriel Ibitoye must grab chance – Matt Banahan

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Jon Newcombe Matt Banahan is looking forward to watching Gabriel Ibitoye press his England claims during the upcoming European window. Banahan, the former England, […]

Oh, for a one-stop TV shop for the lot

8 December 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Gogglebox: Bath taking on La Rochelle on Friday night PICTURE: Getty Images HERE’S a brain teaser: if you happen to be […]

Glad to hear the French say: Non!

8 December 2024 0 comments

FRANCE is a foreign country: they do things differently there. For one thing, they have a pyramid league system that works every bit as well […]

Montpellier are pushed all the way by Dragons

8 December 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Dragons …………. 14pts Tries: Basham 26, O’Brien 40 Conversions: O’Brien 27, 40 Montpellier ….. 18pts Tries: Tambwe 13, Tauleigne 21 Conversion: Barreau […]

Morgan returns to boost Ospreys

8 December 2024 0 comments

Preview Ospreys v Lions By BEN JAYCOCK Today. 3.15pm WINGER Keelan Giles brings up a century of Ospreys appearances today as his side welcome South […]

We are going to have a real go at Pau, says Diamond

8 December 2024 0 comments

PREVIEW… By PAUL REES Ospreys v Lions Today. Kick-off 1pm, Stade du Hameau STEVE Diamond has picked a strong side for today’s Challenge Cup clash […]

Gloucester on a roll after standing up to Edinburgh

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Luke Jarmyn Gloucester ……… 15pts Tries: Blake 10, Tuisue 64 Conversion: Carreras 11 Penalty: Carreras 45 Edinburgh ……….. 10pts Try: Goosen 36 Conversion: Thompson […]

Bayonne ……… 17 Scarlets ……… 16

8 December 2024 0 comments

■By TOM CLEMENTS JORIS Segonds broke Scarlets’ hearts with a late penalty that denied the Welsh side an opening round victory. Ioan Lloyd nudged the […]

Connacht …… 43 Zebre …………… 12

8 December 2024 0 comments

■By JOHN FALLON IRISH sevens star Chay Mullins crowned his Connacht debut with a hat-trick. Academy players Sean Naughton and Fiachna Barrett also made their […]

Emanuel marks historic Cardiff debut in style

8 December 2024 0 comments

■By SIMON THOMAS Lyon ………………..37pts Tries: Dumortier 7, 38, Parisien 25, Charcosset 48, Gonzalez 63 Conversions: Meliande 26, 49, 64 Penalties: Meliande 70, Gonzalez 75 […]

Cheetahs v Perpignan

8 December 2024 0 comments

Preview Today. 1pm INVITATIONAL outfit the Cheetahs, led by DoR Frans Steyn, picked up two wins from four last season and qualified for the knockouts […]

Jordan Poole: Coventry on right track to win Championship promotion

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Captain Jordan Poole says Coventry are on track to finish the club’s three-year plan with promotion to the Premiership this season. Earlier […]

Saracens aiming to be more clinical – Georgia Evans

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Having fallen short in recent years, the PWR’s all-time most successful side Saracens are seeking redemption this season. Second row Georgia Evans […]