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Champions La Rochelle face tough challenge against former finalists Leinster

10 December 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Leinster v La Rochelle Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Stade Marcel Deflandre Centre: Garry Ringrose THE match of the opening round is a […]

Lions set to ring the changes

10 December 2023 0 comments

■By BEN JAYCOCK Preview… Perpignan v Lions Today. 1pm LIONS head coach Ivan van Rooyen will be banking on the strength of his squad as […]

Lloyd blow a problem for Scarlets and Gatland

10 December 2023 0 comments

■By ANDY HOWELL Castres …………. 34pts Tries: Raisuqe 5, Fernandez 32, Papali’i 38, Dumora 43, Le Brun 66 Conversions: Le Brun 5, 43, 66 Scarlets […]

Newcastle are hoping for a cold front in basement battle

10 December 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Newcastle v Montpellier Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Kingston Park IT will be a case of bottoms up at Kingston Park today when […]

Dyer at the double to seal victory for Dragons

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Dragons………… 24pts Tries: Hewitt 43, Davies 74, Dyer 77, 80 Conversions: Reed 44, 80 Oyonnax………….. 7pts Tries: Treilles 22 Conversions: Soulan 23 […]

Too many are being pushed to the edge

10 December 2023 0 comments

Paul Rees says it’s time to ensure players spend less time in the gym and more with the ball in their hands Max Malins […]

Davies enjoying life in a new lake

10 December 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN SWAPPING Dragons for a new challenge at Grenoble – and the lens of Welsh rugby for relative anonymity in southeast France […]

Champions Cup round one Friday and Saturday preview

8 December 2023 0 comments

The 2023/24 Champions Cup kicks off this weekend, with England captain Owen Farrell set to return to action for Saracens for the first-time since announcing […]

Challenge Cup round one Friday and Saturday preview

8 December 2023 0 comments

Gloucester will be looking to get their season back on track as they face Black Lion, with their opposition becoming the first Georgian team to […]

Murley is aiming for England comeback

3 December 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Cadan Murley made a late start to his Premiership campaign when he returned from a knee injury in the last round and […]

Bears step up hunt for new tighthead

3 December 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bristol Bears have stepped up their search for a tighthead as they face up to the prospect of losing […]

Itoje is the best man to captain England

3 December 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN – READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Maro Itoje should be England’s next captain following Owen Farrell’s decision to make himself unavailable for […]

Oghre enjoying life with Bristol

3 December 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Gabriel Oghre was one of a number of players who last season found themselves having to pick up the pieces after their […]

Big clubs ready to rumble

3 December 2023 0 comments

Paul Rees looks forward to the Champions Cup, kicking off this weekend THE Champions Cup returns this week with a tweaked format that does away […]

Georgia happy to be joining the party

3 December 2023 0 comments

The Challenge Cup is being used to widen boundaries. A Georgian side, Black Lion which will play its home matches in Tbilisi, has been included […]

Laporte & Co hit the panic button

3 December 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A week after ripping out their coaching set-up and employing an Etch-a-Sketch style reset to their season, Montpellier officially hit the […]

Ludlam closing in on move to Toulon

28 November 2023 0 comments

Northampton Saints back row Lewis Ludlam’s highly anticipated move to Toulon, first rumoured in The Rugby Paper’s Blindside Column in early October, is set to […]

Lawrence is hungry for more, says JVG

26 November 2023 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Johann van Graan is excited to see how good a player Ollie Lawrence can become with the England international potentially still having […]

Luke: I’ve got a new lease of life

26 November 2023 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS Luke Cowan-Dickie insists his summer switch to Sale Sharks has given him a ‘new lease of life’ in terms of his rugby. […]

Quins could face fight to keep Millard

26 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Harlequins face a battle to keep hold of their director of rugby, Billy Millard, who has emerged as a […]

Georgia have eye on Cockerill

26 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Richard Cockerill will discover before Christmas if he is going to be the next coach of Georgia after his […]

Fearing players going abroad is a false storm

26 November 2023 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK WORLD Cups provide rugby union with an opportunity to reset, and the actions taken following the 2023 tournament, […]

