Round Twelve of the Super Rugby Americas season began with a thumping 54-0 victory for Pampas against Selknam that all-but confirms the Argentine side will […]
Latest Posts
Scarlets pay price for lack of discipline
By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………….. 20pts Tries: Tuipulotu 60, Lewis 67 Conversions: Costelow 61, 68 Penalties: Costelow 10, 26 Ulster ………………. 31pts Tries: McCloskey 42, […]
I’m still supporter of relegation – Diamond
By PAUL REES Newcastle may be adrift at the bottom of the Premiership but Steve Diamond remains an advocate for promotion and relegation. The Falcons […]
WRU ramps up its scouting operation
The WRU will ramp up its exile programme to identify players qualified to play for Wales. They are also determined to hold on to Welsh […]
New-boy Roots has his eye on NZ return
By PAUL REES One of England’s Test debutants this year has a big incentive to make the summer tour to New Zealand – he would […]
It’s been a crazy six months, says new Welsh star
By SIMON THOMAS Alex Mann is the first to admit his “crazy” journey over the past six months hasn’t really sunk in yet. Before this […]
I want to win title before I leave Bristol – Luatua
By PAUL REES Few overseas signings have had a more lasting impact in the Premiership than Steve Luatua who looks like finishing his career at […]
Game in England is good, says Ford
By PAUL REES George Ford feels English rugby is on the up after a testing couple of years on and off the field and has […]
Graham: Guys were in tears after that defeat but we’ll fight back
Focused: Sam Graham in action for Northampton SAM Graham believes Northampton can turn the heartache of losing last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final to their advantage […]
Warning for Vunipola but Sarries carry on as usual
By BEN JAYCOCK BILLY Vunipola put his club Saracens through a PR disaster when he was arrested in Mallorca but director of rugby Mark McCall […]
Stop this constant disregard for laws
LAST weekend I witnessed one of the most blatant forward passes this season. During the Challenge Cup semi-final between Gloucester and Benetton, Zach Mercer tried […]
Courtney is so good, both on and off the pitch
CREDIT where it’s due for the Saints’ own Courtney Lawes. For such a big fella he consistently tackles low, plays a strong game and holds […]
Ten in the Prem is right for England
GREAT to read in your paper that there are no plans to increase the number of teams from the current 10 in the Premiership, particularly […]
Focus on aspiration
THE Championship clubs deserve far more than they are getting in terms of RFU funding and access to the top flight. Numerous internationals have learnt […]
Tiueti out to make most of Cov move
By JON NEWCOMBE INSPIRED by his old Uni mate Will Rigg, Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti is hoping that joining Coventry this summer will do wonders for his […]
Dream Team with Alex Loney
The former Leicester, Nottingham, Avignon, Rotherham and Fylde hooker, now head coach of Fylde & Lancashire, chooses the best XV he has played with or […]
Leicester have the class to rule again
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK Leicester are not where their fans want them to be – and a minority have been warned by […]
Saracens closing in on finishing line
By PAUL REES Bristol Bears ………………..20pts Tries: Batley 4, Thacker 52 Conversions: MacGinty 5, Williams 53 Penalties: MacGinty 11, 20 Saracens ………………………41pts Tries: Itoje 22, […]
Farrell: We play with our heads up
OWEN Farrell said Saracens remained on course for another Twickenham final because of their ability to adapt their gameplan. A close victory at Bath was […]
Dominant Chiefs set up shot at the semis
By MARK STEVENS Exeter Chiefs ……………… 58pts Tries: Slade 20, Feyi-Waboso 33, 65, John 40, Skinner 43, 71, Jenkins 77 Conversions: Slade 21, 33, 40, […]
Baxter: We must recharge quickly
EXETER DoR Rob Baxter says his team will have to recharge quickly in their quest to reach the top four with their remaining fixture away […]
We had a job to do and we went out and did it, says Dowson
NORTHAMPTON director of rugby Phil Dowson felt sympathy for Gloucester after their 14-try drubbing but said his side had a job to do to secure […]
Russell masterclass has Bath in top gear
By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle……………………. 17pts Tries: Blamire 30, 40+2, Stuart 63 Conversions: Connon 64 Bath ……………………………… 28pts Tries: du Toit 4, Spencer 13, Cokanasiga 27, […]
Diamond calls for 80-minute showing
NEWCASTLE boss Steve Diamond told his players and staff “to stop feeling sorry for themselves” after Falcons’ suffered a 20th league defeat on the spin. […]
James at his best as Sale keep in the race
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sale ……………………………….31ptsTries: Warr 8, Taylor 13, James 34, O’Flaherty 43 Conversions: Ford 9, 14, 35, 44 Penalties: Ford 57 Leicester …………………….. 22pts […]
‘I’m going to stick with this motley lot’
