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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Irish get set for Storm Gatland to blast Dublin
The deep depression hanging over Ireland has nothing to do with Storm Gertrude and everything to do with Wales landing in...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain: My arrows of desire point to an anthem for England
Having (reluctantly) once had to regale a packed Marseille restaurant with a solo rendition of God Save the Queen on the...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher: Form counts for nothing in Calcutta Cup cauldron
It would be untrue to describe Murrayfield as a graveyard for English rugby, there has been plenty of success there over...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain: Eddie Jones starts off with a laugh, but will the joke be on England?
Just as Eddie Jones and Dylan Hartley were about to hold forth about England‘s preparations for Murrayfield a huge gust courtesy...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: It’s time for this England backline to really produce
When you look at the England backs ahead of the Six Nations my main feeling is that this is their time....
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Sorry Eddie Jones, but just how honest a player is Dylan Hartley?
I suppose it was always on the cards and, the more people objected, the more likely it became: England‘s first foreign...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoWarren Gatland just kidding about Ireland, he knows Wales have strength to win – Shane Williams
Wales are in a great position to win the Six Nations. I was already confident that Wales could do well in...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher: Above all, Dylan, make sure you have luck on your side
Eddie Jones announced Dylan Hartley as his England captain on Monday which probably came as no surprise although he has taken...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott: Honesty is the best policy to get Bath out of this mess
Bath have a playing roster that would be the envy of a lot of teams in Europe and yet they are...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Can Guy Noves make the real France stand up?
Is Guy Noves a greybeard version of D’Artagnan arriving to put the cut and thrust back into French rugby, or an...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Could Johnno make Lions roar again in New Zealand?
Martin Johnson has not attended many Press conferences since he resigned as England manager just over four years ago. However, he...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams’ column: Lions need Warren Gatland but where are our guys?
Warren Gatland would be my choice right now to lead the Lions to New Zealand in 2017, but where have all...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson: Star-maker Elis Wyn Williams earnt place amid the greats
In the Pantheon of scrum-halves, Welsh names are embossed in gold, spanning the decades from the tragic Dicky Owen to the...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn: London Scottish link with Scotland raises plenty of problems
What a week we’ve had. First an announcement that could create some interesting changes for the outcome of the Six Nations...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher: Being coach of England often ends in tears, Eddie
So Eddie Jones is off and running, and to borrow slightly from the late and much lamented David Bowie, we might...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain – It’s a breath of fresh air as Eddie Jones gives us his exciting tale of the unexpected
It’s simple, mate: if you’re not in the squad you haven’t done enough to get there. That’s the Eddie Jones approach...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Eddie’s new high-energy England set up to attack
Eddie Jones has picked his first squad, and I’m encouraged. My gut feeling is that this is the era in which...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Friday fun and games is strictly for Wales
Friday night fever of the virulent Six Nations kind will break out again in Cardiff next month. France in Round Three...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Cardiff Blues have signed one of Europe’s top talents
Of all the transfers and moves announced so far – Matthew Morgan joining Cardiff Blues is by far the most exciting....
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Lack of quality tightheads is major concern for Eddie Jones
Last Sunday I was the guest on Talksport’s Full Contact show with Brian Moore where we discussed the latest round of...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher column: It’s time for Six Nations to produce real quality
It’s normally right now – the second and third week of January – that I fall back in love with the...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Danny Care can make my backline fire for new-look England
The return of Manu Tuilagi for Leicester yesterday is a huge boost for Eddie Jones before he names his Six Nations...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher feature: All the big guns set their sights on Rio Olympics
So far so good. After Rugby‘s ill-starred Olympic history it’s been comparatively plain sailing to date for the 2016 tournament, at...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Silence is not golden when it involves a PRL cover-up
Starting a New Year always brings a sense of hope and anticipation for sports fans as we put the failures of...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain talks to Gloucester coach Laurie Fisher about the making of world class opensides
If opensides like Australia’s David Pocock and Michael Hooper, and the recently retired double New Zealand world champion, Richie McCaw, proved...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Ireland match holds the key to another Wales Grand Slam
No sooner have we all welcomed in the New Year than the Six Nations is upon us. It all kicks-off in...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPerter Jackson column: Chris Ralston sad as ‘innocent’ man Charlie Thomas passes away
This is the story of Anglo-Welsh rugby‘s most enduring who dun it, a mystery involving an English Lion and a Welsh...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Eddie Jones needs smart, abrasive forwards to lead the charge
The forwards Eddie Jones selects will give us the first indication of what style England will adopt under his coaching. At...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Good luck to Ian Peel, but don’t forget 2003 guru
Ian Peel has come from the ranks of the RFU‘s coaching pathway to being named as England’s new scrum coach this...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Alex Cuthbert finding form at just the right time
Christmas derbies… there’s nothing else like them in Welsh rugby. As a player I loved this time of year. Now, as...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Craig Joubert and Rupert Murdoch make it a year to remember
Half a century from now, when Georgia win the Ten Nations and two clubs from Mars replace the Italians in the...
