Nick Cain

England must take Quins pair to NZ

21 April 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK WILL Collier and Fin Baxter have been showered with praise following Harlequins epic European Cup quarter-final away […]

Ban teams who pick reserves for knock-out stages

21 April 2024 0 comments

The Bulls are not the first outfit to undermine the European Cup by picking an understrength team, with some French clubs – Bourgoin in particular […]

Envious eyes fall on Leinster’s recruits

21 April 2024 0 comments

Leinster’s ability to cherry-pick two of the 2023 World Cup final’s biggest stars, signing All Black centre Jordie Barrett to augment the arrival of Springbok […]

Dawson predicts the battle at 10 will benefit England

14 April 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The Fin Smith–Marcus Smith fly-half debate was given a good airing when Matt Dawson was the guest […]

RFU needs a sense of proportion

14 April 2024 0 comments

The RFU has always maintained that promotion-relegation is sacrosanct, even though the RFU Council agreed in February 2021 to a so-called “moratorium” to suspend it […]

Another barmy idea from the men in suits

14 April 2024 0 comments

The Ministry of Silly Walks was a Monty Python sketch which lampooned bureaucratic inefficiency. Rugby Union requires something similar to shame the unaccountable administrators turning […]

Too much tinkering is causing confusion

7 April 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Rugby Union is in the grip of the “the law of unintended consequences”, which is the most […]

Second fine for Tigers is case for concern

7 April 2024 0 comments

The recent announcement of a second salary cap infringement by Leicester indicates that the Premiership’s policing of its own financial regulations remains desperately inadequate – […]

Time for club owners to come clean on plans

31 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN – READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK SEETHING financial undercurrents are undermining the main pillars of the game in England, with the professional […]

This was a cracker but still too many blowouts

31 March 2024 0 comments

The Premiership run-in produced a highly competitive cracker of a match at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday, with Northampton securing a 41-30 victory over Saracens to […]

Sanzaar miss chance to inject new blood

31 March 2024 0 comments

The 2024 Six Nations has been lauded in the southern hemisphere for its sensational quality and entertainment – which has not always been the case. […]

Relegation saga still a shadow over game

24 March 2024 0 comments

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 […]

Italy wins ignite the Six Nations

17 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The game-changing force of last weekend’s Six Nations tales of the unexpected cannot be exaggerated. The fourth […]

I doubt Le Garrec would be snared easily under any laws

17 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN Nolann Le Garrec’s spectacular 40-metre reverse pass to Thomas Ramos just after the half-hour in France’s 45-24 win over Wales last Sunday in […]

England A need to face ‘real’ Portugal

17 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN Portugal face multiple champions Georgia in the Rugby Europe final at the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris today, and the team that they […]

We need to make most of this team

17 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN The England U20s won their first Six Nations title since 2021 with a tremendous second-half effort in which they scored 33 points to […]

It’s time for the real France to stand up

10 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK FOR crying out loud, when will the real France stand up and be counted? Having touted Fabien […]

Battling U20s still have a lot to learn

10 March 2024 0 comments

England U20s entertaining 32-32 draw with Ireland in Bath on Friday night was pure curate’s egg. The good part was that they had the scrummaging […]

En garde, England

10 March 2024 0 comments

World rugby’s absurd international residency qualification of just three years should put the RFU on its guard that England will not be facing some of […]

Borthwick must stop delaying and rebuild

3 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK WHEN Steve Borthwick took over from Eddie Jones as England head coach he said that he had […]

Furbank would be central to my team

3 March 2024 0 comments

An English upset against Ireland on Saturday is about as likely as Donald Trump losing his fake tangerine tan. However, witnessing France’s epic no-hoper victory […]

Yet again, Ealing prove they have what it takes

25 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Ealing Trailfinders’ narrow defeat by Leicester in the Premiership Cup semi-final last weekend has blown most of […]

Merit on the pitch should be decisive

25 February 2024 0 comments

There has been a long-standing tradition in rugby union that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and when Ealing Trailfinders hosted Leicester last weekend TV […]

It’s time to take a risk, England need to get the fans on their feet

18 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK As we approach the Six Nations midpoint, England are more like a Thames barge making slow headway […]

