Jeff Probyn: There’s hope, despair and the road to redemption

Now the end of the year approaches, we can reflect on the first half of the season and look forward to...

David Ellis – “I can turn Danny Cipriani back into an England star”

Defence coach Dave Ellis says he can help Danny Cipriani get back into the England side. Gifted Sale Sharks playmaker Cipriani...

Toby Flood cleared of tip-tackle charges

Toby Flood will be available to face the Ospreys on Sunday in the Heineken Cup after being cleared of a tip-tackle...

Neil Briggs banned for three weeks

Neil Briggs has received a three-week suspension and will miss the Exiles’ remaining Amlin and LV Cup games in coming weeks....

Joel Tomkins states his case for England defence

The defensive prowess of Joel Tomkins makes him a genuine contender for an England call-up, says Saracens team-mate Dave Strettle. With...

Morgan Stoddart forced to retire

Scarlets and Wales full-back Morgan Stoddart has announced his retirement from rugby following the serious leg double fracture he sustained playing...

McCall and Co. carry on at Saracens

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall has extended his contract with the North London club until at least the end of...

Retired Hendre Fourie faces deportation

Former Sale Sharks and England flanker Hendre Fourie is facing deportation to South Africa after being forced to retire because of a...

London Wasps outplay and dominate Bath to go fourth

London Wasps made their way into the Top 4 with a dominant 29-15 win over Bath at Adams Park today. What...

Room 101: Scott Barrow – Fylde centre

1. Poor time-keeping I hate being late for anything – for training, a party…and, by the same token, it irritates me...

Nick Cain talks to Dean Richards about his remarkable return to rugby

Dean Richards has no peers in the English club game when it comes to building champion teams, and he is at...

Live: Wasps v Bath

Live running commentary from our man Nick Verdier as London Wasps take on Bath in the 13th round of the Aviva...

Saints and London Irish claim big wins at Exeter and Gloucester

Northampton confirmed their new-found form with a comprehensive 30-19 win over Exeter at Sandy Park today. A try from Ken Pisi...

Young Gun: Will Hooley – Northampton fly-half

As a young fly-half there aren’t many better mentors to learn from than Jonny Wilkinson – so Northampton‘s Will Hooley admits...

Live: Exeter v Northampton

Live running commentary from our man Nick Verdier as Exeter Chiefs take on Northampton Saints in the 13th round of the...

Jeremy Guscott: Lions place is Sexton’s to lose in Six Nations

Jonathan Sexton is in pole position to be the Lions first pick for the Test No.10 shirt now that his main...

Leicester go top of Premiership with win against Worcester

Leicester went top of the Premiership table following their narrow 19-14 victory over Worcester at Sixways tonight. David Lemi with a...

20 Questions: Jordan Crane – Leicester No.8

Pleased with your season so far? It’s been tough coming back from a long injury but it’s going OK. It’s great...

Live: Worcester v Leicester

Live running commentary from our man Nick Verdier as Worcester  take on Leicester in the 13th round of the Aviva Premiership at Sixways...

Premiership Round 13: Teams

Exeter v Northampton Exeter: Arscott; Camacho, Whitten, Dollman, Jess; Steenson, Thomas; Moon, Clark, Tui; Mumm, Hanks; Johnson, White, Baxter (capt.). Replacements:...

Fit-again Croft returns for Leicester

Tom Croft recovered from the serious neck injury he suffered back in April and will make his first Leicester appearance of...

“Christian Wade must add to his X-factor” – Joe Rokocoko

Joe Rokocoko admits he sees plenty of his younger self in Christian Wade, but the former All Black insists the Wasps...

Playing on, survivors of the Andean miracle

SUNDAY December 13, forty years ago, was the moment that a team of rugby players, who had been forced to the...

Nick Cain: Toulon are a triumph for French TV as well

The most startling statistic to come out of Round 4 of the Heineken Cup was not so much Toulon‘s nine try,...

My life in rugby: Gordon Ross – London Welsh and former Scotland, Leeds and Edinburgh fly-half

I’m not sure what the fat kid who started out in professional rugby would have made of the game as it...

