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Bouscatel looks like he will run again

22 December 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN ADVENT tensions rather than goodwill in the corridors of French rugby power in the week leading up to Christmas, as Top […]

Thorley is ruled out for rest of season

22 December 2024 0 comments

Blow: Ollie Thorley faces a long time on the sidelines PICTURE: Alamy GLOUCESTER winger Ollie Thorley will miss the rest of the season due to […]

Shoulder injury blow for Griffin

22 December 2024 0 comments

WALES and Bath prop Archie Griffin is set to be out for a “considerable” period after having surgery on a shoulder injury sustained in the […]

Bath & Bristol still have faith

22 December 2024 0 comments

■By PAUL REES BATH and Bristol headed the Premiership going into this weekend’s round of matches but lost their opening two matches in the Champions […]

Start with Tom Roebuck, Ben Curry tells Steve Borthwick

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ross Heppenstall Steve Borthwick has been urged to make in-form Sale star Tom Roebuck a starting winger in the Six Nations. Roebuck enjoyed an […]

Northampton Saints, Harlequins & Leicester Tigers lead way

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Northampton Saints won in South Africa for the first time in their history by beating the Bulls away in Pretoria 30-21 courtesy […]

Cornish Pirates remove break clauses

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Sam Jackson Cornish Pirates have lifted the break clauses in player contracts which had been inserted in the summer amid concern over the ongoing […]

Steve Borthwick leads tributes to Tom Voyce

15 December 2024 0 comments

English rugby is mourning the death of 43-year-old former winger Tom Voyce. He went missing last Saturday night during Storm Darragh while attempting to drive […]

Handre Pollard: My future still up in the air

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Handre Pollard is out of contract at the end of the season and Leicester hope a strong showing for the rest of […]

Scotland will benefit from winning habit – Blair Kinghorn

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Adam Hathaway Blair Kinghorn has been getting into the winning habit with Antoine Dupont and co at Toulouse and reckons that could spell bad […]

England-born Junior Kpoku rules out playing for France

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Sam Jackson Hard-hitting: Racing 92 lock Junior Kpoku Junior Kpoku, ineligible for Steve Borthwick’s England team while playing for Racing 92, says the prospect […]

Gareth Anscombe glad to be back to his best after a year out

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Gloucester believe Gareth Anscombe is back to his best after the Wales outside-half spent almost a year out with injury. Anscombe joined […]

My main priority is to help Bath win a trophy, says Miles Reid

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Jon Newcombe An in-house club quiz hit home to Bath’s players just how long it has been since the club were crowned champions of […]

New-boy Jordie Barrett quick to show his worth for Leinster

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Leinster had a good inkling of what they were getting when they confirmed the signing of Jordie Barrett back in April. Now, […]

Promotion still needs too much hoop-jumping

15 December 2024 0 comments

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: [email protected] I’m very pleased to see the possibility of […]

Ronan O’Gara keeps on driving La Rochelle

15 December 2024 0 comments

Mark Stevens talks to the former Ireland No.10 about his plans in France – and what could happen next In the heart of La Rochelle, […]

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 […]

Penalise collapsing mauls in open play

15 December 2024 0 comments

THE officiating at the maul needs to be reviewed. When are referees going to penalise collapsing mauls in open play? Twice in the recent Scotland […]

It’s time for Bath to take control

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken and unmissable every week… Bath need to make a statement against Benetton at the Stadio Monigo today if they are […]

Craig Casey blow as Munster hit by injury problems

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Jim Short Castres…………… 16pts Tries: Papali’i 12, Walcker 29 Penalties: Fernandez 48, le Brun 72 Munster…………. 14pts Tries: Hodnett 37, 68 Conversions: Crowley 38, […]

Alex Mitchell is taking Northampton Saints to next level

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Bulls……………………………..21pts Tries: Coetzee 34, Hanekom 61, 69 Conversions: Goosen 35, 62, 70 Northampton Saints…. 30pts Tries: Hendy 31, Augustus 40, Freeman 59, […]

Mark McCall: There is no margin for error in this format so we have to back up last week

15 December 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES Match Preview Stade Francais v Saracens Today. Kick-off 1pm, Stadium Mark McCall has warned his Saracens players not to be fooled by […]

Phil Dowson relieved Northampton Saints are in the swing of things

15 December 2024 0 comments

Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson believes the win will provide huge relief for his squad following an underwhelming start to their Premiership season. He […]

We had to work hard for that – Jordie Barrett

15 December 2024 0 comments

By John Fallon Leinster………….. 15pts Tries: Ringrose 22, Barrett 26 Conversion: Prendergast 23 Penalty: Prendergast 49 Clermont………….. 7pts Try: Raka 4 Conversion: Jauneau 5 Jordie […]

Duncan Weir’s set for Toulon tester

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Match Preview Toulon vs Glasgow Today. 3.15pm Duncan Weir feels his Glasgow side must get to grips with Toulon’s boisterous atmosphere at […]

A bridge too far for us, says John Plumtree

15 December 2024 0 comments

Sharks boss John Plumtree claimed that the demands of the present schedule had created a ‘bridge too far’ for his squad. Plumtree said his Springbok […]

