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Nick Cain talks to Joe Worsley about Bordeaux-Begles, Wasps and England

23 October 2014 0 comments

Joe Worsley had an expertise in rocking opposing teams which is unsurpassed in pro rugby. Worsley was the chop-tackler par excellence, the Wasps and 78-cap […]

Nick Cain talks to James Haskell about his world tour of self discovery

10 October 2014 0 comments

James Haskell doesn’t do run-of-the-mill. If the guinea-pig generation of Academy pro-players are among the most pampered but least colourful that English Rugby Union has […]

Dream Team: Mark Bright – London Scottish and former Tasman Makos No.8

24 September 2014 0 comments

1. Ben Franks – Top Bloke on and off the field. The All Blacks star is an unreal trainer and scrummager with the work-rate of […]

20 Questions: Josh Furno – Newcastle flanker

17 September 2014 0 comments

Born in Australia, but raised in Italy? That’s right, born in St Kilda, Melbourne. But my dad’s a doctor and is half-Italian so work took […]

Chrysander Botha’s hoping for home advantage at Exeter

17 September 2014 0 comments

Namibian flyer reveals why he turned down offers from France to try his hand in the Premiership.

Twickenham to stage inaugural Champions Cup final

12 August 2014 0 comments

The inaugural Champions Cup final will be hosted at Twickenham it was announced today. The Challenge Cup decider will go ahead at the Twickenham Stoop […]

Q&A with Richard Cockerill: Our attack is fine, Neil, it’s defence that cost us!

7 August 2014 0 comments

No trophies or finals last season – what’s your assessment of the campaign? I think we did some pretty good things, to be fair. Saints […]

Hamilton hopes to restore reputation by leaving French coast

1 August 2014 0 comments

Big lock lifts the lid on why he left France for Saracens and his remorse over leaving Gloucester for the money.

Peter Jackson: George North and Alex Cuthbert are giants, but Fiji have a monster

24 July 2014 0 comments

Nemani Nadolo has been a rock for Fiji and Crusaders, Peter Jackson warns Australia, England and Wales about the 129kg winger.

Nick Cain: Nothing small about Justin, especially his ambitions

23 July 2014 1 comment

Justin Burnell would be hard to beat if there was a prize for the greatest comeback of last season. There is nothing undersized about the […]

Nick Cain: Top 14 cash could tear apart the All Blacks

18 June 2014 2 comments

The suggestion that Aaron Smith, the New Zealand scrum-half, has been sounded out by Toulouse about joining the French club after the 2015 World Cup […]

Nick Cain: Surely Steffon Armitage warrants exceptional treatment

5 June 2014 0 comments

Steffon Armitage’s omission from the England squad for the tour of New Zealand raises an interesting question. If, before the 2019 World Cup, some of […]

Bath chief Bruce Craig will be director of new Champions Cup

28 May 2014 1 comment

An Irish soccer convert, the mayor of a village in Provence and an English multi-millionaire are to play roles in Rugby’s new European Champions’ Cup.

Nick Cain discovers what England can expect in New Zealand

15 May 2014 0 comments

Jimmy Cowan has such an intimate knowledge of the workings of All Blacks that it’s surprising Steve Hansen hasn’t had him on a witness protection […]

Jeff Probyn: IRB must raise qualification period to at least eight years

9 May 2014 0 comments

The two biggest spending clubs in France and England, Toulon and Saracens, have proved that money can buy success. Although it has taken them some […]

Nick Cain talks to three great English Lions to gather their views about the England back-row

8 May 2014 0 comments

Back-row expertise does not come with better credentials than that offered by Roger Uttley, Mike Teague and Peter Winterbottom. The trio are legends of the […]

Peter Jackson: So, have the roaring 40s blown Brad Thorn off course?

2 May 2014 1 comment

Brad Thorn was saying only the other day how he planned to be playing ‘top level footy’ at 40, a long-distance landmark beyond the reach […]

US growth is reliant upon winning admits Chris Wyles

2 May 2014 0 comments

Chris Wyles knows qualification for the 2015 World Cup has given USA Eagles the best possible chance of breaking America but admits they must discover a winning formula to do so.

Sky Sports steal Top14 rights from BT Sports

18 April 2014 1 comment

Sky Sports have signed a broadcasting deal to show the French Top14 for the next five years. The French league is currently shown on BT […]

Now the Turks want to get slice of new European Cup

16 April 2014 0 comments

The new European Rugby Champions’ Cup is preparing for take-off with the airline who signed Lionel Messi during their sponsorship of FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

London Irish sign Dan Leo

8 April 2014 0 comments

London Irish have announced the signing of Samoa International Dan Leo for next season. Making the move from Top 14 side Perpignan, the second rower […]

Peter Jackson: Hanno Dirksen heads the new foreign invasion

28 March 2014 1 comment

France will be free to pick another South African next season and install Rory Kockott as their prospective scrum-half for the World Cup. As from […]

Jeff Probyn: It was the Scotland game that cost England the title

28 March 2014 2 comments

Sometimes in life everything conspires to bring about the right outcome and make dreams come true, even if it takes a little luck. First we […]

Nick Cain: Moaning Robin McBryde should face all the facts

20 March 2014 1 comment

If Robin McBryde wants to know why Gethin Jenkins was sin-binned against England last weekend he does not need to go the IRB for an […]

My Life in Rugby: Simon Shaw – former lions, England & Wasps lock

25 February 2014 0 comments

In 1994 I went on the England tour to South Africa – the first post-Apartheid tour. That is a big highlight because it was not […]