Cockerill off to the guillotine

26 November 2023 0 comments

When it comes to sacking those in charge of losing teams, French rugby has beaten English football to the punch. While the struggling Premier clubs […]

Cockerill goes out, Collazo comes in

26 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TIME was very firmly called on Richard Cockerill’s brief run as Montpellier manager six days ago, after just five months and […]

Jasper Wiese: Commitment to Leicester Tigers Amid Speculation on Future

19 November 2023 0 comments

Leicester Tigers’ World Cup-winning forward, Jasper Wiese, is resolute in his dedication to the club, even as rumors swirl about his future. The 28-year-old South […]

Legends of the Oval Ball: Top 21st Century Rugby Icons

19 November 2023 0 comments

Rugby is a sport that has been around for over 200 years, and it has produced some of the most iconic athletes in the world. […]

Vakatawa grateful to Lam for giving him a chance at Bears

19 November 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Virimi Vakatawa says he feels blessed to be playing rugby again after being told last year that a heart condition meant his […]

Carreras on way to Bayonne

19 November 2023 0 comments

Argentina wing Mateo Carreras will leave Newcastle Falcons at the end of the season to join Top 14 side Bayonne. Carreras is in his third […]

Davis keen to put on a show on derby day

19 November 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Today. Kick-off 3pm, Sandy Park Aidon Davis has played in all three major leagues in Europe and […]

North to decide on Provence move

19 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Wales and Lions ace George North could this week tell ambitious ProD2 outfit Aix-en-Provence if he will join their bid for promotion […]

French pair to battle for Rees-Zammit

19 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit is being lined up for a money-spinning move to France at the end of the season following his […]

Welsh warrior bows out in style

19 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Rugby – even thoroughly modern professional rugby – sometimes proves it still has at least a little room for a smidgeon […]

Change of culture is needed to compete

12 November 2023 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED A slippery subject, rugby culture, and easily misrepresented in its narrowest sense. Across great swathes of the sporting landscape, the English […]

A lack of pathway is halting our progress

12 November 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Well, here we are back to rugby at the club level and all the woes that […]

Clermont claim first away win with Urios

12 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The smile on Christophe Urios’s face said it all, as his Clermont side ended a year-long losing streak on the road […]

Lions of Europe would be a fine team to watch

5 November 2023 0 comments

A long time ago I concluded that the self-interest of the Six Nations runs so deep, and they are so frightened of rugby advancing elsewhere […]

Stade set bar high in bid for new start

5 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The Laurent Labit-Karim Ghezal era at Stade Francais officially starts here – and the talk around Stade Jean Bouin is of […]

Toulon have prop Sinckler in their sights

29 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Toulon have launched a double raid on Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad to lure Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam […]

We’re all set for the real start to season

29 October 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TODAY, as fans get their breaths back after the Rugby World Cup final and the end of 48 matches of intense […]

French taking an interest in Underhill

22 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE England backrow Sam Underhill has been attracting interest from French Top 14 giants Racing 92 and Bordeaux, who are interested in luring […]

Stooke in line for return to Rec

22 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Former Bath lock Elliott Stooke, below, could return to The Rec next month from […]

England’s big names to get new offer

15 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England stars are poised to be offered guaranteed payments of between £100,000 to £150,000 by the RFU in an […]

After Ribbans, Toulon set their sights on Ludlam

15 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Toulon are eyeing a move for England and Northampton back row Lewis Ludlam – who is out of contract at the end […]

Sutherland on way to Oyonnax

15 October 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Scotland and Lions star Rory Sutherland has joined Top 14 new boys Oyonnax, who have had a tough introduction to life in […]

Itoje is too expensive for French

8 October 2023 0 comments

French clubs have gone cold on signing England and Lions lock Maro Itoje when his contract with Premiership champions Saracens runs out at the end […]

Saints have to nail it away from home

8 October 2023 0 comments

Premiership team-by-team previews: Northampton There was a point last season where Northampton looked as if they could qualify for the play-offs despite conceding a century […]

Best Rugby Players of All Time

29 September 2023 0 comments

Rugby is a competitive team sport with a high level of physicality and strategy. The two main variations are Rugby Union and Rugby League. Betting […]