It’s time for some of England’s best to step up a level

“WORLD-class player”. You hear the accolade used so freely, and often with such little insight or explanation offered, that the currency...

Enough! No more ref chat

When is the incessant yapping between players and referees going to end? These appeals and “consultations” are becoming a blight at...

Second half revival gives Scots hope

SIX NATIONS U20S 2024 By SAM JACKSON Scotland ........... 14pts Tries: Lock 52, Blyth-Lafferty 59 Conversions: Coates 53, 60 France................29pts Tries:...

Battling England’s power is too much for Wales

By BEN JAYCOCK England ........................... 28pts Tries: Wills 10, McParland 15, Jones 29, Kirk 73 Conversion: Bellamy 74 Penalties: Taylor 45,...

Sharp Italy push Ireland all the way

By PAUL WILKINS Ireland............ 23pts Tries: O’Connell 20, O’Connor 28, Edogbo 73 Conversions: Murphy 21 Penalties: Murphy 3, 60 Italy................. 22pts...

Germany make Georgia work hard

Georgia were pushed hard by Germany and failed to get a bonus point in Richard Cockerill’s first game in charge last...

Shock for Portugal as Belgium beat the odds

By JON NEWCOMBE Cornish Pirates full-back Jordan Gott hopes that playing a part in Belgium rugby’s best-ever win will be the...

The day John took on the NZ bully boys

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Barry John shall forever occupy a unique place in the rugby Pantheon in...

High five as Nottingham put on show at Lady Bay

FRIENDLIES By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham......27pts Tries: Dickinson 8, Graham 47, Shine 65, J Olowofela 70, Green 75 Conversion: Annand 75 Leicester...

Crusaders make it tough for Bears as lively crowd enjoy fright night

FRIENDLIES By ROGER PANTING Bristol........................... 14pts Tries: Davies 27, Marmion 56 Conversions: MacGinty 27, 56 Crusaders.................... 31pts Tries: Springer 39, 51;...

Norey’s treble helps Exeter run riot to leave Scarlets on the floor

Friendlies By MARK STEVENS Exeter ............. 57pts Tries: Norey 9, 48, 61; Rigg 14, 23; Hodge 21, Pearson 63, Yeandle 78,...

Quins get in the mood for Munster challenge

FRIENDLIES By MO SHER L Scottish .........12pts Tries: Nutton 35, Mehson 69 Conversion: Sheppard 70 Harlequins .......22pts Tries: Jibulu 5, 38;...

Barry was always class personified

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk I HAD the great...

All contact areas must be a proper battle for the ball

THE offload is an important and exciting aspect of our game that should be encouraged, but Brendan Gallagher (TRP 28/01/24) is...

Paton Field proving tough place to visit

AS one of the travelling blue and white faithful who witnessed Coventry RFC’s narrow 26-22 reverse up at Caldy last weekend,...

Sleightholme out to follow his pals

By JON NEWCOMBE Ollie Sleightholme takes huge encouragement from seeing his Saints mates get England recognition as he looks to further...

Gallagher delight as Caldy down Cov

By BEN JAYCOCK Coming off the bench to score a hat-trick and spearhead Caldy’s upset victory over title fighting Coventry last...

Ludlam has his sights set on Toulon

ENGLAND flanker Lewis Ludlam will leave Northampton at the end of the season, with Toulon understood to be his destination. The...

Bath keen to attract Grady

Bath have emerged as the leading contenders to sign Wales wing Mason Grady, below, when his Cardiff contract expires this summer....

Exeter prop on way to Glasgow

Exeter tighthead Patrick Schickerling, 25, is set to join Glasgow Warriors on a multi-year contract. Schickerling’s commitment comes on the heels...

Dream Team with Saul Nelson

The former Bristol, Exeter and London Welsh hooker, now academy pathway head coach of RGC & Wales U18s forwards coach, chooses...

Reynolds: It’s fantastic to see George with England

By JON NEWCOMBE Rams director of rugby Seb Reynolds has praised England U20 head coach Mark Mapletoft for his “refreshing” decision...

Hodge to hit the ground running

By MARK STEVENS Josh Hodge insists he’s looking to make up for lost time after making his return to first team...

U19s back in action with double challenge

The England U19 men’s side will return this spring with fixtures against France and Italy. The team, led by the England...

All Blacks in Dublin will be the acid test

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED EARLY February is not obviously the moment to select a highlight of the calendar year. Especially if...

Short-term ban means Willemse is evading natural justice

Natural justice is conspicuous by its absence in the union game. Think of the relegation-free protectionism of the Six Nations and...

Legend who had no wish to be one

Paul Rees says it was hard not to fall in love with rugby as a young boy, watching his hero play...