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Brendan Gallagher
/ 10 years agoBrendan Gallagher: New hope for British clubs as the old empires crumble in Europe
How the mighty have fallen. We still have two rounds of the Pool stages left – in fact some teams have...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain: Here’s how Eddie Jones could make some big changes
Never underestimate the electric-shock speed at which things can change in our sport. It is just under three months since England...
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European Rugby
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson: Out for the count, Europe’s big three
There have been six multiple winners of what is now known as the Champions’ Cup and two have gone already, counted...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Chris Robshaw has to earn his shirt wherever he plays
Chris Robshaw‘s credentials as an honest man were burnished this week when, in his first post-World Cup interview, the incumbent England...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Dylan Hartley’s no Johnno and, for me, he’s no captain
As we sit back trying to digest our Christmas excesses while also enjoying the success of the England clubs in the...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott: Elliot Daly has gas, he’s got the boot, now give him a chance!
Elliot Daly is becoming a recognised force both in the Premiership and the European Cup, and over the last two seasons...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: We must offer women players more protection
Some time ago I got into a bit of trouble over something that was said on the old Rugby Special programme....
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain suggests new England coach Eddie Jones should seize his chance to revamp the scrum
Eddie Jones may have stepped into the Twickenham tunnel with his eyes wide open, but already he is having to negotiate...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: BBC snub lets bigots back into the game
On their biennial visit to Cardiff over three decades from the early Sixties, England played the role of the compliant guest...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: ‘Gutted’ George Ford will soon get his stuffing back in place
George Ford has had a rough few months. Having been given the vote of no-confidence just before England’s decisive World Cup...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Taulupe Faletau can become best No.8 in the world at Bath
Taulupe Faletau’s decision to join Bath next season means that they have acquired a 25-year-old who is not only a world-class...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Matt Symons’ pilgrimage has been an indictment of our system
I had an interesting letter this week from Jeff Gage who often corresponds with The Rugby Paper. In his letter, he...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Foreign legion encamps at No.8
England, Ireland, Italy and Scotland are in the process of acquiring No.8’s from the Southern Hemisphere for the New Year. France...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain talks to Saracens No.2 Jamie George about the subtleties of the scrum
Jamie George was the best hooker in England last season, but barely got a look-in at Test level. And when recognition...
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Shane Williams
/ 10 years agoShane Williams column: Ospreys must not waste that great result in Clermont
That wonderful fightback by the Ospreys in Clermont has given them the chance to make a real push for a quarter-final...
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Nick Cain
/ 10 years agoNick Cain column: Quota system cost Heyneke Meyer as much as that Japan defeat
It’s the impossible job. It’s called coaching South Africa, and it’s the one that Heyneke Meyer has just resigned from, falling...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 10 years agoJeremy Guscott column: Dan Carter can be a success like Jonny Wilkinson – if he learns French
Dan Carter is without doubt a sensational signing for Racing 92 – as big, or bigger, than Jonny Wilkinson was for...
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Peter Jackson
/ 10 years agoPeter Jackson column: Is George North’s new deal really such a delight?
George North proclaims himself “massively delighted” to be extending his stay at Northampton beyond this season. Head coach Jim Mallinder, a...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 10 years agoJeff Probyn column: Our home grow talent is blocked by foreign imports
After a brilliant display by all the Premiership teams in Europe last week, it would seem that there’s definitely not a...
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