Baxter: “We are overachieving” this season

Rob Baxter praised his young side’s competitive edge and their ability to learn from mistakes after their comfortable victory against Gloucester....

Hong Kong Sevens – All Blacks Reign Supreme!

All Blacks Sevens ace Cody Vai has vowed that “this is not it” for the New Zealanders this season after they...

Vunipola arrested and tasered twice in Majorca incident

Saracens and former England number eight Billy Vunipola has been arrested following a violent incident in a bar in Majorca. According...

Chiefs boost top-four hopes with five-try win at Kingsholm

By TOM JEFFREYS Gloucester…………………………………………..17 Tries: May 29, Clement 40, Clark 50 Conversions: Atkinson 52 Exeter Chiefs……………………………………….38 Tries: Vermeulen 14, 60; John...

England celebrate Grand Slam treble

By BEN JAYCOCK England secured their sixth straight Six Nations title and third Grand Slam in a row yesterday by beating...

Battle for top four reaching climax

The battle for the Premiership play-off places heated up yesterday with leaders Northampton losing to Harlequins and a revitalised Bristol Bears...

I’ll never stop looking for hidden gems – Lam

By PAUL REES Pat Lam says he will never stop plundering the rugby mine of the Championship and the leagues below...

Lineout ace Parling joins Wallabies

Former England lock Geoff Parling has joined Joe Schmidt’s Australia coaching set-up as the build-up to next summer’s Lions tour intensifies....

No space for Georgia

Wales will not be playing Georgia this autumn, with Fiji, Australia and South Africa lined up on November 10, 17 and...

Saracens know how to win – Tompkins

By BEN JAYCOCK With the Premiership run-in hotting up, Saracens centre Nick Tompkins claims ‘experience matters’ in these blockbuster end-of-season contests...

Wizard Kildunne is in a league of her own, says Monye

By STEFAN FROST Ugo Monye believes Red Roses flyer Ellie Kildunne has achieved her aim of being the best rugby player...

Leicester in discussions to hire new attack coach

By PAUL REES Dan McKellar has told Leicester fans to buckle up for the ride next season as the club closes...

Langdon is quick to make his point

By PAUL REES Northampton have placed an emphasis this season on putting pace in the legs of their players and that...

Faletau ruled out for rest of season

WALES No.8 Taulupe Faletau has fractured his shoulder and will not play again this season. The 33-year-old was injured on his...

Lawes inducted into Hall of Fame

COURTNEY Lawes will be inducted into the RPA Hall of Fame at the RPA Awards on Wednesday May 29. The 34-year-old...

Falcons face battle to break their duck

By PAUL REES Time is running out for Newcastle as they seek to avoid joining Rotherham and London Welsh as clubs...

Scotland lock Gray heads for Exeter exit

SCOTLAND lock Jonny Gray has left Exeter with immediate effect to “explore other playing opportunities”. The 30-year-old joined the Chiefs in...

Scarlets move in to sign Hepburn

Scarlets have signed Scotland prop Alec Hepburn from Exeter for next season. The Australian-born 31-year-old helped the Chiefs win the Champions...

Leinster all-stars set for blockbuster battle

By BEN JAYCOCK Having finally toppled their Champions Cup bogey team La Rochelle, next up for Leinster is Premiership pacesetters Northampton...

Dream Team with Ben Adams

The Cambridge and former Coventry, Bedford Blues, Queensland Country & Australia Sevens back rower, chooses the best XV he has played...

Time for Saints to be true to themselves

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK THE contest between the 9-10 pairings of Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park and Ross Byrne and...

Porter delivers as Quins stay in hunt

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Harlequins ........................41pts Tries: Northmore 1, 26; Lewies 33, Murley 45, Porter 67, 73 Conversions: Smith 27, 34, 46;...

‘For us today, it was do or die’

Quins skipper Alex Dombrandt was delighted after the Londoners' crucial victory over Northampton. “We make it tough for ourselves sometimes," he...

Leicester stunned by Bristol late show

By ROB WILDMAN Leicester Tigers .............19pts Tries: Ollie Hassell-Collins 17, 48; van Wyk 63 Conversions: Pollard 18, 63 Bristol Bears ....................21pts...

Thacker made the difference, says Lam

Bristol boss Pat Lam lauded substitute Harry Thacker after his team had overturned a 19-0 deficit to beat Leicester. “This game...

Saracens take advantage in battle for top two spot

By ROGER PANTING Bath........................................... 12pts Tries: du Toit 57, Redpath 62 Conversions: Spencer 62 Saracens.................................15pts Tries: Parton 12, Segun 40 Conversions:...

