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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoLyon get it right against Perpignan
JAMES HARRINGTON In a league featuring the likes of Racing 92 and Toulouse, Toulon and La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Stade Francais,...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 2 years agoEngland must play with the ‘wow’ factor
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK ONE of the biggest talking points of Steve Borthwick’s 2024 Six Nations squad is...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoThe talent is there – now let’s be bold
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK STEVE Borthwick talked of England “turning a corner” when he announced his preliminary...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoNot many will chase after Louis
Louis Rees-Zammit’s decision to chance his arm in American Football could be viewed as a blow to rugby union with the...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoWrong choice for England A
WHEN it comes to competition for places the appointment of Gloucester’s George Skivington and Dom Waldouck as England ‘A’ coaches for...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoWe need a more exclusive guest list
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED HERE’S a little brain-teaser, just to make sure you’ve been paying attention at the back of the...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoLet Louis enjoy his crack at stardom
No one ever accused Louis Rees-Zammit of “training like Tarzan and playing like Jane”, to excavate a funny one-liner from the...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoScots should focus on developing own talent
The international merry-go-round continues. After the best part of a decade of striving for England honours Exeter Chiefs prop Alec Hepburn...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoMagnificent tome tells fantastic tales
Take a bow Neil Fissler and Adam Hathaway – much respected members of this parish – for completing a definitive Who’s...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoBorthwick puts club form at top of his list
SIX NATIONS COUNTDOWN Paul Rees says change will be gradual rather than sudden as teams renew after World Cup THE first...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoLouis sets his sights on golden pay day
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW JORDAN Mailata is one of a kind, the only rugby player to make...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoSad to think Feyi-Waboso felt more at home in England
Louis Rees-Zammit and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso share more than an X-factor ability and a double-barrelled surname. They grew up a year or...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoDupont leads the otherwise engaged XV
As the countdown gets ever closer to the launch of the grand old championship in Marseille on Friday week, it is...
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English Championship
/ 2 years agoAll clubs must be able to reach top
JEFF PROBYN SO it’s back to the future with the RFU CEO Bill Sweeney telling the Championship that they either don’t...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoLucu the man to replace Dupont
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN An email drop and social media flurry confirmed the line-up of France’s 34-player training squad for the...
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British and Irish Lions
/ 2 years agoCharismatic Farrell the right choice for Lions
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK ANDY Farrell is a very good choice as Lions head coach of the 2025...
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Champions Cup
/ 2 years agoSaints looking good but easy win leaves much to be desired
NICK CAIN Northampton are playing attacking rugby which combines skill, speed, flair, and precision, and their hammering of Bayonne on Friday...
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English Championship
/ 2 years agoRFU’s sorry failure to respond to flood
While the game in the East Midlands drowns, the RFU lifeboat is in the dry dock with the crew nowhere to...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoThis year, Scotland can take high road
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED HE was born in the Old Town of Edinburgh, died in the New Town and spent much...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoToo few actually want to be promoted
Iain Sharpe makes some excellent points (Letters, Jan 7) in taking issue with views on the RFU’s second-tier revamp expressed in...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoNo hiding place in those final trials
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER For some reason, the good old days have...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoWhen JPR enjoyed his day at court
The late JPR Williams has many claims to sporting fame and one of the more esoteric is that he played in...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoWith Smith and Mitchell, there should be fireworks
Paul Rees talks to Topsy Ojo and finds the TV pundit in optimistic mood for both club and country Topsy Ojo...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoThe rock on which a team was built
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW THOSE planning this year’s Golden Jubilee of the 1974 Lions would have considered...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 2 years agoFarrell’s choice: Stay and hope, or cash in
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME SO Owen Farrell seems like he may have called time on his...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoNo rush to get Tuilagi involved
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Something of a big deal was made last week about the fact that, a matter of days...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 2 years agoTactical subs are spoiling the game
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK REDUCING the number of tactical substitutes is something I’ve wanted for a long time,...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoTime for Borthwick to put faith in Itoje
nick cain READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK STEVE Borthwick struck a positive note this week when he made it clear...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoMass rotation could end up a crowd killer
The Premiership wants to be taken seriously, but then makes the cardinal error of not taking itself seriously by trashing its...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoClass acts who have inspired a generation
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Jack Rowell, the man behind Bath’s “golden decade” at the back end of the amateur era, bore...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoTime for Borthwick to look to the future
According to reports, as the television news broadcasters like to say, Billy Vunipola is toying with the idea of a move...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoBorthwick puts his foot on the accelerator
Paul Rees looks at how England, without Owen Farrell at the helm, could turn into an attacking force Steve Borthwick’s England...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoWhen the selectors made the right calls
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S 2024 – a belated Happy New Year...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoSir Dicky’s New Year honour is hugely deserved
Everybody west of the Tamar, and indeed way beyond, was delighted that Dicky Evans was elevated to Sir Dicky in the...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoThe day Bancroft created history
TODAY sees the 130th anniversary of the first successful penalty kick in Test rugby with Billy Bancroft, below, landing a tricky...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoTime for new flier to make his choice
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW IMMANUEL Feyi-Waboso has been given a timely reminder that Wales wishes him to...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoDazzling Penaud out for a repeat
Given what they achieved throughout the old year, perhaps only Mary Earps and Pep Guardiola had reason to ring in the...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 2 years agoSet-piece domination still the key to victory
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I always try to be honest in what I write, but I...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoFarrell’s future the only talk in town…
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Fabien Galthie will have a reduced training squad for the 2024 Six Nations after a player release...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 2 years agoEngland’s attack has to have a revamp
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK The England attack has been mediocre since 2019 – and that’s giving it some...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoRFU has utterly failed to bring the game together
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK HERE’S wishing The Rugby Paper’s loyal readers, and fans of the game everywhere,...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoReasons to be cheerful for rugby’s year ahead
Paul Rees canvasses the views of Premiership directors of rugby and finds there is a fair amount of optimism IT IS...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoAll Blacks destined to regain top spot
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED IT USED to be said in New Zealand that failure to win the World Cup endangered the...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoAt last we are going in right direction
It is always easier to bury English rugby’s alleged leaders than to praise them, but it would run counter to the...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoWhen Merlene Ottey’s leotard grew nine sizes
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points NEW Year’s Eve and rugby always brings to...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoBiden steals the show in RAG awards
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Contrary to common belief, rugby’s event of the year did not happen in...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoFarewell to these fine men of rugby
Come hell or high water, The Grim Reaper never fails to take a day off from scything through his grisly business....
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoProud men who graced the game
Brendan Gallagher recalls the achievements of those from across the globe that the world of rugby lost in 2023 Sydney Millar...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 2 years agoTalented players will still miss out
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME With the start of a new year, it’s the beginning of a...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoSimmonds is facing a fight for survival
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE final weekend of 2023 – and we’re almost at the halfway point of the Top 14...
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