The RUGBY Paper

Podcast Host Oliver Little and TRP columnists Nick Cain, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett get to the heart of our game...

Quins hoping to tempt Care, 37, with new deal

By PAUL REES Harlequins are trying to persuade Danny Care to sign a new contract and finish his career at The...

Baxter: Clubs will take Cup more seriously

By PAUL REES The Premiership will shut down next season during the two international windows, meaning more clubs are likely to...

Wallaby star Izaia signs for Tigers

ON THE BLINDSIDE LEICESTER have signed Australia centre Izaia Perese for the 2024-25 season on a ‘multi-year’ deal from Sydney-based Waratahs....

Georgian challenge

ON THE BLINDSIDE RUGBY Europe champions Georgia have challenged Wales to a match this autumn in what would be dubbed a...

Cardiff hope to win Grady tug-of-war

ON THE BLINDSIDE By SIMON THOMAS The future location of Mason Grady is one of the biggest talking points in Welsh...

Munster move in for Ulster ace Burns

ON THE BLINDSIDE BILLY Burns will swap Ulster for Munster in the summer to replace Joey Carbery who is off to...

Jantjies to give back

ON THE BLINDSIDE FORMER Springboks fly-half Elton Jantjies, below, has taken up a coaching role with youth rugby programme Rugga Schools...

Dream Team with Mackenzie Martin

The Cardiff and Wales back row, chooses the best XV he has played with or against... 1. Rhys Carre – The...

England on their way to being a real force again

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK IT’S been a chalk and cheese Six Nations for England, with the first three...

Saracens juggernaut steams over Quins

By ADAM HATHAWAY Saracens .......................... 52pts Tries: Lewington 2, Dan 13, 43; Maitland 17, 26; Cinti 61, Gonzalez 67, Goode 71...

Farrell’s in form of his life – McCall

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall claimed Owen Farrell was in the form of his life after his break and received...

Chiefs do enough to get past Newcastle

By MARK STEVENS Exeter ................................ 25pts Tries: Fisilau 12, Wimbush 24, Sio 32, Tuima 39 Conversion: Hodge 39 Penalty: Hodge 73...

Diamond: I saw a lot of positives

STEVE Diamond saw seeds of encouragement despite Falcons slipping to a 13th league defeat. “It could have been closer,” said Diamond....

Bristol put leaders Saints to the sword

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bristol................................ 52pts Tries: Batley 5, Randall 18, Sinckler 50, Dun 56, Malins 62, Davies 71, Ibotoye 79 Conversions:...

Lam confident Bears can push on for a place in play-offs

BRISTOL boss Pat Lam is confident his side can make a push for the play-offs if they continue in this vein....

Dismay for Leicester as Varney snatches it

By ROB WILDMAN Leicester .......................... 25pts Tries: Reffell 40, Kata 42, Wiese 54, Shillcock 72 Conversions: Shillcock 72 Penalty goals: Shillcock...

On-form Mercer: I can’t believe it

ZACH Mercer summed up the Gloucester elation after this narrow win by saying: “I can’t quite believe what’s happened. Everyone wrote...

Sale keen to send Tuilagi off in style

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Bath v Sale Today. Kick-off 3pm, Recreation Ground ALEX Sanderson will use the impending loss of Manu...

Van Graan backing Lawrence to put Bath in overdrive

By PAUL REES On fire: Ollie Lawrence JOHANN van Graan is expecting Ollie Lawrence to play a big part in Bath’s...

Relegation saga still a shadow over game

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK There is so much that makes so little sense in the English club...

Ireland hold whip hand

Power player: Maro Itoje is still one of the most effective locks on the planet PICTURE: Getty Images ANY team of...

England are Six Nations wonders

ENGLAND’S remarkable two-match transformation from a kick-chase side into a team which hit all the highs in terms of attacking tempo,...

Late drama as Scots hold on to deny Wales

SIX NATIONS 2024 ■By SAM JACKSON Wales................. 18pts Tries: Tuipulotu 58, Callender 78 Conversions: Bevan 59 Penalties: Bevan 5, 40 Scotland...

Packer’s proud to join the 100 club

■By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW... Italy v England Today. Kick-off 3pm, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi CAPTAIN Marlie Packer earns her 100th cap as...

Ireland battle but can’t stop France taking the honours

■By TOM REYNOLDS France..................38pts Tries: Bourdon Sansus 3, Menager 31, Fall 46, Sochat 61, Riffonneau 74 Conversions: Queyroi 3, 33, 48,...