Peter Jackson: James Hook plays the Invisible Man come hail or shine

20 February 2014 1 comment

The Invisible Man of the Six Nations could be seen down by the Mediterranean the other day, literally warming up for his club’s fight to […]

Nick Cain: French cash pile could bury international game

23 January 2014 7 comments

Ben Mowen’s decision to quit Australian rugby at the end of this year to take up a contract with a Top 14 club should have […]

Nick Cain looks at the challenge awaiting England in their opening six nations match in Paris

22 January 2014 2 comments

Le Crunch 2014 is going to leave either England or France broken*. The opening Test of the Six Nations in Paris a fortnight from now […]

Saracens bait Adam ‘Hair Bear’Jones with £300k

21 January 2014 0 comments

Saracens have entered the bidding war for Wales and Lions star Adam Jones offering him £300,000 a season

Nathan Hines joins Sale Sharks

20 January 2014 0 comments

Sale have announced the signing of Clermont lock Nathan Hines on a two-year deal. Born in Australia, he earned 77 caps for Scotland while lifting […]

Delon Armitage: Toulon will release us for England

10 January 2014 1 comment

Delon Armitage has described England’s refusal to pick France-based players as a “big opportunity missed”, insisting he and brother Steffon are available for all international training camps.

Nick Cain: Danny Cipriani is a risk, but he could unlock golden door

2 January 2014 0 comments

Who holds the keys to No.10 for England? There is no shortage of contenders to pilot them through the 2015 World Cup passage, with Owen […]

I could play on for one more year, says Jonny Wilkinson

17 December 2013 1 comment

Jonny Wilkinson came off the bench on Saturday to score the bonus-point try that helped put champions Toulon firmly in control of their Heineken Cup pool and then announced he could play on for another year after all.

Martyn Thomas – “Mark McCafferty should go – he led us into wilderness”

4 December 2013 1 comment

Ever since the Anglo-French club pact was formed Martyn Thomas has predicted that the Top 14 clubs would fold like a soggy croissant once the […]

Now Welsh regions can join the Aviva Premiership says Nigel Wray

4 December 2013 9 comments

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray claims that the embattled Welsh regions want to join the English Premiership as a move towards long-term salvation.

Andrew Sheridan’s career in tatters

3 December 2013 0 comments

Andrew Sheridan could be forced to retire following a new neck injury he sustained during Toulon‘s Top 14 match against Perpignan last month. Sheridan underwent four shoulder […]

Mike Phillips signs for Racing Metro

2 December 2013 2 comments

As heavily rumoured for the past week, Mike Phillips has joined Racing Metro following his sacking from Top 14 rivals Bayonne in October. Phillips was sacked […]

Nick Cain uncovers the ticking time bomb of Red Rose tour to New Zealand

27 November 2013 1 comment

The buzz-phrase after the autumn series is that ‘England are building’. However, exactly what structure Stuart Lancaster and his side build on top of the […]

WRU given four weeks to keep Sam Warburton and Co. in Wales

18 November 2013 0 comments

The Welsh Rugby Union have been given four weeks to come up with a deal to prevent another quartet of Lions departing for France.

Jonathan Davies moves to Clermont

12 November 2013 0 comments

Jonathan Davies is set to be the latest high profile player to leave Wales for France after it was announced the British & Irish Lions […]

Extra place will tempt the Celts to sign up for Champions Cup

8 November 2013 11 comments

The significant change to the play-off structure has been made in response to the Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Italian Unions refusing to give their teams the green light for any competition not approved by the game’s governing body, the IRB.

Consensus reached in Dublin over Heineken Cup row

25 October 2013 2 comments

A consensus has been reached over the Heineken Cup row at a meeting in Dublin today.

Perpignan revival can help James Hook’s Wales bid

12 October 2013 0 comments

James Hook hopes Perpignan’s return to the Heineken Cup can propel him back into Wales reckoning.

Jeff Probyn: Money is not the root of all success in Europe

27 September 2013 5 comments

There’s an old saying which seems to be more and more fashionable in our game and that is, ‘money talks’. As Europe hogs the headlines, […]

Nick Cain: Let’s hope England use attack at key word

11 September 2013 2 comments

The pulse always quickens at the start of a new season, and with the Lions’ first triumph for 16 years still fresh in the memories […]

Leigh Halfpenny told: Move to France will hurt career

11 September 2013 0 comments

Leigh Halfpenny has been warned about paying ‘a massive price’ for moving to France, even it makes him the highest paid player in Europe.

Quins v Saints available for all on BT Sports on Friday

10 September 2013 1 comment

TV viewers across the UK will be able to watch this Friday’s top Aviva Premiership Rugby clash between Harlequins and Northampton Saints, after BT announced […]

Jeff Probyn: Proposed Heineken deal leaves Rabo with peanuts

30 August 2013 0 comments

I often wonder if Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty is living in the real world or one that is dominated solely by what is […]

Peter Jackson: Groundhog Day, and Gav blinks back into the light

29 August 2013 0 comments

During the course of fox-trotting his way into five clubs over 20 months, Gavin Henson has danced to the same old tune. Every move, every […]

Ambitious Nick Kennedy has Stooped to conquer

29 August 2013 3 comments

Turning your back on the superstar lifestyle at galactico-laden Toulon might appear to be mad. But Nick Kennedy insists he is comfortable with his decision […]

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