A new spirit of unity is in the air

18 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN For the moment it is jaw-jaw rather than war-war in the Championship’s dispute with the RFU over their right to be part of […]

Why the RFU needs to justify its CVC payments

11 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE recent observation by CVC that rugby union is too fragmented on the broadcast and commercial fronts, […]

Enough! No more ref chat

11 February 2024 0 comments

When is the incessant yapping between players and referees going to end? These appeals and “consultations” are becoming a blight at the professional end of […]

Once again, the fans are being taken for granted

4 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE European Cup’s ‘round of 16′ takes some beating when it comes to fiddling with a successful […]

RFU double standards alive and well

4 February 2024 0 comments

Surprise, surprise, double standards are alive and well at the RFU. The latest example is the decision is to give a dispensation to Junior Kpoku, […]

Diamond’s dual role can’t be right

4 February 2024 0 comments

The Twickenham suits are also not averse to turning a blind eye when a conflict-of-interests is involved. Perhaps the RFU’s performance director, Conor O’Shea, can […]

I didn’t see that coming! France as flat as a crepe…

4 February 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN Ireland’s trouncing of France in Marseille – a record Irish win on French soil – trashed most pundits prediction of a Gallic Grand […]

Champ clubs look set for battle

28 January 2024 1 comment

NICK CAIN The Championship clubs appear to be in no mood for turning, typified by their stand-off with an RFU bureaucracy headed by chief executive […]

The talent is there – now let’s be bold

21 January 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK STEVE Borthwick talked of England “turning a corner” when he announced his preliminary England squad of 36 […]

Not many will chase after Louis

21 January 2024 0 comments

Louis Rees-Zammit’s decision to chance his arm in American Football could be viewed as a blow to rugby union with the Gloucester, Wales and Lions […]

Wrong choice for England A

21 January 2024 0 comments

WHEN it comes to competition for places the appointment of Gloucester’s George Skivington and Dom Waldouck as England ‘A’ coaches for the match against Portugal’s […]

Saints looking good but easy win leaves much to be desired

14 January 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN Northampton are playing attacking rugby which combines skill, speed, flair, and precision, and their hammering of Bayonne on Friday night at Franklin’s Gardens […]

RFU’s sorry failure to respond to flood

14 January 2024 0 comments

While the game in the East Midlands drowns, the RFU lifeboat is in the dry dock with the crew nowhere to be seen. If ever […]

Time for Borthwick to put faith in Itoje

7 January 2024 0 comments

nick cain READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK STEVE Borthwick struck a positive note this week when he made it clear that the here-and-now, as […]

Mass rotation could end up a crowd killer

7 January 2024 0 comments

The Premiership wants to be taken seriously, but then makes the cardinal error of not taking itself seriously by trashing its own ‘product’. How can […]

RFU has utterly failed to bring the game together

31 December 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK HERE’S wishing The Rugby Paper’s loyal readers, and fans of the game everywhere, a happy and healthy […]

Here’s my England squad for Six Nations

24 December 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK There will have been times when the honeymoon period predicted for Steve Borthwick’s first year as England […]

Sweeney’s words causing deep anger

24 December 2023 1 comment

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK There is something radically wrong when the chief executive of the RFU – who is responsible for […]

Hunt is on for next generation of props

17 December 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Five years ago there was a scrum feature in The Rugby Paper which forecast that unless England […]

So-called ‘partners’ deserve justice

17 December 2023 2 comments

NICK CAIN One of the most incomprehensible aspects of this season is that the PGP (Professional Game Partnership) is missing one crucial component. There is […]

The Viking will put steel back into Bath

10 December 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE Viking – a.k.a. RG Snyman – is expected to arrive in Bath this summer, and given […]

Sorry to see European Champions Cup lose its shine

10 December 2023 0 comments

The quality of rugby union’s competitions is crucial to its future as a professional sport. However, what we are witnessing is gold standard club/provincial competitions […]

£750,000 payoff for Jones just staggering

10 December 2023 0 comments

We have now discovered that Eddie Jones was almost certainly paid the equivalent of a full year’s £750,000 salary in a severance package negotiated with […]

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 […]