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Santiago Grondona: We will take it to England

30 March 2025 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Santiago Grondona says Argentina are determined to lay down a marker when they play host to England for a two-Test series this […]

Jeremy Guscott: Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions coaching team shows he has an eye on the future

30 March 2025 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken and unmissable, every week… Before I went on a Lions tour I knew a bit about the great players like […]

Explosion of tries is turning into a circus

30 March 2025 0 comments

By Chris Hewett – Thinking Allowed Some of us remember “Mr Creosote”, the Monty Python character who, after a light dinner of pate, shellfish, frogs’ […]

URC: Leinster stand firm to take out Sharks

30 March 2025 0 comments

By John Fallon Sharks……………. 7 Leinster………… 10 A vastly understrength Leinster side carved out a brilliant win in a real arm-wrestle contest at Kings Park. […]

How the split bench is dividing the game

30 March 2025 0 comments

WHETHER IT’S 7-1, 6-2OR 5-3, PAUL REES CONSIDERS WHAT IMPACT THE CHOICE OF SUBSTITUTES IS HAVING ON THE GAME WHEN Rassie Erasmus first opted for […]

Itoje ready to follow in steps of Sir Gareth

30 March 2025 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Mr Consistent: England captain Maro Itoje goes past Italy’s Ange Capuozzo PICTURES: Getty images MARO Itoje has […]

Charlie Elliott: The top ten tackles in the history of rugby

25 March 2025 0 comments

For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a […]

Social media moments of the week: Bill Mata produces ‘tackle of the year’ on Henry Slade

25 March 2025 0 comments

For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a […]

It’s France, not the British and Irish Lions, for Shaun Edwards

23 March 2025 0 comments

By Peter Jackson Shaun Edwards will be tackling a ‘unique challenge’ in the Southern Hemisphere this summer instead of making a long overdue comeback with […]

The future looks bright for versatile players – Danny Care

23 March 2025 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Super sub Danny Care built a 100-cap England career off the back of impacts from the bench but says that in the […]

Rob Baxter puts his faith in England U20s stars for Exeter Chiefs

23 March 2025 0 comments

By Paul Rees Rob Baxter expects the seven Exeter players who were involved in England’s recent Under-20 Six Nations campaign to be pressing for first-team […]

British and Irrish Lions facing Pacific Island side is a terrific move that will spread the love

23 March 2025 0 comments

By Chris Hewett A few weeks ago, this column reached the startling conclusion that despite masses of evidence to the contrary, the words “rugby” and […]

England’s freedom fighters on the march for British and Irish Lions honours

23 March 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees looks back at the winners and losers in this year’s Six Nations and who will make it to be a 2025 Lion England […]

Young Guns – Isaac Keller

23 March 2025 0 comments

NEWCASTLE FALCONS PROP Isaac Keller has a checklist of achievements he wants to make in the game over the next 12 months. Germany-born Keller, 19, […]

Steven Shingler – I’ve really loved my 15 years as a professional

23 March 2025 0 comments

My Life in Rugby Steven Shingler – The former Scarlets, London Irish, Cardiff, Mont-de-Marsan & Ealing fly-half/centre who is now playing in level five with […]

England to help Ireland celebrate

23 March 2025 0 comments

ENGLAND and Ireland U18s will play a special anniversary fixture on Saturday in Cork to mark the 50th anniversary of Ireland Schoolboys and 150 years […]

Tom Curry urges George Martin to avoid the phone

16 March 2025 0 comments

By Adam Hathaway Tom Curry has told sidelined George Martin to stay off his phone as the Leicester lock bids to return to fitness and […]

Jeremy Guscott: Time to shrug off the straitjacket, England

16 March 2025 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken & unmissable every week… If you put the England backs behind the French pack would they be as good as […]

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 […]

Let me tell you a secret (…but keep it quiet)

16 March 2025 0 comments

HISTORIC! Momentous! Unique! Extraordinary! You know it’s a British and Irish Lions year when the word “extraordinary” fails to secure a place on the podium […]

Matthew Tait Should I have focused on one position? I don’t know

16 March 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees looks back at Mathew Tait’s career and finds out how he – and his family – are now living and working in Dubai […]

British and Irish Lions’ support team keeps on growing

16 March 2025 0 comments

By Peter Jackson – The man truly in the know The 1974 Lions took off from Heathrow with a management team of two. No specialist […]

Rassie Erasmus still has faith in Deon Fourie

16 March 2025 0 comments

Deon Fourie began the week back on Springbok duty, at 38 going on 39 still refusing to abandon hope of socking it to Father Time […]

Time to talk about the 1995 you-know-what

16 March 2025 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S ODD how some Grand Slams get lost in the mists of […]

Sorry, Benhard, but stick with the Springboks

16 March 2025 0 comments

I WISH Benhard Janse van Rensburg no ill, in fact I thoroughly enjoy watching him play for Bristol and I admire his retro mullet, but […]