Fourie retires but Braid signs for Sale Sharks

Sale’s former England flanker Hendre Fourie has retired because of a shoulder injury, but the Sharks have strengthened their pack by...

Peter Jackson: Let’s hear it for these Ospreys heroes!

Toulouse had been to Wales many times before last week, losing the odd game by the odd point here and there....

Dream Team: John Beatie – Former Scotland and Lions No.8

1. David Sole – He was so young when he first showed up for training but already a fantastic prop. You...

Jeff Probyn: No guarantee that artificial pitches will boost scrum

Some time ago I wrote about my doubts concerning Saracens‘ ambitions to play on an artificial pitch and whether it would...

Shaun Edwards quits London Irish role

Shaun Edwards has stepped down from his consultancy role with London Irish to concentrate on his work with Wales. The highly-regarded...

Room 101: Brett Davey – Doncaster head coach

1. Ignorant drivers People failing to acknowledge the fact you’ve given them the right of way is something that really winds...

“England can’t ignore me forever” – London Wasps Tom Varndell

Premiership top-try scorer Tom Varndell says he has unfinished business with England and is desperate to had to his four caps....

Young Gun: Max Stelling – Worcester centre

Worcester academy rookie Max Stelling admits his show-stopping debut brought him instant fame but his move to one of Britain’s furthest...

Mitchell leaves Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks have announced that interim boss John Mitchell has left the club and returned to South Africa for “personal reasons”....

Jeremy Guscott: Farrell can bring fresh ideas for the Lions

The Lions are about the integration of the coaches as much as the players, and Warren Gatland has made good choices...

20 Questions: Ed Jackson – London Welsh No.8

Still pinching yourself about playing in the Premiership? A little bit. You keep looking up and seeing international players you’ve only...

Nick Cain: Heineken Cup needs refreshing for the fans

Another Heathrow hotel meeting, and another Heineken cup impasse. That was the outcome from the battle of the suits this week...

My Life in Rugby: Richard Birkett – former Wasps lock

I spent most of my Wasps career hitting every ruck in sight so that Simon Shaw could stand out on the...

Peter Jackson: Wales may rue Gatland snub for Edwards

Shaun Edwards spent the week keeping a profile low enough as to be positively subterranean over Warren Gatland’s decision to make...

Dream Team: Ben Pienaar – Moseley and former Leicester back-row

1. Graham Rowntree – Just a wise old head who’s been there, done that, and knows what’s happening in the front...

Jeff Probyn: Heineken Cup row could damage the Six Nations

The Heineken Cup, despite all the trials and tribulations is rumbling along in its usual fashion, with all but one group...

Room 101: Gavin Cattle – Cornish Pirates scrum-half

1. Mobile phone-obsessed friends During the week it’s nice to meet up with some of your team-mates and go for a...

Sale Sharks still alive with bonus-point defeat at London Wasps

Sale secured a last gasp losing bonus-point against London Wasps to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive this afternoon. While...

Live: Wasps v Sale

Live running commentary from our man Nick Verdier as London Wasps take on Sale in the eleventh round of the Aviva...

Nick Cain says the best coaches never believe they cannot improve a winning team

England will not be de-railed this season by skidding on the media and blog froth that has surrounded his squad since...

Young Gun: Will Carrick-Smith –Exeter lock

Affectionately nicknamed ‘The Bus’, Exeter Chiefs lock Will Carrick-Smith spent an age waiting for his first-team chance – then two came...

Jeremy Guscott casts an expert eye over where England go from last week’s tumultuous victory

Despite the importance of the Heineken Cup mid-pool round, it’s still hard to forget England and New Zealand because last weekend’s...

Josh Lewsey is backing Ben Foden to win battle of No.15s

Ben Foden has seen his full-back throne usurped by two younger pretenders but England‘s World Cup winner Josh Lewsey believes the...

London Wasps flyer Tom Varndell firing on all cylinders

When it comes to spare time, tweeting and playing video games rank pretty high on most rugby players’ list of hobbies....

20 Questions: Davey Wilson – Bath and England prop

Enjoy being involved against New Zealand last week? It was the highlight of my international career. To beat the All Blacks...