Powerful Leicester Tigers take Sharks apart with ease

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Rob Wildman Leicester Tigers…………. 56pts Tries: Montoya 10, 25; Hassell-Collins 28, Kata 36, Pollard 40, van Poortvliet 43, Clare 72, Ilione 80 Conversions: Pollard10, […]

Alex Dombrandt leads the fight for Harlequins

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Gary Fitzgerald Harlequins ……………… 53pts Tries: Murley 12, 64, 66; Care 29, Dombrandt 36, 52, 57; Riley 78 Conversions: Smith 30, 37, 53; J […]

Roebuck the star as Sale cruise in

15 December 2024 0 comments

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL Sale ……………………………………………………….. 29pts Tries: J-L du Preez 19, Roebuck 34, Carpenter 51, Curry 60 Conversions: R du Preez 35, 52, 61 Penalty: […]

Bordeaux score 26 unanswered points to shock Ulster

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Kevin Fallon Ulster …………….. 19pts Tries: Izuchukwu 7, Timoney 19, Kok 40 Conversions: Doak 8, 20 Bordeaux ……….40pts Tries: Tatafu 3, Penalty 28, Penaud […]

We’ve got our bite back – Alex Sanderson

15 December 2024 0 comments

Sale DoR Alex Sanderson said after the match: “We just wanted to be on it for longer defensively this week. “We are a little more […]

French flair is too much for Bristol Bears

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Mark Stevens La Rochelle …………….. 35pts Tries: Nowell 17, Latu 28, Botia 51, Seuteni 66, Berjon 79 Conversions: West 18, 29, 52, 67, 80 […]

Rob Baxter staying positive ahead of daunting test against Toulouse

15 December 2024 0 comments

Henry Slade returns to steer Exeter from fly-half as one of five changes after being rested for their opening Pool 1 defeat by the Sharks […]

Slade: We have to be all in this together

15 December 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Exeter Chiefs v Toulouse Today. Kick-off 5.30pm, Sandy Park THE importance of playing what’s in front of you rather than on […]

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 […]

Calls for change gather support

15 December 2024 0 comments

THE process of convening an SGM of the RFU is a convoluted procedural affair, and this could be a useful ally for the likes of […]

Battling Bath looking to revive cup campaign

15 December 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Benetton v Bath Today. Kick-off 1pm, Stadio di Monigo Ready for action: Vilikesa Sela and, right, Tommaso Menoncello PICTURES: Getty Images […]

The global travellers who light up game

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Chris Hewett – Thinking Allowed There is nothing especially funny about short-term memory loss, but it may just have an upside when it comes […]

Leinster have got the best in Barrett

15 December 2024 0 comments

FOR reasons best known to themselves, the Irish rugby cognoscenti are still arguing the toss over the whys and wherefores of Jordie Barrett’s move to […]

Taulupe Faletau sets the standard

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Roger Panting Cardiff……………………… 26pts Tries: Adams 17, 56, Bowen 47, Penalty 68 Conversions: Sheedy 47, 56 Cheetahs………………….. 10pts Try: de Haas 33 Conversion: Wentzel […]

Lions outlast Pau in 80-point thriller

15 December 2024 0 comments

The Lions got off the mark in the Challenge Cup with a win against Section Paloise in a 10-try thriller that was twice delayed due […]

Lyon edge past Zebre to continue perfect start

15 December 2024 0 comments

Beka Saginadze scored a late try to continue Lyon’s dominant start to their campaign with back-to-back wins. Scrum-half Esteban Gonzalez went over for Lyon before […]

Cian Prendergast takes reins

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock PREVIEW… Perpignan v Connacht Today. Kick-off 1pm, Stade Aimé Giral Connacht captain Cian Prendergast returns to lead his side for the first […]

Off-target Gloucester get lesson in finishing

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Luke Jarmyn Vannes………………………….. 43pts Tries: Benmegal 2, 46; Ruru 4, 10; Chateau 65, Blanchard 70 Conversions: Lafage 3, 5, 47, 66, 71 Penalty: Lafage […]

We were a bit Keystone Kops against Pau – Diamond

15 December 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Newcastle v Dragons Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Kingston Park NEWCASTLE are aiming for their fifth straight home victory when they welcome the […]

Darcy Graham sparks Edinburgh into life

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Luke Jarmyn Edinburgh ……..58 Bayonne ……….. 12 Darcy Graham showed what Edinburgh missed in their defeat to Gloucester as the winger heralded his return […]

Ospreys crash to earth

15 December 2024 0 comments

■ By SIMON THOMAS Montpellier ……………. 59pts Tries: Martins 11, DuGuid 15, Uelese 29, Coly 37, Akrab 43, Moustin 52, Cadot 54, Forletta 62, Tambwe […]

Wales duo out for revenge

15 December 2024 0 comments

■ By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Scarlets v Black Lion Today. Kick-off 1pm, Parc y Scarlets WALES internationals Sam Costelow and Gareth Davies resume their half-back […]

We’re happy to be the hunted, says Sarah Beckett

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Sarah Beckett admits Gloucester-Hartpury have made an underwhelming start to their title defence but believes that’s partly due to competition across the […]