Dream Team with Alex Loney

The former Leicester, Nottingham, Avignon, Rotherham and Fylde hooker, now head coach of Fylde & Lancashire, chooses the best XV he...

Leicester have the class to rule again

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Leicester are not where their fans want them to be – and a minority...

Saracens closing in on finishing line

By PAUL REES Bristol Bears ....................20pts Tries: Batley 4, Thacker 52 Conversions: MacGinty 5, Williams 53 Penalties: MacGinty 11, 20 Saracens...

Farrell: We play with our heads up

OWEN Farrell said Saracens remained on course for another Twickenham final because of their ability to adapt their gameplan. A close...

Dominant Chiefs set up shot at the semis

By MARK STEVENS Exeter Chiefs .................. 58pts Tries: Slade 20, Feyi-Waboso 33, 65, John 40, Skinner 43, 71, Jenkins 77 Conversions:...

Baxter: We must recharge quickly

EXETER DoR Rob Baxter says his team will have to recharge quickly in their quest to reach the top four with...

Superior Saints go on 14-try rampage

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton....................90pts Tries: Furbank 1, Dingwall 12, Sleightholme 21, 56, 66; Langdon 27, 35; Mitchell 39, Waller 47, Matavesi...

We had a job to do and we went out and did it, says Dowson

NORTHAMPTON director of rugby Phil Dowson felt sympathy for Gloucester after their 14-try drubbing but said his side had a job...

Russell masterclass has Bath in top gear

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle......................... 17pts Tries: Blamire 30, 40+2, Stuart 63 Conversions: Connon 64 Bath .................................... 28pts Tries: du Toit 4,...

Diamond calls for 80-minute showing

NEWCASTLE boss Steve Diamond told his players and staff “to stop feeling sorry for themselves” after Falcons’ suffered a 20th league...

James at his best as Sale keep in the race

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sale .....................................31pts Tries: Warr 8, Taylor 13, James 34, O’Flaherty 43 Conversions: Ford 9, 14, 35, 44 Penalties:...

‘I’m going to stick with this motley lot’

ON an evening of final home appearances for some big names, Sale coach Alex Sanderson announced live to the home crowd...

Time to put an end to marquee players

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK ARE marquee players, or coaches, worth it, or are they just a Premiership...

Mistake to reduce value of the scrum

The danger World Rugby’s high-handed law-makers face with their insistence on trying to marginalise the scrum is that it could easily...

Calling MPs will add to pressure

The decision of Championship clubs to contact their local MPs to ask for Government to mediate in its gridlocked negotiations with...

Glasgow gunning for top two spot

By BRYN PALMER Bulls ................40 Glasgow......... 34 GLASGOW salvaged two bonus points from a stirring last-quarter comeback to maintain their hopes...

We blew our chances to win, admits Thomas

By SIMON THOMAS Lions................. 34pts Tries: Venter 7, Q Horn 18, Tshituka 73, 79 Conversion: Nohamba 8, 19, Lombard 74, 80...

Flanagan can’t believe it as Dragons fall away

By ROGER PANTING Dragons.............21pts Tries: Keddie 14, Wainwright 59 Conversions: O’Brien 59 Penalties: Reed 7, 26, 49 Stormers.......... 44pts Tries: Davids...

Munster make it seven in a row

Munster ......... 47 Connacht......... 12 By JOHN WILKINS MUNSTER made it seven wins on the spin with a seven-try victory over...

Leinster get in the mood for a double triumph

Leinster ........... 61 Ospreys............14 By SAM JACKSON JORDAN Larmour scored a hat-trick as Leinster showcased their credentials of a possible Champions...

Everitt set for Irish crunch

Edinburgh .......40 Zebre.................14 By BRYN PALMER EDINBURGH head coach Sean Everitt believes another five points will seal a URC play-off place...

Northampton swoop to sign England U20s fly-half

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton have signed England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt. Having endured the hardship of London Irish folding, the tyro...

Tbilisi win was key – Skivington

By JON NEWCOMBE George Skivington has credited the European Challenge Cup win against Black Lion in Tbilisi as the moment Gloucester...

Davies, 36, open to offers

Wales centre Jonathan Davies is leaving Scarlets at the end of the season and hopes for one final opportunity with another...

Devoto calls it quits at Exeter

EXETER centre Ollie Devoto will leave the club at the end of the season. The 30-yearold has scored 21 tries in...