Red Roses: Gloucester-Hartpury lock Zoe Aldcroft

By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Scarborough Date of birth: 19/11/96 Community club: Scarborough RFC Red Roses Debut: vs France July 2016 Caps:...

Penalty so unfair on Earl

BEN Earl has reason to feel aggrieved with the decision to award a penalty for a no-arms tackle in the last...

Ford’s resolve is impressive to see

ALL the top sports players have one standout quality – composure – which George Ford has in abundance, along with his...

My Lions for 2025

BASED on performances in 2024 Six Nations Championship and potential retirees, how about this as a potential Lions touring squad to...

Referees are too quick to take the easy option

I READ the match report for last week’s Hull Ionians v Tynedale game with interest. The report asked a very pertinent...

Time to ban tactical subs

CHRIS Hewett’s article bemoaning the size of French players offered what I believe to be the correct solution to the future...

Credit Borthwick for changing his approach

ENGLAND’s revival in their inspirational final Six Nations displays v Ireland and France thankfully should end the failed power rugby ethos...

That’s above expectations

WELL that was an agonising way for England to lose to France! So close! But three wins in this Six Nations,...

Beware this move to 15-a-side Rollerball

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED IF THE Six Nations failed to meet expectations, it was in a good way. Italy’s knee-clenching World...

It’s time to consider talent, not geography

If everyone is heading to French club rugby, including the England centurion Courtney Lawes, it makes Courtney Lawes right: rival unions...

Munster too hot in the red zone for Ospreys

By ROGER PANTING Ospreys ............. 17pts Tries: Giles 33, Parry 54, Cuthbert 74 Conversions: O Williams 54 Munster ............27pts Tries: Daly...

Dempsey in control to lead Glasgow fightback

■By SIMON THOMAS Glasgow........... 17pts Tries: Williamson 43, Sordoni 51 Conversion: Weir 44, 52 Penalty: Weir 67 Cardiff .............. 13pts Try:...

Dragons show some style but fade away

■By ROGER PANTING Dragons............. 10pts Tries: Baldwin 79 Conversions: Red 79 Penalties: Evans 20 Bulls ................... 31pts Tries: Arendse 27, Gumede...

Sharks ……….22 Ulster ………… 12

THE Sharks recorded their first league win since November to climb off the URC basement as Ulster’s play-off bid took a...

Zebre …………… 7 Leinster …….. 31

LEADERS Leinster secured a bonus-point victory at Lanfranchi Stadium. First-half tries by Rob Russell and debutant Andrew Osborne, and further scores...

Stormers overwhelm makeshift Edinburgh

By BRYN PALMER Stormers ........ 43 Edinburgh ....... 21 EDINBURGH’S URC play-off hopes suffered a major dent as Stor mers leapfrogged...

Connacht left at the gate by proud Lions

By JOHN FALLON Connacht ........14 Lions ................38 MAN of the match JC Pretorious said a first ever win in Ireland could...

Hammond’s happy to take the points home

■By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge ....... 15pts Tries: Edwards 43, Caven 74 Conversion: James 44 Penalty: James 80 Nottingham...... 20pts Tries: Olowofela...

Adamson leads from the front to keep Bedford in the running

■By MICK JACOBS Bedford .............27pts Tries: Adamson 7, 78; Conway 13, Worley 29 Conversions: Maisey 14, 30 Penalties: Maisey 50 Caldy...

Knights make the most of lifelines

■By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster....................... 27pts Tries: Margett 53, Simpson 57, 77 Conversions: Bennett 53, 57, 77 Penalties: Bennett 42, 75 Cornish...

Ealing keep their heads to take down brave Scots

■By RICHARD WESTABY Ealing T .............52pts Tries: Cornish 3, Holgate 12, De Wee 15, Willis 24, Alo 51, Holmes 55, Newman...

Record for Wand as Coventry move on up

■By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury............ 17pts Tries: Ward 57, 77; Smith 75 Conversions: Bazalgette 77 Coventry .......... 47pts Tries: Wand 5, 40,...

I’m ambitious. I want to coach as high as I can

My Life in Rugby with Alex Rae - The former Northampton Saints, Saracens, Wasps and Bedford Blues lock, now head coach...

Wales look like missing out again

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW As Wales ‘wails over the embarrassing state of its national sport’, a club...