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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams: Scarlets are in need of grunt to go with the gas
Johnny McNichol must be wondering what he has signed up for judging by the Scarlets‘ start to the season. The Crusaders...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoBrendan Gallagher takes a look at the 1930 tour to New Zealand
In many ways the 1930 Lions tour epitomised everything we have grown to love, and occasionally curse, about the trips down...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn column: Right or wrong, I’m pleased Luke Pearce took responsibility
The first games of the season are always a bit of a mess and last week was no exception as all...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson column: The Cardiff flier forced to abandon his dream
Billy Boston now has a life-sized statue of his very own in Wigan, a bronze creation for which the town clubbed...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams column: Inspiring Alun Wyn Jones my man to lead Lions
Alun Wyn Jones embodies everything that the British & Irish Lions will need to succeed in New Zealand next summer and...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain column: Time for old Lions heroes to fade way
The 1971 and 1974 Lions were the greatest touring teams that have departed these shores, but the monopoly they appear to...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Warren Gatland can turn this crazy schedule to his advantage
The 2017 Lions head coach job in New Zealand was Warren Gatland‘s to turn down, and I’m pleased that he has...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn column: Gracie Matthews deserves support from Injured Players fund
The second National Rugby Awards took place on Thursday and what a day it was, as professional clubs, grassroots clubs, schools...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson column: Solution is needed to get Ospreys flying again
According to people who know about these things, the last confirmed flight of an Osprey over Wales took place some 12...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain: Yes, I believe England can rain on New Zealand’s parade
The All Black procession is in full marching order again, with the usual array of tub-thumpers and cheerleaders proclaiming them as...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams column: Get Stephen Jones on board when Lions confirm Warren Gatland call
When it comes to leading the British & Irish Lions, it’s all about experience and that’s why Warren Gatland is the...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Scene now set for Danny Cipriani to realise his full potential
Today’s clash at the Ricoh Arena thrusts Danny Cipriani into the spotlight once again and there will be huge pressure on...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn column: Shadow of court cases hangs over new season
Usually when we get this close to the kick-off of a new season there is an air of anticipation of all...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson column: Connacht haven’t lost hunger to retain title
Even when the whole of Galway let its collective hair down for days and nights on end, John Muldoon never lost...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams column: Regions must take lead from Connacht
The Welsh regions have a massive point to prove in the Guinness Pro12 this season and I’m expecting there to be...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott: Saracens set for dynasty – like Bath, Wasps and Tigers
Every new season brings renewed excitement, and with it changes in the pecking order in terms of who qualifies for Europe,...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain column: Matt Burke’s law on summer season is good sense
Matt Burke was not only a great Wallaby full-back, he is a measured and respected commentator on the game. That’s why...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn: What’s to stop Tier Two teams from taking the import route?
Money, money, money. Why are the clubs surprised that the highly publicised new deal between the RFU and PRL has seen...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson: Jamie Cudmore’s crusade to curb risk of concussion
Jamie Cudmore has hurled himself into a crusade this season on behalf of rugby players all over Europe, to raise millions...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott: Wallabies’ walloping shows up Bernard Foley’s frailties in attack
What a difference a year can make in international sport. Michael Cheika’s Wallaby side were riding a crest of a wave...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams: Fit and firing Gavin Henson can earn himself Wales recall
People may think I’m crazy for saying this but do not put it past Gavin Henson getting himself back in contention...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson: The day Newport felled the ‘Pinetree’
Over the course of more than 50 matches for the All Blacks all over the British Isles, Colin Meads only lost...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoAll Blacks will have to dig deep to keep that No.1 tag
By the time England are next scheduled to play New Zealand in the autumn of 2017 it will have been three...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoBrendan Gallagher: Beware the All Blacks ‘in transition’
It seems barely five minutes ago that the Rugby Championship was first mooted and then established and now here we are...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain: Fiji were fab but 7s is a glorious sideshow
Congratulations to Fiji for winning their first medal of any sort at the Olympics, and making it gold by dominating the...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott: All Blacks for the title, but Wallabies will come again
