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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Eddie Jones is making history with every passing week
As a sportsman, you get the chance to write history every time you take part, whether in the Olympics or your...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: All Blacks bolstered by bench strength again
It was a case of deja vu for Wales in Wellington after another positive start against the All Blacks. Again we...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson verdict: Wales bewitched by Beauden Barrett
There is such a terrible beauty about Beauden Barrett that as soon as he appeared Wales had good reason to fear...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher verdict: Eddie’s made England box-office again
There was a moment early in the game yesterday – the 12th minute to be precise – when you knew for...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott verdict: Now find sharper attacking edge to challenge for that 2019 RWC
Epic is not too big a word for this achievement of becoming the first England side to win a three-Test series...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Eddie Jones turns the tables on his Aussie tricksters
England have won the Test series…and head coach Eddie Jones has won the mind games just as conclusively. Yesterday’s succes in...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Rugby has become too destructive for own good
The human wreckage of one club’s season can be gauged from some brutal facts – 30 significant injuries requiring more than...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher column: For first Lions, cash not glory was top of bill
Whisper it quietly but the first Lions tour to New Zealand in 1888, which took in Australia as well, was all...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Slave-driver Eddie Jones will whip squad into shape
Phil Kearns is no shrinking violet, and this week he launched a clever strike aimed at destabilising the England squad coached...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams verdict: Lively Liam Williams is such a joy to watch
What a game and what an effort from Sam Warburton and his boys but yet again, New Zealand showed why they...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson verdict: The All Blacks got up off the canvas
Peter The cognoscenti had been nodding all over New Zealand all week in agreement with Christian Cullen’s prognosis, that Wales wouldn’t...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott verdict: Ford-Farrell axis is key to an historic Series win
People should not underestimate the magnitude of this first ever Test victory by an England side in Brisbane and it proves...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: England beat the Aussies – and the law changers
England‘s sensational success in Brisbane yesterday was all the more laudable considering they were at a disadvantage because of the ridiculous...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher verdict: England claim redemption
Never underestimate the power of redemption and the urgent bloody-minded need to prove yourself right and the other buggar wrong. It’s...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher on Italy and Scotland’s summer scrutiny
Most eyes will inevitably be looking south this summer with England, Wales and Ireland going head to head with the Southern...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher looks back at the career of Imanol Harinordoquy
So it’s farewell to Imanol Harinordoquy who will be an ex-rugby player by the end of the month, perhaps sooner. His...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain looks at the Wallabies’ key personel
All’s fair in love and war – and baggage searches – when England play Australia in any sport. That’s why, after...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Wales, it’s time to give All Blacks a real Test!
When Wales touched down in Auckland the other day, the All Blacks did their level best to ensure them a soft...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: That Twickenham horrow show will be a blessing in disguise
The only positive for Wales to take out of their pretty desperate performance against England last Sunday was at least that...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Self-policing the salary cap wrong from the off
The salary cap “investigation” surrounding Saracens and Bath last season, and the stampede by almost every other club in the Premiership...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Ford’s bad day shouldn’t stop him driving England
Before George Ford played against Wales last weekend, Eddie Jones was asked whether Bath‘s sacking of his father as their director...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Your players have stepped it up Eddie Jones, now it’s your turn
While reading another interview with Eddie Jones imploring his players to raise the bar yet higher, I must admit to being...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher looks at how Wales have never yet come to terms with touring in New Zealand
Wales don’t travel to New Zealand often and when they do it’s usually calamitous but history will show that their first...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Fans flock to watch match with no meaning
England against Wales at Twickenham last autumn resulted in the hosts being ejected from the World Cup with indecent haste. The...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: It’s another dangerous Maverick manoeuvre
Chris Ashton is a maverick. Ever since he crossed codes by leaving Wigan for Northampton he has never been far from...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Marland Yarde offers better balance to how Eddie Jones wants to play
Selection is something that everyone thinks they are better at than anyone else, and so always causes a stir of emotion....
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Ben Te’o comes from League but he’s not Sam Burgess Mkll
Ben Te’o is an athlete who has the presence to be an international centre, which is what he will hope to...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher column: Alex Goode now epitomises the modern day attacking No.15
The outstanding Alex Goode has always struck me as a slightly unlucky player. First, he is blessed with an all court...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain’s Team of the Year
When Saracens became the first Premiership side to win the European Cup for eight years in Lyon a fortnight ago, they...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher: England’s colourful history of touring Australia
Compared with New Zealand and South Africa, an England trip to Australia is sometimes seen as a ‘softer’ tour but the...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Lions tour schedule devised by donkeys
A year from now the 2017 Lions will be travelling to the other end of the world with the aim of...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher: Premiership final preview
It’s been a long haul but nobody can question that the two best and most consistent club sides in England will...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: The Welshman who helped spark Saracens’ revolution
Mark Evans has never forgotten his first night of European football, watching Cardiff City beat Real Madrid from the blue-collar Grange...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Bill Beaumont’s got a big job balancing demands to suit everyone
Over the last week the rugby world has had a real shake-up which has the potential to transform when and where...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: South African route may lead Bath down another dead end
Mike Ford said throughout the season that he was meeting with Bath’s owner, Bruce Craig, on a weekly basis, and that...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Bradley Davies’ so right to play with Alun Wyn Jones
The return of Bradley Davies to Wales on a national dual contract next season came as a surprise to some, especially...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Modern pros would do well to remember the old days
With the season over for all but the chosen few in the Premiership playoffs or the various tours in the next...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher column: Connacht, the ‘poor relations’ of Irish rugby
That which doesn’t break you, makes you. My favourite rugby pictures, and indeed story of the season so far, were the...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: James Davies can use Warren Gatland snub to star in Olympics
According to Warren Gatland, New Zealand is no country for young men to be initiated into the ranks of Test rugby,...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Wallabies will be formidable on fast ground Down Under
George Smith has always defied convention, and the 35-year-old veteran Aussie openside continues to do so, capping his first – and...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher column: Return to the Exeter Championship title in 2010
The last time Exeter finished second in a regular season and contested the play-offs we witnessed a master class from Rob...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher column: Raise a glass to the Bramley Road faithful
It’s a long way from Bramley Road Southgate to the Grande Stadium Lyon and that journey has taken the best part...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Mercenaries under fire as Agustin Pichot cries foul
Agustin Pichot was always a visionary scrum-half and the former Argentine captain has wasted no time in getting stuck into the...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Peak fitness has enabled George Kruis to scale new heights
George Kruis gets my vote for Player of the Year. Great players are defined by consistency of performance and what they...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Gregor Townsend’s got his Glasgow Warriors battle-ready for Galway
As the dust settles on a pretty miserable Welsh effort in the Pro12, defending champions Glasgow Warriors are my tip to...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Even with TMOs, referees still miss foul play
At close of play on Friday night, 23 players had been sent off in European club competition this season compared to...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Play-offs should be used to assess tier two quality
The end of the season always spells triumph or disaster for one club or another and this year is no exception....
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Final day meltdown was just not acceptable
There’s no escaping the harsh reality that this has been the worst season in the history of Welsh regional rugby. Wales...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Saracens can batter down the gates of Europe
Two years ago Saracens hit the wall. Then, as now, there was a European and Premiership double for the taking, but...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: This jealous snub only undermines the awards
There is something badly amiss in the shortlist for the 2016 Players’ Player of the Year award. The absence of a...
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