By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………………………..16pts Tries: Swart 80+4 Conversion: Costelow 80+5 Penalties: Costelow 3, 51, 55 Benetton Treviso…………13pts Tries: Ratave 12 Conversion: Umaga 13 Penalties: […]
Latest Posts
Don’t get trapped in bowels of a big club
Diamond’s warning to his young guns By PAUL REES Steve Diamond has warned his young charges at Newcastle to beware of offers from other Premiership […]
‘Incredible’ Farrell has Saracens motoring
Champions Saracens smashed Harlequins 52-7 in front of 61,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to move second in the table and stretch their winning run […]
Stick with coaches, Dallaglio urges RFU
By GARY FITZGERALD Lawrence Dallaglio hopes the RFU have learned their lesson and will no longer jettison coaches too soon. The World Cup winner insists […]
Bears can still finish in the top four – Dun
By PAUL REES James Dun knew exactly what Bristol’s supporters were going through earlier this season when the Bears became stuck in a losing run. […]
Appleby taking on streets of London for Wooden Spoon
By MARK STEVENS LONDON’S calling for Exeter Women’s head coach Susie Appleby, who will be one of over 40,000 who will take to the streets […]
Stringer: England the major challenge
FORMER Ireland scrumhalf Peter Stringer believes England will be Ireland’s biggest challenger in the coming seasons. Stringer says the epic victory at Twickenham was the […]
World Rugby puts forward new changes
WORLD Rugby has announced a five-phase approach to growing the game and enhance rugby’s entertainment factor following the ‘Shape of the Game’ forum held last […]
I’m fresh and ready for action, says Muir
By PAUL REES Will Muir broke into the England squad this year and although he did not feature in the Six Nations, Bath’s coaches noted […]
The RUGBY Paper
Podcast Host Oliver Little and TRP columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett get to the heart of our game Available now to download […]
Quins hoping to tempt Care, 37, with new deal
By PAUL REES Harlequins are trying to persuade Danny Care to sign a new contract and finish his career at The Stoop, 18 years after […]
Baxter: Clubs will take Cup more seriously
By PAUL REES The Premiership will shut down next season during the two international windows, meaning more clubs are likely to take the Premiership Cup […]
Wallaby star Izaia signs for Tigers
ON THE BLINDSIDE LEICESTER have signed Australia centre Izaia Perese for the 2024-25 season on a ‘multi-year’ deal from Sydney-based Waratahs. The 26-yearold former rugby […]
Georgian challenge
ON THE BLINDSIDE RUGBY Europe champions Georgia have challenged Wales to a match this autumn in what would be dubbed a ‘Six Nations playoff ’. […]
Cardiff hope to win Grady tug-of-war
ON THE BLINDSIDE By SIMON THOMAS The future location of Mason Grady is one of the biggest talking points in Welsh rugby – in more […]
Munster move in for Ulster ace Burns
ON THE BLINDSIDE BILLY Burns will swap Ulster for Munster in the summer to replace Joey Carbery who is off to France. The 29-yearold, above, […]
Jantjies to give back
ON THE BLINDSIDE FORMER Springboks fly-half Elton Jantjies, below, has taken up a coaching role with youth rugby programme Rugga Schools in Johannesburg as he […]
Dream Team with Mackenzie Martin
The Cardiff and Wales back row, chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. Rhys Carre – The Big Red! The way […]
England on their way to being a real force again
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK IT’S been a chalk and cheese Six Nations for England, with the first three games going from not […]
Saracens juggernaut steams over Quins
By ADAM HATHAWAY Saracens …………………….. 52pts Tries: Lewington 2, Dan 13, 43; Maitland 17, 26; Cinti 61, Gonzalez 67, Goode 71 Conversions: Farrell 3, 15, […]
Farrell’s in form of his life – McCall
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall claimed Owen Farrell was in the form of his life after his break and received a special visitor after […]
Chiefs do enough to get past Newcastle
By MARK STEVENS Exeter ………………………….. 25pts Tries: Fisilau 12, Wimbush 24, Sio 32, Tuima 39 Conversion: Hodge 39 Penalty: Hodge 73 Newcastle …………………….16pts Tries: Stevenson […]
Diamond: I saw a lot of positives
STEVE Diamond saw seeds of encouragement despite Falcons slipping to a 13th league defeat. “It could have been closer,” said Diamond. “Our first-half discipline wasn’t […]
Bristol put leaders Saints to the sword
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bristol………………………….. 52pts Tries: Batley 5, Randall 18, Sinckler 50, Dun 56, Malins 62, Davies 71, Ibotoye 79 Conversions: MacGinty 6, 19, 52, […]
Lam confident Bears can push on for a place in play-offs
BRISTOL boss Pat Lam is confident his side can make a push for the play-offs if they continue in this vein. “That is what we’ve […]
Dismay for Leicester as Varney snatches it