This Rugby Championship is the start of a new cycle for the Southern Hemisphere, which leads to Tokyo and the next...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams: James Davies proved he is the man for a big occasion
I’m sure I’m not the only person who has been gripped this week by the Olympic Sevens. Any doubts over whether...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn: Big yes to a Sevens World Cup in between Olympics
As the dust settles on Fiji‘s fantastic Olympic win and World Rugby looks forward to what it believes will be a...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson column: Star-finder Paul Turner can give Wales fresh hope
England‘s 45-man training squad this weekend included ten born in the Southern Hemisphere – four in New Zealand, three in Australia,...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams column: Steve Tandy and his Ospreys need to get a fast start
We are just a month away from the start of the new Guinness Pro 12 season and one side I expect...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn: Academy rejects must have a Championship bolthole
As usual, the letters to The Rugby Paper bring up some interesting points that would otherwise be missed and Jeff Gage...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain column: Feed the Championship before it dies of neglect
There are very few players in the England squad who have not benefitted from the time they have spent with a...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoBrendan Gallagher remembers the 1908 Lions who halted the rise of Rugby League
The 1908 ‘Lions‘ tour of New Zealand was, at first glance, a miserable failure with humiliating drubbings in two of the...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoTom Youngs in? Richard Cockerill must have Eddie Jones’ ear
Tom Youngs was a surprise addition to the Provisional England Elite Player Squad of 45 announced last Monday. That’s because when...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott: If Todd Blackadder’s ruthless he can transform Bath
Todd Blackadder arrives at Bath with a great playing pedigree and a good coaching CV, although he has not won much...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams column: Answers to this Pro12 predicament lie within
Is the world going mad or are the Pro12 administrators really considering sending players to the United States, South Africa or...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson: Misery in Wales has moulded Steve Hansen
As head coach of the All Blacks, Steve Hansen has lost three Test matches in five years. In the same position...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoIntroducing the reigning Olympic rugby champions
15. Charles Doe (Stanford University): Basketball was his first love but he quickly took to rugby. Vice-captain in Paris in 1924...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoBrendan Gallagher catches up with Italy boss Conor O’Shea
Conor O’Shea has been moving house this week and barring ferry delays, French customs getting moody and removal vans getting lost...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn column: Rugby as a whole won’t benefit from this new deal
With the RFU and the Premiership congratulating themselves on reaching an eye-watering £200 million plus funding agreement, there are some voices...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Half-back combination is the key to Bristol survival
Running out in front of a big crowd at Twickenham will be a fantastic baptism for Bristol on their welcome back...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain column: Stop these TV chiefs from censuring matches
Partisan television coverage in which host broadcasters lose the capacity to be objective is a growing problem for Rugby Union. The...
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Peter Jackson
/ 9 years agoPeter Jackson: Yes-No interlude for Shaun Edwards
Shaun Edwards could have been forgiven for not knowing whether he was coming or going in recent weeks, an observation which...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 9 years agoJeff Probyn column: Global season would be no aid to player welfare
Am I the only one who doesn’t understand the continual call for a global season and how moving a couple of...
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Shane Williams
/ 9 years agoShane Williams column: Senseless Gatland’s Law should be binned
I wonder how many Rugby Paper readers can give me a definitive explanation of ‘Gatland’s Law’. I know I certainly can’t....
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoBrendan Gallagher: Built on sand, but Fiji’s Olympics bid will be rock solid
When it comes to stand-out Olympic performances, David Hemery’s 400m hurdles gold for Great Britain in 1968 is right up there...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain column: England’s U20 stars would thrive at Rio Olympics
Here’s hoping that the GB Sevens side for the Rio Olympics which was announced last week come back from Brazil with...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 9 years agoBrendan Gallagher: The All Black tour that left Olympics in chaos
It’s 40 years pretty much to the day that a rugby tour wreaked havoc with the 1976 Montreal Olympics, a financially...
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Nick Cain
/ 9 years agoNick Cain talks to Nigel Wray and Simon Halliday about the Club v Country crisis
When the new club-country accord between the RFU and the Premiership is announced on Monday, unless there is a cast-iron clause...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 9 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Gregor Townsend would make a fine Lions attack coach
As amazing as a 2017 Lions coaching team of Warren Gatland, Joe Schmidt and Vern Cotter sounds they are all bosses ...
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