A backwards step

I DO not care that France was England’s best performance of this year’s Six Nations, for the second week running we...

Stick with talking one language

Letters IN a recent article Paul Rees advocated that full time officials should learn to speak French and Italian so that...

JVP is not right man for the job

JACK van Poortvliet should never play for England again! Against Italy, he box-kicked with minutes to go. We lost. Then, guess...

Have confidence to run with the ball

MANY current and former England players say they cannot put their fingers on what’s gone wrong. I can. They keep kicking...

Limit role of the TMO

AMONG the highs and lows of last Saturday’s France-England clash was yet again the calling into question of the referee/TMO relationship....

Wrong call made against Genge

HAVING been involved with rugby union for 71 years as a player, teacher and avid spectator there are a few points...

DREAMTEAM

MATT CORNISH, THE EALING TRAILFINDERS AND FORMER LONDON IRISH & ENGLAND COUNTIES HOOKER, SELECTS THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH...

We won’t waste the rest of the season, promises Gilmore

JASON Gilmore took Quins latest Premiership setback on the chin and vowed that his side will “not waste the rest of...

Nick Cain: Resolute Thomas Ramos shows England how to do it

The only team to go backwards in the 2026 Six Nations was England. Where every other nation had something positive to...

Jones is delighted by team’s hard work

NEWCASTLE’S newly appointed head coach Stephen Jones was over the moon with his side’s efforts. He said: “I’m wonderfully proud of...

We won’t throw in the towel – coach

ALEX Sanderson insists Sale Sharks remain a major force in the Premiership narrative, even if this defeat pushed them further from...

Chris Hewett: Less snooze-on-sofa, more edge-of-seat…

After the Lord Mayor’s Show comes… you know the rest, so let’s not go there.

Peter Jackson: Louis Bielle-Biarrey has another record in sight

For his next exercise in shredding the Six Nations try book from A-Z, Louis Bielle-Biarrey will attempt to do something nobody...

Peter Jackson: 2026 Six Nations was terrific but, for my money, 2015 still best there has been

The stampede to acclaim the 2026 version as ‘the greatest’ Six Nations of all raises a pertinent question over the collective...

Scarlets end up on top in battle of the basement

■By ROGER PANTING SCARLETS convincingly won the battle of the league’s bottom two with a bonus-point victory, which took them above...

Cardiff left with nothing as Bulls go on rampage

■By SIMON THOMAS CARDIFF finished empty handed for the first time in a URC game this season to increase the play-off...

Dee battles hard to win his place back

■By SAM JACKSON DRAGONS hooker Elliot Dee will make his first appearance since the opening weekend of the season today. Dee,...

Glasgow stretch lead at the top

■By JOHN DAVIDSON Glasgow .........38 Leinster ...........17 GLASGOW earned a bonus-point win over a strong Leinster side to move eight points...

Connacht shock Ulster

■By SAM JACKSON Ulster ..............19 Connacht .......26 FINN Treacy scored twice as Connacht provided a big blow to Ulster’s title ambitions...

More Munster misery

■By WILL RILEY Sharks ........... 45 Munster ........... 0 SHARKS smashed seven tries in Durban to hand Munster a fifth defeat...

Edinburgh blown away

■By GEORGE LAWRENCE Lions ............... 54 Edinburgh ......17 THE Lions ripped Edinburgh to shreds at Ellis Park, running in eight tries...

We’re going for second spot, says Cov coach

■By PAUL SMITH Coventry .......... 44pts Tries: Nayalo 3, Ferrie 17, 20; Ball 39, Johnson 52, Adderly-Jones 60, Bavadra 63 Conversions:...

Bedford Blues 10-14 Nottingham Rugby: James Cherry at the double to see off the Blues

Nottingham secured their first victory away at Bedford Blues since 2016, thanks to James Cherry’s double at Goldington Road.

Cousins leads way for Ealing with four

■By JOSEPH TOBY Cousins ran in four tries as the league leaders smashed 13 past London Scottish and now need only...

Cave hits a hat-trick to put Chinnor in the clear

■By CÓILÍN DUFFY Chinnor ............ 48pts Tries: Robinson 2, Cave 19, 45, 69; Wharton 32, Moore 40, Pascoe 57 Conversions: Simpson...

Pirates have too much up front for Richmond

■By TIMOTHY FORRESTER Richmond ........13pts Try: Torpey 65 Conversion: Grieve 66 Penalties: Grieve 3, 10 Cornish P .........66pts Tries: Nelson 6,...

Warriors put on a show to demolish Cambridge

■By STEVE JACKSON Worcester W ...76pts Tries: Gonzalez 5, Chapman 28, Anstee 39, Zheng 41, 48; Short 43, Reed 50, 79;...

