Mike Brown says England are now ‘desperate’ for a win to avoid a Six Nations ‘diaster’

England are a “desperate” side badly needing to rule in Rome to avoid a Six Nations “disaster”, according to former Test...

Tom West: I want to win silverware with Northampton Saints

Tom West is relishing the final months of the season with Northampton Saints after nine months of injury misery.

Campbell Ridl quick to make a name for himself at Exeter Chiefs

Last season it was Paul Brown-Bampoe, now it is Campbell Ridl who has very quickly made his name at Exeter Chiefs.

England’s George Ford will ignore outside noise, says brother & Sale Sharks coach Joe

Joe Ford says the noise over whether his brother George should keep his place in the England side after the defeats...

Plymouth Albion 26-34 Blackheath: The Club rings proudly to prove three is a crowd

Blackheath kept up the pace in the promotion race, with a thoroughly deserved victory over nearest rivals Plymouth Albion.

Peter Jackson: Mike Gibson remembers the Welsh lions of ’76

When he sits at home in Belfast next Friday night to watch Ireland-Wales, Mike Gibson could be forgiven for recalling a...

London Scottish 24-21 Chinnor: Quick-fire Scots hold on to deny the Villagers

London Scottish, putting on one of their best displays of the season, held on at the death to secure five points...

Dragons 15-15 Benetton: The Welsh side go close to making it five in a row

There was late drama at Rodney Parade as the Dragons narrowly missed out on a fifth successive home win after drawing...

Harlequins 35-14 Newcastle Red Bulls: Cadan Murley and Chandler Cunningham-South fire up Quins

England internationals Cadan Murley and Chandler Cunningham-South were among the scorers as Harlequins comfortably saw off Newcastle Red Bulls to provide...

Northampton Saints 35-33 Saracens: George Furbank gets into gear for England call

George Furbank is ready to help England try and get their stuttering Six Nations campaign back on a winning track in...

Wales’ Joe Hawkins admits that any head contact in rugby leaves you ‘in bother’

Joe Hawkins has admitted it was “squeaky bum time” following his sin-binning in last weekend’s Six Nations clash with Scotland.

RFU defends move to franchise model at the top of English club rugby

Promotion and relegation is set to be scrapped in a major restructure at the top of English club rugby.

Italy wing Paolo Odogwu out to add to England’s despair in Six Nations clash

Paolo Odogwu aims to help Italy heap more Six Nations misery and despair on Henry Pollock and England when they visit...

Nottingham chief Alistair Bow concerned by RFU’s franchise plans

Nottingham chairman Alistair Bow aired his concerns over the proposed franchise structure of the Prem in the match programme ahead of...

Hamstring injury rules Mitchell out of Six Nations

ENGLAND’S first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell, right, has been ruled out of the remainder of their Six Nations campaign with a hamstring...

Ireland lose Lowe

WING James Lowe has been ruled out of Ireland’s two remaining Six Nations matches with a groin injury. Lowe was replaced...

Kyran Bracken: Steve Borthwick has work to do but calls for him to lose his job are over the top

I’ll be honest, I’m as surprised as anyone by what we’ve seen from England over the last two weeks.

We’ve not approached Farrell, insist Saracens

NEWS EXTRA SARACENS have rejected “disrespectful” reports that they have offered Ireland boss Andy Farrell a coaching role for after the...

New Zealand’s record try scorer calls time

NEW Zealand’s leading try-scorer Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has retired from Test rugby for a second time. The 34-year-old winger who has scored...

Robertson is happy to coach Barbarians

FORMER New Zealand coach Scott Robertson will return to rugby by taking charge of the Barbarians this summer. Robertson, whose two-year...

Bath 38-26 Gloucester: Will Muir takes to the air to put the holders into semis

Seb Atkinson passed his Six Nations audition, but it was holders Bath who marched into the semi-finals of the Prem Cup...

Abject failure must not be protected

I HEARD last weekend from a reliable source that Ealing Trailfinders will once again be denied promotion on the ground of...

This exhibitionism is too much for me

NICK Cain is quite right (February 15) to draw attention to those elements in our game promoting ‘showbiz’ rugby. He wrote...

Woeful was right…

HAVING read Nick Cain’s comments on the England’s performance last Saturday and seeing the ‘player watch’ by Paul Rees, I’ve concluded...

Global ambitions take some planning

Yes: Fiji celebrate victory at Twickenham in 2023 IS the recent announcement that Fiji will play their home games for the...

We just can’t stick with the status quo

WHEN the franchise system for England’s pro clubs is introduced, it will formally reinforce the existing practical gulf between the small...

England can’t take pressure

MY first inclination was not to heap more misery on arguably England’s worst-ever performance last weekend. However amid all the soul...