Louw agrees deal with Sale

16 March 2025 0 comments

SALE Sharks have signed South African centre Marius Louw on a two-year deal from the Lions. Louw, 29, said: “It’s such a prestigious club with […]

Six Nations: Lively Maxime Lucu steps up to guide France home

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Paul Rees It was a tale of two injuries. James Lowe picked up a knock in the warm-up with the crowd only told he […]

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, […]

Eligibility journey of Benhard Janse van Rensburg

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Peter Jackson – The man truly in the know At Eden Park on June 20, 2014, the cream of England’s teenaged crop edged past […]

Questions over Garry Ringrose’s ‘lenient’ ban refuse to go away

9 March 2025 0 comments

By Peter Jackson – The man truly in the know The Rugby Paper’s investigation into the Six Nations giving Romain Ntamack and Garry Ringrose different […]

Final acts will define England’s season

9 March 2025 0 comments

ANALYSIS >> PAUL REES SAYS THAT, WHILE A FIRST DEFEAT TO ITALY IS UNLIKELY, BORTHWICK’S MEN WILL FACE A STERNER TEST IN WALES ELLIS Genge […]

Maverick Marcus Smith has role to play

9 March 2025 0 comments

Steve Borthwick explained the dropping of Marcus Smith to the bench today by saying he wanted to unleash the Harlequin when the opposition was feeling […]

Jack van Poortvliet pleased to have Ben Youngs for support

2 March 2025 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Jack van Poortvliet knows that the road back to England’s No.9 jersey will be tough, but in clubmate Ben Youngs he has […]

Felix Jones rejoins Springboks

2 March 2025 0 comments

Former England defence coach Felix Jones will rejoin the South Africa staff next week. The 37-year-old was part of the Springboks’ coaching staff during their […]

Jeremy Guscott: Go for it, England, and don’t play safe

2 March 2025 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken & unmissable every week… Sport can be about small margins, and it is amazing how quickly the public mood can […]

Time to put foot down and let the turbo kick in

2 March 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees looks back on England’s performances so far and says they should take the hand brake off and race ahead WIN or lose, England’s […]

Ireland vs France – When two tribes prepare for war

2 March 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees says Saturday’s heavyweight clash between Ireland and France could be the match of the Six Nations The Six Nations threatened to come down […]

Moscow blizzards did not stop my Lions tour

2 March 2025 0 comments

MY LIFEIN RUGBY THE FORMER IRELAND, LIONS, SARACENS, MUNSTER & GARRYOWEN WINGER RICHARD WALLACE I WAS in Moscow of all places when I finally got […]

Cool cat Fin Smith is England’s biggest hitter at 10 since Jonny Wilkinson

23 February 2025 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher After narrowly losing a couple of games against class opposition in the summer and autumn that they probably deserved to win, England […]

Jeremy Guscott – French stars need to get on the same page

23 February 2025 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken & Unmissable every week… How will France respond in Rome after losing to England? I don’t believe that French supporters […]

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 […]

After delivering one miracle, a second proved impossible for Warren Gatland

23 February 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees says Gatland should be remembered for his remarkable achievements, not his second-term failings Timing is everything in sport, on and off the field. […]

It’s all adding up nicely for Steve Borthwick, says Chris Ashton

23 February 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees talks to the former England winger who says the team’s age profile is looking good to challenge in RWC 2027 Chris Ashton believes […]

Six Nations – Alex Mitchell’s Calcutta Cup revenge mission

16 February 2025 0 comments

By Adam Hathaway Alex Mitchell is on a mission to lay England’s Calcutta Cup bogey to rest after taking lessons from Antoine Dupont. The scrum-half […]

Jeremy Guscott – There’s more to come from this England pack in the Six Nations

16 February 2025 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken and Unmissable every week… England’s win over France last weekend was a huge confidence booster ahead of Saturday’s Calcutta Cup […]

Felipe Contepomi – It will be an honour for Argentina to take on the British & Irish Lions

16 February 2025 0 comments

Joe Santamaria talks to Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi about the challenges of a tour by England – and the Lions The European teams are in […]

Pat Lam’s work ethic drives Bristol Bears – Jake Heenan

16 February 2025 0 comments

By Paul Rees When Pat Lam took charge of Connacht in 2013, one of his first acts was to take Jake Heenan with him. Back-rower […]

Six Nations: Warren Gatland broken by assembly line failure

16 February 2025 0 comments

By Peter Jackson – The man truly in the know February 11, 2025 will go down in Six Nations history as the day the Welsh […]

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 […]

Two X-Factor players, one goal

16 February 2025 0 comments

PAUL REES SAYS ENGLAND’S NO.10 JERSEY WILL BE FIN SMITH’S FOR SOME TIME BUT MARCUS STILL HAS KEY ROLE TO PLAY IT WAS hard not […]

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