Poor Caldy discipline lets Blues sneak home

By JOHN LYON Caldy ..................22pts Tries: Ma’asi-White 7, Gallagher 52, JJ Dickinson 80 Conversions: Barker 7, Rogers 80 Penalty: Barker 20...

Dominant Ealing make it look easy

By TOM JOHNSON Ealing Trailfinders.. 40pts Tries: Cornish 4, Holmes 12, Bird-Tulloch 19, Cordy-Redden 35, 53; O’Brien 80 Conversions: Twelvetrees 4,...

Superstar who paved the way for many more

BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S hard to quantify genius let alone compare one genius with another – although that never stops us trying...

Red Roses: Lucy Packer

HARLEQUINS SCRUM-HALF Birthplace: Swansea Date of birth: 02/02/2000 Community club: Amman United Red Roses debut: vs USA November 2021 Caps: 16...

Gallagher leads the Leicester comeback

By SAM BYTHEWAY L’ghborough ...17pts Tries: Treder 2, 17, 37 Conversions: Rowland 3 Leicester .........22pts Tries: Gallagher 7, 70, Tutt 40...

Hat-trick for Hunt puts Saracens over the line

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens ............................ 29pts Tries: Penalty 36, Hunt 39, 41, 56 Conversions: Blacklock 42, Harrison 57 Penalty: Harrison 80...

Champions will have to be at their best against Bristol

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW... Gloucester v Bristol Today. Kick-off 2pm PREMIERSHIP champions Gloucester-Hartpury will be looking to continue their unbeaten start...

Exeter looking for a double

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Exeter v Sale Today. 1pm PLAY-OFF chasing Exeter host the league’s bottom side Sale, who are looking...

Young Guns: Bristol wing Louis Nancekivell

By BEN JAYCOCK Louis Nancekivell didn’t go down the traditional route entering rugby and has only played for one club so...

Chinnor fly-half Worboys weaves his magic

By JOHN VAUGHAN Chinnor.............31 Rosslyn Park.. 10 CHINNOR conjured another stunning performance under the lights to overcome an abrasive and competitive...

Moseley shatter Lions’ winning run

By CONOR O’HARA Leicester Lions .... 10 B Moseley ..............20 LEICESTER Lions’ run of success came to an end against a...

Clinical Rams get better of Bishop’s

By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s S...............14 Rams ........................26 BASEMENT side Bishop’s Stortford pushed high-flying Rams all the way before eventually coming up...

Law’s delight as in-form Mowden see off Mond

By TOM BULMER Darlington MP 34pts Tries: Ree 2, 22, 48, Hadfield 8, 62, Ene 74 Conversions: Pascoe 3, 23 Richmond...

Club hold their nerve to edge out battling hosts

By NIGEL WILCE Cinderford.............. 18 Blackheath ............30 BLACKHEATH emerged from a tense encounter to claim a vital victory over Cinderford at...

Sale put bite on high-flying Albion

By GARETH DANIELS Sale FC..................... 31 Plymouth Albion..... 3 SALE FC made it three wins on the trot as they eclipsed...

Martin leads way for terrific Titans

By MIKE AMOS Taunton Titans.....49 Sedgley Park.........14 SEVEN-TRY Taunton Titans produced a dominant display to beat visiting Sedgley Park. Man-of-the-match Dan...

It’s all pointing to success for Walker and his close-knit crew

By BEN CONEYBEARE Boss: Nick Easter AFTER four games of the season, Chinnor had won two, lost two, but since their...

Field are torn apart as in-form Tynedale run riot

By ANDREW SMITH Huddersfield...19 Tynedale..........57 RELENTLESS Tynedale cruised to a nine-try demolition at rockbottom Huddersfield. The hard-working visitors, who had wrapped...

Take away the contact and you don’t have a game left

With the Six Nations now in full swing the last thing the game needs is further condemnation about how it’s played...

Faraimo hat-trick seals win for Hull

By RICHARD GORE Hull............................40 Preston G.................33 HULL came back from a 19-point deficit to record their eighth win in sensational style....

It’s tries aplenty as points are shared

By MALCOLM KNOWLES Hull Ionians............38 Billingham..............38 HULL Ionians and Billingham shared the spoils in a thriller. It was Billingham who dominated...

Cometh the hour, cometh Campbell

By LUKE JARMYN Sheffield............28pts Lymm................. 24pts SHEFFIELD hooker Rhodri Campbell became the hero of the hour as the Welshman muscled through...

Destructive Dale destroy Otley as record tumbles

By NICK DOYLE Otley.............................0 Wharfedale............41 IN-FORM Wharfedale recorded their highest ever league score against Otley in a demolition job, blowing them...