Va’Enuku in right place to settle it for Ampthill

The Champ ■By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury ............27pts Tries: Denty 6, Short 33, Crane 38, Allford 43 Conversions: Bazalgette 34, 44 Penalty:...

Champions face tough test

Women’s Premiership PREVIEW... Loughborough L v Gloucester-Hartpury Today. Kick-off 12.15pm, Franklin’s Gardens CHAMPIONS Gloucester-Hartpury will put their unbeaten record on the...

Burton snatches it for Trailfinders

■By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO that had lasted England’s squad for th ph Else come eout steals. Harlequins .......17pts Tries: C Powell 35,...

Sale pushing for play-offs

PREVIEW... Sale Sharks v Bristol Bears Today. Kick-off 3pm, Morson Stadium SALE are looking to maintain the winning streak that has...

Menin double has Chiefs firing

■By BEN SHEARD Leicester T ......... 0pts Exeter Chiefs .. 43pts Tries: Menin 15, 31; Feaunati 17, Robinson 19, Buchanan 24,...

Brendan Gallagher: The rise of Italy lifted the whole Six Nations

You can make a decent case for 2026 being the best Six Nations ever – whatever ‘best’ means – but it...

Paul Rees: Was England’s performance in Paris down to Steve Borthwick – or not?

Paul Rees says England’s Six Nations review must decide what roles the head coach played in the revival against France.

Walsh-led chase key to finding answers for hosts

■By GARETH DANIELS Sale FC............. 47 B Moseley .......31 TOM WALSH’S brace helped Sale FC prize open Birmingham Moseley, as they...

Hard-Black written into history books

■By TOM MARKHAM Sedgley Park ........28 Blackheath ............ 61 BILLY HARDING made try-scoring history, as his Blackheath side cruised to a...

Park get Stort-cut on home ground

■By JOHN ALLANSON through Josh Smart and Bishop’s S ...............59 Rosslyn Park .........33 BISHOP’S STORTFORD put on the performance of their...

Stirling’s late try seals dramatic Clifton win over

Clifton ......................28 Dings Crusaders ...................24 ■By ROGER OPIE WITH THE clock in the red, a monumental effort saw Ollie Stirling score...

Huge crowd snatch it at see Hayes the death

■By DAVID BEDDOWS Rotherham T ...22pts Tries: Barling 34, Penalty 49, Valentine 65 Conversion: Shaw 65 Drop goal: Hayes 80 Plymouth...

Tykes hold the fort in a 14-try thriller

■By BEN CROPPER Leeds Tykes ..........53 Tonbridge J ...........48 LEEDS TYKES edged a 14-try encounter, seeing off the spirited efforts of...

Rogers insists Stort will not be fodder after win in ‘tennis match’

News ■By BEN JAYCOCK BISHOP’S Stortford captain Will Rogers admits it has been a mixed season but recent form shows they...

Michael’s a star to get Rams cooking

■By RICHARD ASHTON Rams ........................ 71 Leicester Lions ....38 RAMS returned to winning ways, with Michael Cooke leading a spectacular home...

Varo rules with rapid two-score hit proving decisive

By RICHARD GORE Hull..................... 31 Darlington MP.36 JOELI VARO’s two-try return saw Darlington Mowden Park climb back to defeat at Hull....

Billingham too good for Scunny

By MIKE BROWN Billingham.............. 31 Scunthorpe............. 17 HOSTS BILLINGHAM produced a dominant second-half display to secure a convincing win over Scunthorpe....

Free-man Sam is Hoppers’ rescuer

By LOUIS JEFFERSON Preston G.................39. Sheffield Tigers....37 SAM FREEMAN’s late heroics snatched the victory for Preston Grasshoppers, in a back-and-forth affair...

Posa sets Sheff the stage for fine finish

By ANDREW SMITH Sheffield............31pts Tynedale...........21pts SHEFFIELD’s head coach Anthony Posa poured praise on his “special group” as they put a nervy...

Dorrington duo guide Fylde to a

By WILL JUDD Fylde.........................43. Otley..........................26 SECOND-HALF tries from brothers Ben and Jacob Dorrington, as well as David Fairbrother, saw Fylde record...

Fairbrother end

His effort, however, was cancelled out, on the hour-mark, after an Otley scrum was drove over by Scott Irvine. In a...

Rogers boots up to buckle Ionians

■By BRIAN NORMAN Hull Ionians ...........29 Rossendale ............38 FINLAY ROGERS’ fine goal-kicking helped his Rossendale side claim a valuable victory over...

Gleeing Macc pack stand up to Wharfe

■By TOM BARRY Macclesfield .........52 Wharfedale ............ 31 GLEE was felt on the sun-baked Macclesfield fields, after the third-placed outfit ran...