By ROB WILDMAN Leicester …………………….. 25pts Tries: Reffell 40, Kata 42, Wiese 54, Shillcock 72 Conversions: Shillcock 72Penalty goals: Shillcock 22Gloucester ………………….. 27pts Tries: Mercer […]
On-form Mercer: I can’t believe it
ZACH Mercer summed up the Gloucester elation after this narrow win by saying: “I can’t quite believe what’s happened. Everyone wrote us off before we […]
Sale keen to send Tuilagi off in style
By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Bath v Sale Today. Kick-off 3pm, Recreation Ground ALEX Sanderson will use the impending loss of Manu Tuilagi as fuel to […]
Van Graan backing Lawrence to put Bath in overdrive
By PAUL REES On fire: Ollie Lawrence JOHANN van Graan is expecting Ollie Lawrence to play a big part in Bath’s push for the Premiership […]
Relegation saga still a shadow over game
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK There is so much that makes so little sense in the English club game. Nothing made this […]
Ireland hold whip hand
Power player: Maro Itoje is still one of the most effective locks on the planet PICTURE: Getty Images ANY team of the 2024 Six Nations […]
England are Six Nations wonders
ENGLAND’S remarkable two-match transformation from a kick-chase side into a team which hit all the highs in terms of attacking tempo, skill, and risk, was […]
Late drama as Scots hold on to deny Wales
SIX NATIONS 2024 ■By SAM JACKSON Wales…………….. 18pts Tries: Tuipulotu 58, Callender 78 Conversions: Bevan 59 Penalties: Bevan 5, 40 Scotland ……….. 20pts Tries: Grant […]
Packer’s proud to join the 100 club
■By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Italy v England Today. Kick-off 3pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi CAPTAIN Marlie Packer earns her 100th cap as England begin their quest […]
Ireland battle but can’t stop France taking the honours
■By TOM REYNOLDS France………………38pts Tries: Bourdon Sansus 3, Menager 31, Fall 46, Sochat 61, Riffonneau 74 Conversions: Queyroi 3, 33, 48, 62; Bourgeois 76 Penalties: […]
Red Roses: Gloucester-Hartpury lock Zoe Aldcroft
By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Scarborough Date of birth: 19/11/96 Community club: Scarborough RFC Red Roses Debut: vs France July 2016 Caps: 48 Why I Play […]
Penalty so unfair on Earl
BEN Earl has reason to feel aggrieved with the decision to award a penalty for a no-arms tackle in the last minutes of England’s final […]
Ford’s resolve is impressive to see
ALL the top sports players have one standout quality – composure – which George Ford has in abundance, along with his stoicism! A masterful player, […]
My Lions for 2025
BASED on performances in 2024 Six Nations Championship and potential retirees, how about this as a potential Lions touring squad to Australia in 2025, with […]
Referees are too quick to take the easy option
I READ the match report for last week’s Hull Ionians v Tynedale game with interest. The report asked a very pertinent question, “why is a […]
Time to ban tactical subs
CHRIS Hewett’s article bemoaning the size of French players offered what I believe to be the correct solution to the future of professional rugby, namely, […]
Credit Borthwick for changing his approach
ENGLAND’s revival in their inspirational final Six Nations displays v Ireland and France thankfully should end the failed power rugby ethos inherited from the side’s […]
That’s above expectations
WELL that was an agonising way for England to lose to France! So close! But three wins in this Six Nations, including a humdinger against […]
Beware this move to 15-a-side Rollerball
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED IF THE Six Nations failed to meet expectations, it was in a good way. Italy’s knee-clenching World Cup humiliation turned out […]
It’s time to consider talent, not geography
If everyone is heading to French club rugby, including the England centurion Courtney Lawes, it makes Courtney Lawes right: rival unions need to rise above […]
Munster too hot in the red zone for Ospreys
By ROGER PANTING Ospreys …………. 17pts Tries: Giles 33, Parry 54, Cuthbert 74 Conversions: O Williams 54 Munster …………27pts Tries: Daly 3, O’Brien 5, 17; […]
Dempsey in control to lead Glasgow fightback
■By SIMON THOMAS Glasgow……….. 17pts Tries: Williamson 43, Sordoni 51 Conversion: Weir 44, 52 Penalty: Weir 67 Cardiff ………….. 13pts Try: Thomas 31 Conversion: De […]
Dragons show some style but fade away
■By ROGER PANTING Dragons…………. 10pts Tries: Baldwin 79 Conversions: Red 79 Penalties: Evans 20 Bulls ………………. 31pts Tries: Arendse 27, Gumede 44, Papier 76, Grobelaar […]
Sharks ……….22 Ulster ………… 12
THE Sharks recorded their first league win since November to climb off the URC basement as Ulster’s play-off bid took a knock. Sharks scored tries […]
Zebre …………… 7 Leinster …….. 31
LEADERS Leinster secured a bonus-point victory at Lanfranchi Stadium. First-half tries by Rob Russell and debutant Andrew Osborne, and further scores in the second by […]