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How the sun keeps shining for Spain

11 August 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Impressive: Joel Merkler in action for Toulouse PICTURE: Getty Images IT’S been […]

France show us how to do it – again

4 August 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN THE 2024 Olympic Sevens was a massive showcase for Antoine Dupont’s extraordinary sporting talent, but also for rugby union, not just in France, […]

Lions must work for pack

4 August 2024 0 comments

A YEAR AHEAD OF THE 2025 LIONS TOUR OF AUSTRALIA, PAUL REES LOOKS AT HOW ANDY FARRELL’S TEAM MIGHT LINE UP THE Lions tour to […]

McCall out to build new dynasty at Saracens

4 August 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES LOOKS AT THE CHALLENGES FACING EX-CHAMPIONS AS THEY PREPARE FOR LIFE WITHOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO LAST season marked the end of an era for Saracens. […]

Jaminet appeals against long ban

4 August 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FRANCE international Melvyn Jaminet is to appeal against a 34- week suspension and €30,000 fine imposed by the FFR’s disciplinary committee […]

Antoine Dupont inspires France to Olympic gold in Paris

28 July 2024 0 comments

Nine months on from their heartbreaking quarter-final loss in the World Cup to South Africa, Antoine Dupont inspired France’s Sevens side to win Olympic gold at the Stade de France.

Burke is tipped to take Prem by storm

28 July 2024 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD FERGUS Burke is the perfect replacement for Owen Farrell and can take the Premiership by storm. Former All Black Robbie Deans claims […]

Gustard urges RFU to ditch overseas player ban

28 July 2024 0 comments

and Kieran Brookes has done really well since he has been with Toulon and now moves to Perpignan. “I think it is beneficial. You are […]

Dupont, the catalyst and the creator

28 July 2024 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER WE live in an age of superlative sports stars. Tadej Pogacar is very possibly the greatest cyclist we have ever seen, the triumvirate […]

14 poised to hit the ground running

28 July 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN One to watch: Owen Farrell is the next in a long line of big-name internationals who have played at 10 for […]

Building for a brighter future

21 July 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES LOOKS AT WHAT WENT RIGHTAND WHAT WENT WRONGFOR THE TOURING HOME NATIONS After Wales had lost the second Test, and the rubber, to […]

Flamboyant Harlequins add steel to their spine

21 July 2024 0 comments

HARLEQUINS are following the path trodden by Northampton a year ago, one that took the Saints to Twickenham and the title as a team known […]

Vannes facing a tough early test

21 July 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Promoted ProD2 winners Vannes will kick off their first-ever season in the Top 14 at home against 23-time French champions Toulouse […]

Saracens move for ex-England U18s forward

21 July 2024 0 comments

SARACENS have signed former England U18 forward Harry Wilson from Doncaster. The 27-year-old, who can play lock or back row, scored four tries for the […]

International pair join Montpellier

14 July 2024 0 comments

MONTPELLIER have confirmed the signing of England No.8 Billy Vunipola, right, and former Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg, below. Hogg, who retired last summer after four […]

Trio who tempt us to search for genius

7 July 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED What do we mean when we talk of genius? It is a question as old as Noah, an early candidate for […]

Big guns in danger of just looking after No.1

7 July 2024 0 comments

ANALYSIS PAUL REES WONDERS HOW THE SPORT CAN KEEP PAYING FOR ITSELF IN HARD TIMES….WHILE UNIONS BUILD FOR THE FUTURE When the professional era started […]

There’s more than money to Toulouse

7 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER There have, rightly, been acres of words written about Toulouse in recent […]

Jalibert is top of the ‘wanted’ list again

7 July 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Never mind that the words ‘Stade Toulousain’ have only just been meticulously punched into the plaque on the Bouclier de Brennus […]

Bordeaux-Begles swoop for Gray

7 July 2024 0 comments

Allez: Jonny Gray agrees French deal SCOTLAND second row Jonny Gray has joined Top 14 runners-up Bordeaux-Begles following his exit from Exeter Chiefs. The 30-year-old […]

Mako agrees two-year contract with Vannes

7 July 2024 0 comments

Probyn: Recalls for Marler and Cole is good news for England By SAM JACKSON Legend: Mako Vunipola is on his way to France PICTURES: Getty […]

Hunter-Hill joins Smith at Saints

30 June 2024 0 comments

PREMIERSHIP champions Northampton Saints have signed Callum Hunter-Hill after the second row left rivals Saracens earlier this week at the end of his contract. The […]

Young stars following in fathers’ footsteps…

30 June 2024 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER So we are up and running again with another Junior World Cup to feast on over the coming fortnight. We are back in […]

Penaud proves the ultimate in French flair

30 June 2024 0 comments

Peter Jackson adds up the points scored last season across all games and finds the French with much to celebrate Damian Penaud and Thomas Ramos […]