ON an evening of final home appearances for some big names, Sale coach Alex Sanderson announced live to the home crowd after the game that […]
Time to put an end to marquee players
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK ARE marquee players, or coaches, worth it, or are they just a Premiership owners’ vanity project? Judging […]
Mistake to reduce value of the scrum
The danger World Rugby’s high-handed law-makers face with their insistence on trying to marginalise the scrum is that it could easily lead to non-compliance, and […]
Calling MPs will add to pressure
The decision of Championship clubs to contact their local MPs to ask for Government to mediate in its gridlocked negotiations with the RFU/Premiership, is putting […]
Glasgow gunning for top two spot
By BRYN PALMER Bulls …………….40 Glasgow……… 34 GLASGOW salvaged two bonus points from a stirring last-quarter comeback to maintain their hopes of a top-two finish. […]
We blew our chances to win, admits Thomas
By SIMON THOMAS Lions…………….. 34pts Tries: Venter 7, Q Horn 18, Tshituka 73, 79 Conversion: Nohamba 8, 19, Lombard 74, 80 Penalties: Nohamba 30, 43 […]
Flanagan can’t believe it as Dragons fall away
By ROGER PANTING Dragons………….21ptsTries: Keddie 14, Wainwright 59 Conversions: O’Brien 59Penalties: Reed 7, 26, 49Stormers………. 44pts Tries: Davids 34, 66, Roos 73, Mngomezulu 76, 80 […]
Munster make it seven in a row
Munster ……… 47 Connacht……… 12By JOHN WILKINS MUNSTER made it seven wins on the spin with a seven-try victory over Connacht with seven different scorers […]
Leinster get in the mood for a double triumph
Leinster ……….. 61 Ospreys…………14By SAM JACKSON JORDAN Larmour scored a hat-trick as Leinster showcased their credentials of a possible Champions Cup and URC double by […]
Everitt set for Irish crunch
Edinburgh …….40 Zebre……………..14By BRYN PALMER EDINBURGH head coach Sean Everitt believes another five points will seal a URC play-off place as his side warmed up […]
Northampton swoop to sign England U20s fly-half
By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton have signed England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt. Having endured the hardship of London Irish folding, the tyro playmaker showed grit and […]
Tbilisi win was key – Skivington
By JON NEWCOMBE George Skivington has credited the European Challenge Cup win against Black Lion in Tbilisi as the moment Gloucester turned their season around. […]
Davies, 36, open to offers
Wales centre Jonathan Davies is leaving Scarlets at the end of the season and hopes for one final opportunity with another club before retirement. Davies, […]
Devoto calls it quits at Exeter
EXETER centre Ollie Devoto will leave the club at the end of the season. The 30-yearold has scored 21 tries in 127 appearances during an […]
Rugby’s holy trinity prove the difference
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED SINCE time immemorial, rugby has been cloaked in its own cliches: Prince Obolensky was always “dashing”; Colin Meads lived his life […]
Mo’unga likely to be back in black
SO he hasn’t gone for good, after all. Not quite. If the All Blacks have their way, as they invariably do in these circumstances, Richie […]
Power of the four musketeers
A common theme of last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals was the influence of the four scrum-halves, the catalysts of teams that look to get the […]
Mine was very much the road less travelled
My Life in Rugby – Mike Ross, the former Ireland, Harlequins and Leinster prop talks about his life in the game I started playing rugby […]
Davies the leading light in Welsh quartet
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Four international fly-halves took flight from Wales last year, understandably so given the alternative of staying put […]
When Goodall was the bigger man
KEN Goodall shall forever be remembered as one of Ireland’s greatest back row forwards, a humble man with a freakish talent ever willing to bust […]
Morgan has final say to make sure for Hartpury
By BEN WHITE Ampthill …………36pts Tries: Elliott 3, 27; Bracken 24, Jackson 32, 59 Conversions: Parks 4, 25, 28, 33 Penalty: Parks 52 Hartpury……….. 44pts […]
Coventry denied by powerful Pirates
By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates ………… 22pts Tries: Hocking 69, Johnson 79 Coventry ……………………..12pts Penalties: Tries: Houston 15, 18, 22, 51 Martin 5, Trinder 32 […]
Doncaster win the battle but Ealing take the title
By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster……… 20pts Tries: Fox 25, Margetts 59 Conversions: Bennett 25, 59 Penalties: Bennett 40, 68 Ealing T …………. 12pts Tries: Cornish 9, […]
Barker steps up to snatch it for Caldy at the death
■By JOHN LYON Caldy ……………… 31pts Tries: Royle 9, 23; Gerrard 19, Booth 75 Conversions: Kilcourse 10, 20, 24; Barker 76 Penalties: Barker 80 Cambridge […]
Blues take the honours to land top four finish
By MO SHER L Scottish ……… 31pts Tries: Nutton 3, Ferdinand 14, Musk 40, Osborne 48, Ingall 79 Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 4, 15, Law 80 Bedford […]