DREAMTEAM

ROBIN HISLOP, THE EDINBURGH AND FORMER ROTHERHAM TITANS, DONCASTER KNIGHTS, SARACENS AND WASPS PROP, SELECTS THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED...

Chris Hewett: Difficult choices in the game of survival

There is no shortcut to anywhere worth going, as rugby discovered to its acute discomfort following the fumbled embrace of professionalism...

England numbers fall short at No.9

CHRIS HEWETT IT remains perfectly possible that England will beat the French in Paris in the final round of Six Nations...

Ulster have no answer as Ospreys take charge

By ROGER PANTING Ospreys .............21pts Tries: Foley 3, Ratti 68, Kasende 77 Conversions: Walsh 4, 69, 78 Ulster ................. 10pts Tries:...

Edinburgh launch quick fightback to sink Scarlets

By SIMON THOMAS Edinburgh ....... 24pts Tries: Vellacott 30, 49; Bradbury 46, Paterson 69 Conversions: Thompson 31, 47 Scarlets ...........19pts Tries:...

Impressive Cardiff overpower Leinster

By ROGER PANTING Try: Davies 54 Penalty: Sheedy 18 Cardiff ................. 8pts Leinster ............... 7pts Try: McGrath 67 Conversion: Tector 67...

Bulls ………….41 Sharks ……… 12

THE Bulls secured a commanding victory over the Sharks in a one-sided South African derby at Loftus Versfeld to move up...

Lions ………….24 Stormers ….. 10

THE Lions claimed a deserved victory over the Stormers to move up to seventh and strengthen their playoff push. Stormers lost...

Connacht stun leaders Glasgow

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Connacht ........15 Glasgow ......... 10 CONNACHT stunned leaders Glasgow Warriors with a dramatic last-gasp victory at Dexcom Stadium...

Munster forced to work hard by Zebre

By SAM JACKSON Munster ..........21 Zebre ................. 7 MUNSTER returned to winning ways at Thomond Park with a hard-earned victory over...

Ward: It’s a pity there will be no promotion

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster ........... 7pts Try: Kerr 79 Conversion: Bunting 79 E Trailfinders ..29pts Tries: Montgomery 5, Jones 15, Gwynn...

Hard-working Blues hang on to move up to second

By JOHN LYON Caldy .................19pts Tries: Tudor 8, Hyde 16, Olyott 56 Conversions: K Wilkinson 8, 16 Bedford ............23pts Tries: Evans,11...

It’s honours even in battle of mudlarks

By OLLY DARCY Hartpury .............. 7pts Try: Gealy 18 Conversion: Bazalgette 18 Richmond ........... 7pts Try: Goffey 3 Conversion: Burrage 3...

‘Long Dog’ makes it hard work for Pirates

By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge .......21pts Tries: Eckersley 5, Penalty 36, Sorrell 58 Conversions: Dawson 6, Thompson 59 C Pirates .......... 49pts...

Davidson has the power to snatch it for Coventry

By BEN WHITE Ampthill ...........36pts Tries: Barton 7, Auvaa 19, Wilson 42, 53; Heslop 67 Conversions: Barton 8, 43, 54, 68...

Parks gives Nottingham extra push in the mud

By CÓILÍN DUFFY Nottingham ......22pts Tries: Rokomoce 6, Cherry 66, Graham 77 Conversions: Parks 66, 77 Penalty: Parks 40 Worcester .............

England U20 full-back James Pater makes an immediate impact for club & country

Paul Eddison catches up with Northampton Saints and England U20 full-back James Pater, who is also playing games for Cambridge.

Peter Jackson: Memories of All Black legend going under the hammer

In the bad old days when too many referees turned a blind eye to all manner of mayhem, Kevin Skinner built...

Only 18 standing in the 6N National

ON a foggy day at Aintree 98 years ago, Tipperary Tim, a horse bred by former Ireland back row forward Jack...

King Cole merry as sole score for Titans leads side

■By DAVID BEDDOWS Rotherham ......33 B Moseley ......... 7 LUKE COLE marked his 100th Rotherham appearance with a try, as the...

Tykes hit Park out to land home win

■By BEN CROPPER Leeds Tykes ..........45 Rosslyn Park .........38 LEEDS TYKES boosted their survival chances, coming out with a one-score win,...

Sea of tries sees Sale on the seven

■By GARETH DANIELS Sale FC.....................47 Dings Crusaders .. 12 SEVEN-TRY Sale FC sailed to a spectacular three-points, leaving Dings Crusaders still...

TJs wrap up points with Kendrick name on drama

■By JOE BARNES TAYLOR Sedgley Park ........28 Tonbridge J ........... 31 TOM KENDRICK’S second-half brace helped Tonbridge Juddians to a nail-biting...