Gatland hits the 50-mark for Wales

30 June 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Unless they change the habit of a lifetime in Australia over the next fortnight, Wales will be […]

Terrific Toulouse go on the rampage

30 June 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN “We didn’t just lose the arm wrestle – we had our wrists broken under the table,” Bordeaux boss Yannick Bru admitted, […]

Evans unhappy with player release options

23 June 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Dismayed: Mark Evans MARK EVANS has taken a swipe at Top 14 and Premiership clubs for having double standards over inter national […]

Mercer merited a place on tour

23 June 2024 0 comments

ZACH Mercer did not return to England with the intention of not playing for England, any more than this columnist expected to write so many […]

SpongeBob glad of his place in the Oldies XV

23 June 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW TWENTY years ago this very week on the banks of the Clyde, New Zealand won the Junior […]

Ntamack makes sure for Toulouse

23 June 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN RONAN O’Gara must be wondering what he has to do for his La Rochelle side to beat Toulouse when it matters. […]

The unexpected revolutionary

16 June 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees says this should be a summer of opportunities for England and head coach Steve Borthwick Steve Borthwick is an unlikely revolutionary. When he […]

Baa-Baas call for Whitelock

16 June 2024 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA TWO-TIME World Cup winner Sam Whitelock will join up with the Barbarians squad for Saturday’s Killik Cup clash against Fiji. Whitelock, 35, holds […]

Team Brittany show what might have happened in Cornwall

16 June 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS GO west young man. The phrase, attributed to American newspaper editor Horace Greeley, became a byword for the expansion of the United States […]

Carbonel winner ensures last-gasp Montpellier survival

16 June 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE English Football League’s Championship play-off final is sometimes referred to as ‘the richest game in football’, with £100million of spoils […]

Northampton’s brilliant trio are leaving the club in the best hands

9 June 2024 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER You don’t always get what you deserve in sport, not least when it comes to the send-off you dream of, but Courtney Lawes, […]

Saints stars give credit to Vesty

9 June 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES On the run: Alex Mitchell breaks through against Saracens during the semi-final PICTURES: Getty Images Alex Mitchell and George Furbank, two of […]

Borthwick needs a clear direction

9 June 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The fog around England’s take-off as an attacking force in the latter stages of the Six Nations […]

Quins cashing in on Twickenham factor

9 June 2024 0 comments

Peter Jackson looks at how attendances have changed in the last 20 years and sees good news in the capital cities Fan favourite: Marcus Smith […]

I want to improve and be best 9 in the world

9 June 2024 0 comments

Matthew Luddington talks to Gloucester and Italy scrum-half Stephen Varney following his eye-catching campaign Stephen Varney has truly had a breakthrough season. The 23-year-old scrum-half […]

It’s close but Dupont edges out Edwards

9 June 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Your columnist fell in love with rugby watching Gareth Edwards in the […]

Time for Borthwick to stamp his mark

9 June 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME It’s been well worth waiting until the end of the season to see some of the […]

Hogg has eyes set on Top 14 surprise

9 June 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Stuart Hogg’s reported surprise reverse-ferret back into the professional game after his retirement last year – and repeated suggestions that he […]

Time to let Borthwick pick from the best

2 June 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES SAYS THE ENGLAND COACH SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO ONLY SELECTING PLAYERS WHO PLAY IN THE PREMIERSHIP England’s preliminary training squad for the […]

Cholley has cast his fearsome shadow over Castres

2 June 2024 0 comments

Castres have reinforced their position as the most red-carded of clubs, a fact unlikely to surprise those who remember their most famous or infamous player […]

Pink city deserves its place at the top

2 June 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Anybody watching the crowd scenes in front of the big screen […]

Dowson’s right, let’s be more like French

2 June 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME In agreement: Mark McCall and, right, Phil Dowson PICTURES: Getty Images IT WAS interesting to hear […]

Gopperth misses out on top flight

2 June 2024 0 comments

FRENCH COLUMN By JAMES HARRINGTON Jimmy Gopperth won’t be the oldest-ever player to feature in the Top 14 next season after all, after his Provence […]

Once again, the French wizard calls the shots

26 May 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES Is there anything Antoine Dupont cannot do? Drop a goal with his left foot from his own half, perhaps? Wrestle a scrum penalty […]

Try tsunami sends a mixed message

26 May 2024 0 comments

Peter Jackson looks at an increase in points scored but suggests the figures may be hiding a problem for the Premiership. Over the last seven […]

Hurricanes fly-half to replace Burns at Ulster

26 May 2024 0 comments

Ulster are set to make their second signing for next season with Hurricanes‘ fly-half Aidan Morgan to join the province. The New Zealander, who is […]

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