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 […]
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 […]
By ROGER PANTING Bath ……………………………………………………….. 20pts Tries: Dunn 47, Roux 56 Conversions: Russell 47, 56 Penalties: Russell 4, 30 La Rochelle …………………………………………… 24pts Tries: Jegou […]
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 […]
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 […]
■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 […]
By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports Under the lights this Friday, we will see two European giants, Bath and La Rochelle, clash in a sensational contest. […]
By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports The most significant competition in club rugby kicks off this weekend as the Champions Cup gets underway. Teams from the […]
MY LIFEIN RUGBY JOHNNY HOWARD THE FORMER NORTHAMPTON, BEZIER AND ENGLAND SEVENS SCRUM-HALF IT’S a dream to be a part-share owner of AS Beziers Hérault, […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN IS there an early winter equivalent to the idiom about solitary swallows and the impending arrival of summer? Because – whatever […]
The Future of French Rugby: Perspectives for 2025 French rugby is undergoing a transformation. The French national team, Le XV de France, has emerged from […]
French show how it’s done AFTER five successive defeats, should England get rid of its overseas player rule? While they’re about it, the RFU should […]
ALFIE PETCH, THE GLOUCESTER AND FORMER ENGLAND U20, EXETER, CORNISH PIRATES, BIARRITZ AND NORTHAMPTON PROP, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH… 1. Alex […]
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S THE World Rugby annual awards tonight, held of course in that […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Hat-trick man: Toulon wing Gael Drean runs in to score against Bayonne PICTURE: Getty Images IN April 2019, then-France coach Jacques […]
Simon Gillham’s arrival as chair of the Championship/Tier 2 Board should be good news for English club rugby. Gillham, below, who spent 20 years in […]
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). […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has – so far – been no exception. In fact, […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Not wanted: Charles Ollivon has been omitted from the France squad by coach Fabien Galthie PICTURES Getty Images FRANCE head coach […]
GREGOR Townsend has named centre Sione Tuipulotu as captain for the autumn Tests against South Africa, Australia, Fiji and Portugal, while his brother Mosese has […]
Australia coach Joe Schmidt has selected rugby league convert Joseph Sua’ali’i in his 34-man squad for the autumn internationals. The 21-year-old former Sydney Roosters wing […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN HOW do you solve a problem like Matthieu Jalibert? The 25-year-old Bordeaux fly-half is, undoubtedly, one of the talents of French […]
By Charlie Elliott From Antoine Dupont’s ridiculous try-assist to newcomers announcing themselves and familiar faces returning in South Africa, this weekend has been one with plenty […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE November break cannot come quickly enough for Stade Francais, no matter what happens against Clermont in Paris on Saturday night […]
By Charlie Elliott The Premiership goes into the fifth round with fixtures as varied as they come, with the top two teams facing each other and the bottom two […]
Following World Rugby’s announcement to propose the global trial of new laws that will be reviewed by the Council, FFR (French Rugby Union), LNR (National […]
By Adam Hathaway Joe El-Abd, England’s new defence coach, revealed his time with Toulon’s Galacticos helped him realise you need more than talent and money […]
By Jon Newcombe Every time Temo Mayanavanua sits down to watch the children’s TV show Cocomelon with his young son Elnathan, the Northampton lock is […]