We managed to rediscover our energy, says McCall

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall hopes his side’s improved display at Bath will be a springboard for the rest of...

Sharks look to have edge in Diamond derby

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks Today. Kick-off 3pm, Kingston Park SALE boss Alex Sanderson has thanked Steve...

Diamond still confident he can make a big difference

By PAUL REES Starting: Guy Pepper LAST season’s beaten Premiership finalists would not seem the ideal opponents after conceding a record...

Vermeulen: It’s payback time for the Chiefs

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs Today. Kick-off 3pm, Kingsholm BRUISING back rower Jacques Vermeulen wants Exeter to put...

Skivington looking for players to prove themselves

By PAUL REES Dasher: Josh Hathaway GEORGE Skivington has told his players ahead of today’s clash with Exeter at Kingsholm that...

Leinster’s workload merits little sympathy

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK LEINSTER are worried about the pressure that could prevent them from winning a...

Crunch time for red lines

The crunch is coming as negotiations between the Championship and the RFU/Premiership over promotion-relegation intensify, with the Premiership ring-fence moratorium finishing...

Kick off with Cup

The Papa Johns Cup has staggered into its second season with almost as many walk-overs as matches played, despite an increase...

Wales earn first win but still finish in bottom spot

By SAM JACKSON Wales.................22pts Tries: Phillips 15, Pyrs 43, Tuipulotu 77 Conversions: Bevan 44, George 78 Penalties: Bevan 51 Italy....................20pts Tries:...

Faultless England demolish France

By BEN JAYCOCK France....................... 21pts Tries: Vernier 17, M Menager 27, 69 Conversions: Queyrol 19, 28, 70 England....................42pts Tries: Muir 4,...

O’Brien keeps her cool to make sure for Ireland

By JOHN CLEMENT Ireland...............15pts Tries: Corrigan 41, Moloney 58 Conversions: O’Brien 59 Penalties: O’Brien 73 Scotland ...........12pts Tries: Martin 7, Thomson...

Red Roses: Exeter Chiefs back row Maddie Feaunati

By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Leeds Date of birth: 18/05/02 Community club: Marist St Pats RFC Red Roses debut: vs Italy March...

Connacht work hard for valuable five points

By ROGER PANTING Dragons.............27pts Tries: Hughes 5, R Williams 40, Dyer 54 Conversions: Evans 5, 40, 54 Penalties: Evans 49, 62...

Leinster manage to stem the flow

By BRIAN FINN Stormers ....... 42 Leinster...........12 LEINSTER suffered another chastening experience in South Africa as their understrenth side were hammered...

Cardiff left in a mess by lively Edinburgh

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ................... 7pts Edinburgh.......... 24pts Tries: Carre 43 Conversions: de Beer 43 Tries: Schoeman 26, Ashman 62, Venter...

Kok hat-trick swings nail-biter Sharks’ way

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ............27pts Tries: Elias 18, Mathias 51, Nicholas 76 Conversions: Costelow 19, 52, 77 Penalties: Costelow 3, 9...

New low for Ospreys as Bulls go on rampage

By LUKE JARMYN Bulls ...................61pts Tries: Grobbelaar 7, Kriel 21, Arendse 29, 54, Moodie 38, 42, Papier 44, Penalty 61, Le...

Lions …………….13 Munster ………33

By KEVIN FALLON GRAHAM Rowntree was extremely proud of his men as the champions wrapped up a second bonus point in...

Ulster …………..38 Benetton ……. 34

By JOHN FALLON ULSTER interim coach Richie Murphy is hopeful they have turned a corner and are poised to secure a...

Glasgow finally get act together

By BRYN PALMER @therugbypaper Zebre ................. 9 Glasgow..........40 GLASGOW overcame a stodgy first half in Parma to maintain their pursuit of...

Time for officials to stop favouring teams in top six

ONCE again rugby referees at the top end are under scrutiny, but the people concerned appear to be bombproof as they...

Pay women a sustainable wage

I WAS interested to read the article on Shaunagh Brown last week. My wife, a former England U19 pack leader in...

Bears ready to battle for silverware

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Final Bristol Bears v Saracens Today. 2pm Driving: Akina Gondwe in action for Saracens DAVE Ward has...

Preview Seventh place play-off

Harlequins v Trailfinders Today. 2.30pm HARLEQUINS head coach Amy Turner makes two changes from the side that ran in five tries...