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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoWhy take off key players?
NICK CAIN The main factor in France being edged out by South Africa in last weekend’s quarter-final classic was that there...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoNext time, Dupont will take what is his
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED DID the spirit of rugby romance go to meet its maker in the immediate aftermath of the...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoKolbe’s magic hidden from view
CHRIS HEWETT AMONG the many mysteries of this World Cup –Why isn’t Patrice Lagisquet coaching a competitive nation? Why doesn’t Ben...
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Latest News
/ 2 years agoGatland’s decison to stay is best news of all
SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND THERE’S just a week to go at the Rugby World Cup in France and you’d...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoCurtain falls on dynamic duo
Paul Rees sees Johnny Sexton and Dan Biggar exit stage left as their epic international careers come to a close ALL...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoTop teams getting too far ahead
The World Cup kicked off to a barrage of complaints about the draw for the groups, which was made three years...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoPut Kolbe fast show on the big TV screen
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Seven days on, Thomas Ramos will still be kicking himself over falling victim...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoJohnny should be OK by 2051
Sean Fitzpatrick, suitably jubilant over the All Blacks’ gigantic win over Ireland, offered Johnny Sexton some sobering advice on how long...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoWhy the final step is often one too many
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER If I had a fiver for every time...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoPleased Dickson made the right call
Did you, like me, cheer inwardly when Karl Dickson could be heard on comms explaining that not all hits to the...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 2 years agoGood to see England leading northern light
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME WHO would have believed it? England the only Northern hemisphere team to...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoI’m going nowhere, promises Galthie
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN "I have a contract that runs until June 2028, so no.” That was France head coach Fabien...
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Shane Williams
/ 2 years agoThe only way is up for this team
SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND IF IT was all a bit of a let down in the end, let’s not...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoSorry end for Sexton and his band of brothers as they fall short yet again
BRENDAN GALLAGHER No No No. Not again surely? After 36 years of trying to win a quarter-final Ireland have fallen short...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 2 years agoEngland must get best out of Smith
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK STEVE Borthwick does not have a lot of choice when it comes to selecting...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoThe twin pillars of England’s rebuild
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Ollie Chessum and Marcus Smith play with such enthusiasm when they pull on...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoTime to discover if spine is strong
NICK CAIN One of the oldest methods of assessing the strength of a team is to look at the 2-8-9-10-15 positions...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoOne Goon show we could all do without
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED It is just about possible, if you’re seriously odd, to imagine that Dan Cole might stand a...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoTravelling coast to coast is a delight
CHRIS HEWETT A good many moons ago, this column identified the No.14 shirt as the latest cutting-edge fashion garment in the...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoA French-inspired XV to take on the world
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points The ProD2 Twitter account – sorry X account...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoWhy do Aussies let so many escape?
RUGBY MATTERS The problems facing Australian Rugby are many and numerous but a largely unmentioned issue would appear to be letting...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoRegions facing a battle to stay afloat
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW ACCORDING to the official blurb, Wales’ match against the Barbarians next month is...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoHistory backing France
PETER JACKSON For reasons that defy all logic, France have never failed to reach a World Cup final once every 12...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoBlocking out the noise
PETER JACKSON The Springboks have been warming up for tonight’s semi-final against France to the overpowering sound of an ecstatic Gallic...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoBig four are streets ahead
Paul Rees says the 40 group matches have highlighted the difference in the two sides of the draw World Rugby’s plans...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 2 years agoWhy I’m expecting a big win for England
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME As England continue with their World Cup journey against Fiji today, the...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoGalthie’s spolit for options out wide
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN WHENEVER an international match is on the horizon, whether or not there’s a Rugby World Cup on...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoNot enough clarity, too much confusion
PAUL REES A victory but a step backwards. After three matches that were largely stress free, Danny Care burgled Samoa with...
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Shane Williams
/ 2 years agoI expect Wales to make semi-finals
WALES AND LIONS LEGEND SHANE WILLIAMS JOB done for Wales in Nantes, but no cigar! Six tries, five points and a...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 2 years agoEpic match in store as Ireland sharpen claws
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK An Ireland v New Zealand quarter-final is a mouthwatering prospect, especially after Andy Farrell’s...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoMagic money tree can’t last for ever
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BILL Sweeney does not much care for accountability. It is why his first...
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English Championship
/ 2 years agoPellegrini shows the depth of talent
Pat Pellegrini’s beautifully taken chip-and-chase try for Tonga against South Africa in last weekend’s World Cup clash in Marseille was a...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoSacrificial lambs who took one for the team
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED RUGBY being a hard old game even when things are going your way, the willingness to suffer...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoBunker mentality makes it easier for refs
Where football leads, rugby inevitably follows. So when can we expect the equivalent of a VAR cock-up to lord it over...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoKeep Portugal in game
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Portugal might have become the surprise package of...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoAustin’s bite would add to the show
I miss Austin Healey. There, I said it. I miss his eagle eye spotting stuff I have missed; I miss him...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoTime for the mind games to take centre stage
Paul Rees wonders whether a demanding run-in for the favourites will open the door for England and Wales THE World Cup...
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Paul Rees
/ 2 years agoBunker system may expand to other contests
It was always going to be a World Cup in which discipline would be crucial with a zero tolerance on head...
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Peter Jackson
/ 2 years agoToo many matches that don’t matter
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW FROM my lofty perch in Block D, Row 11, Seat 8 of the...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 2 years agoRFU must provide a pathway for everyone
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME WELL, who would have believed it? One of the best teams in...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoKolbe move to Toulon in the spotlight
JAMES HARRINGTON The pre-season period of summer 2021 was fairly humdrum in France. Not that most players, coaches, or journalists for...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoGalthie joy as France’s wait for Meafou is nearly over
Expect to see New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Emmanuel Meafou in a France squad as early as next year in time for the start...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 2 years agoFarrell doesn’t get into my XV
JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK AS England approach their last pool match against Samoa on Saturday, and the likelihood...
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Rugby World Cup
/ 2 years agoIn Gats we trust! Old boss has new tricks
SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND IF THE Wales win over Australia proved anything it is that in Gats we trust!...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoSchism which is set to tear game apart
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK There is a schism waiting to happen in the English game, and it...
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Nick Cain
/ 2 years agoFor once, Erasmus makes the wrong call
Rassie Erasmus is not known for missing many tricks when it comes to tactical thinking, whether in selection or playing mind-games....
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoIt wasn’t so easy back in Rory’s day
CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED RORY Underwood. Remember him? You should. To this day, the Leicester wing stands tall – rather taller...
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Chris Hewett
/ 2 years agoTime to take the show on the road, England
According to those who know their stuff when it comes to the scorched landscape of domestic politics, there is a prime...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoWarrior spirit at heart of the game
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points I’VE been surprised that some have been surprised...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 2 years agoShame of the RFU blazers
It's funny what tugs at your emotions and I was caught unaware last week by the traditional pre-season picture of the...
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