Rugby’s holy trinity prove the difference

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED SINCE time immemorial, rugby has been cloaked in its own cliches: Prince Obolensky was always “dashing”; Colin...

Mo’unga likely to be back in black

SO he hasn’t gone for good, after all. Not quite. If the All Blacks have their way, as they invariably do...

Power of the four musketeers

A common theme of last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals was the influence of the four scrum-halves, the catalysts of teams that...

Mine was very much the road less travelled

My Life in Rugby - Mike Ross, the former Ireland, Harlequins and Leinster prop talks about his life in the game...

Davies the leading light in Welsh quartet

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Four international fly-halves took flight from Wales last year, understandably so given the...

When Goodall was the bigger man

Ken Goodall shall forever be remembered as one of Ireland‘s greatest back row forwards, a humble man with a freakish talent...

Morgan has final say to make sure for Hartpury

By BEN WHITE Ampthill ............36pts Tries: Elliott 3, 27; Bracken 24, Jackson 32, 59 Conversions: Parks 4, 25, 28, 33 Penalty:...

Coventry denied by powerful Pirates

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates ............ 22pts Tries: Hocking 69, Johnson 79 Coventry ..........................12pts Penalties: Tries: Houston 15, 18, 22, 51...

Doncaster win the battle but Ealing take the title

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster......... 20pts Tries: Fox 25, Margetts 59 Conversions: Bennett 25, 59 Penalties: Bennett 40, 68 Ealing T ................

Barker steps up to snatch it for Caldy at the death

■By JOHN LYON Caldy .................. 31pts Tries: Royle 9, 23; Gerrard 19, Booth 75 Conversions: Kilcourse 10, 20, 24; Barker 76...

Blues take the honours to land top four finish

By MO SHER L Scottish ......... 31pts Tries: Nutton 3, Ferdinand 14, Musk 40, Osborne 48, Ingall 79 Conversions: Lloyd-Seed 4,...

Leaders happy to see stars

Preview L’borough v Glouc-H Today. 3pm REIGNING champions and unbeaten league leaders Gloucester-Hartpury have been bolstered by the return of their...

Brown glad to celebrate her century in fine style

By TOM JEFFREYS Harlequins ...... 47pts Tries: Layzell 9, Brown 12, Powell 30, Cromack 42, Lochner 70, Mayhew 75, Hele 80...

Harrison leads from front to seal it for Saracens

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens .......... 54pts Tries: Breach 2, 6; Bridger 11, Campbell 14, Gondwe 38, Rose 64, Gregson 78, Evans...

Chiefs dominate from the off to keep Trailfinders quiet

By TOM JOHNSON Trailfinders ..... 10pts Tries: Dow 79, 80 Exeter ................40pts Tries: Moloney 11, 57; Allen 17, Wilkins 45, Sinclair...

Heath are crowned thanks to first-try rule

by Josh Thomas Regional 1 Championship final Heath ................35 Barnstaple..... 35 HEATH’S late heroics secured the Regional 1 Championship despite sharing...

Longlevens defy battling Widnes

Counties 1 Championship final Longlevens ....25 Widness..........19 LONGLEVENS held off a fierce second half fightback to win the Counties 1 Championship....

Brunel push Old Ruts all the way

Counties 2 Championship final Brunel Uni ....... 31 Old Ruts.......... 43 OLD Rutlishians claimed the Counties 2 Championship but were pushed...

Southend go out on a high

Regional 2 Championship final Northampton Old Scouts ...26 Southend Saxons ...35 SOUTHEND showed true grit to twice come from behind and...

Blues hold on in battle at the top

Super Rugby Pacific round-up By BEN JAYCOCK Bluse held on with their backs to their try line as they edged past...

Imbalance of northern sides may push up travel costs

By BEN JAYCOCK DESPITE his side being shifted back to National Two North, Chester fourth official Martin Buck said it doesn’t...

50 years ago, the Lions start to sweat

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER At the start of the year, this column...

GB face Monaco battle for Olympic decider

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER ANY rugby tourist, or indeed anybody who finds themselves in striking distance of Monaco, should consider looking...

Titans time their run to perfection and finish with the lion’s share

Following Rotherham’s late run to secure the National Two North title, Ben Jaycock canvassed the views of our reporters to select...

Essex facing tough start to county champs

By BEN JAYCOCK At the end of last season, Essex were promoted to Division 2 but faced a daunting start to...