Composure is the name of the game for Umaga

By SIMON THOMAS Jacob Umaga showed plenty of composure with his match-winning heroics for Benetton in Durban last weekend – which...

Botham back to push Test case

Having seen his Six Nations campaign cut short at the first hurdle, James Botham will be looking to force his way...

Lake’s at double to sink the Dragons

By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys ............... 26pts Tries: Lake 36, 43, Morgan-Williams 40, Williams 58 Conversions: Edwards 37, 40, 59 Dragons................13pts Tries:...

It’s away day delight as Sharks bite Sarries

By BEN JAYCOCK Saracens ........................... 10pts Tries: Riccioni 66 Conversions: Farrell 67 Penalties: Farrell 26 Sale .....................................20pts Tries: Roebuck 23, R...

Sarries to hit road as Sale upset their plans

By PAUL REES Sale and Bath joined Northampton and Saracens in the Premiership play-offs after a final round yesterday full of...

Ludlow’s up for the Sharks challenge

By BEN JAYCOCK Despite suffering a 14-try whitewash last weekend and finishing second bottom in the Premiership for a second straight...

Uzokwe: Championship has got tougher to win

By BEN JAYCOCK Despite not getting the chance to secure promotion to the Premiership, back rower Simon Uzokwe says Ealing Trailfinders’...

Cattle prods for a proper pathway

By LUKE JARMYN Cornish Pirates’ coach Gavin Cattle believes this season’s success for the Penzance-based club is a clear indicator that...

Big Ben strikes at right time for Sale

By PAUL REES Ben Curry is often referred to as the twin brother of Tom, the 50-cap England flanker who has...

Danny hails departing ‘Quins legend’ Collier

By BEN JAYCOCK Harlequins’ household names are nearing the end of their careers but scrum-half Danny Care believes their new coaching...

Steve’s call left Clarke out in the cold

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL Steve Borthwick has been blasted for the way he axed a key member of England’s backroom staff. Jon...

McCall: Vunipolas at the heart of all we have achieved

By BEN JAYCOCK Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall says departing stalwarts Mako and Billy Vunipola are ‘two of the keenest...

Williams is still the centre of attention

By PAUL REES When Bristol signed Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Virimi Vakatawa last year to boost their midfield, few would...

Fighting back from hip injury was my biggest success – Devoto

By MARK STEVENS Centre stage: Ollie Devoto playing for Exeter Ollie Devoto has enjoyed many a triumph with Exeter over the...

Lam so keen to keep hold of Vakatawa

Pat Lam wants Virimi Vakatawa to extend his stay at Ashton Gate and is in talks with the France centre over...

Hendy: We want special send off for top Saints

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton flyer George Hendy has enjoyed a breakthrough year with the table toppers and while the likes of...

Ealing too strong for Championship

Well done to Ealing Trailfinders for winning the Championship – although once Jersey Reds were no longer in the competition it...

Include Welsh sides in two-tier Premiership

A couple of letters in last week’s paper along with Nick Cain’s column got me thinking on these subjects of ring-fencing...

I agree, bring back England Counties

Agree with Surrey coach Marc Bertrand’s views last week on the Bill Beaumont Cup and the need to bring back England...

Ex-Wasps buzzing for European glory

By BEN JAYCOCK Thibaud Flament has risen from Loughborough University’s fifth team to become a French international with the intention of...

DREAM TEAM

JAMIE ELLIOTT, THE BEDFORD BLUES AND FORMER NORTHAMPTON AND ZEBRE CENTRE, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST......

Sarries’ star exits generate extra fuel

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Saracens are the defending Premiership champions, and Mark McCall’s side are looking more and...

Ruthless Bath crush Saints on perfect day

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bath .................................... 43pts Tries: Bayliss 7, Muir 14, 63; Dunn 42, Spencer 53, Barbeary 60 Conversions: Russell 8,...

Johann savours ‘special’ moment

Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan is proud of his side’s turnaround this season but says the job is not...

Ollie helps top Tigers finish with a flourish

By MARK STEVENS Leicester .......................... 40pts Tries: Hassell-Collins 20, van Poortvliet 26, Reffell 43, Brown 54 Conversions: Pollard 21, 26, 44,...

It’s a tale of mixed emotions for Baxter

When Rob Baxter sits down to carry out his final assessment of this season, the Exeter director of rugby will look...

Big win but it’s not enough for Bears

By NICK POWELL Harlequins ....................... 28pts Tries: Cunningham-South 9, 52; Dombrandt 22, Northmore 47 Conversions: Smith 10, 23, 48, 53 Bristol...

Pat’s proud as his boys stoop to conquer in record style

Pat Lam was pleased with his team’s efforts in a history-making win at The Stoop despite missing out on a place...

McCall: ‘They wanted it more’

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall admitted his side were ‘out enthused’ by Sale. He said: “That was a really disappointing...

Falcons’ misery but hosts restore pride

By PAUL REES Gloucester ....................... 54pts Tries: Mercer 10, Harris 18, C Atkinson 20, Thorley 31, Blake 42, May 48, Hearle...

May: My focus is only on cup final

Jonny May made sure his final appearance at Kingsholm ended on a high and is relishing his last appearance for Gloucester...

Diamond’s rough support loses sparkle

By NICK CAIN What makes this season even more of a travesty is that Steve Diamond, Newcastle’s consultant rugby director, who...

Crusader Scott next in line for All Blacks

The All Black captaincy is vacant following Sam Cane’s decision to sign a three-year contract in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath. Cane,...

Top flight losing its soul, and integrity

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK GLOUCESTER’S 90-0 capitulation to Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend reflected all that...

Warriors ripped apart by 13 Lions

By BRYN PALMER Lions ................44 Glasgow.......... 21 Glasgow's hopes of a top-two finish suffered a major blow in Johannesburg as the...

High-five as Cardiff seal first league win of 2024

By LUKE JARMYN Sharks .............. 14pts Tries: Appollis 24, Bosch 76 Conversions: Cronje 25, 77 Cardiff ..............34pts Tries: Lawrence 14, Donnell...

Deadly Davies does Italian job for the Scarlets

By LUKE JARMYN Zebre.................. 18pts Tries: Licata 3, Hasa 51 Conversions: Montemauri 4 Penalties: Montemauri 23, 27 Scarlets ............ 22pts Tries:...

Munster make it eight in a row

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh ....... 26 Munster........... 29 Munster head coach Graham Rowntree insists his side have the belief to repeat...

Iceman Cooney lands late killer blow for Ulster

By JIM SHORT Ulster ............... 23 Leinster........... 21 John Cooney was the hero when his last-minute penalty secured victory for Ulster...

Bulls book home play-offs spot after Benetton battering

Bulls .................56 Benetton......... 35 The Bulls booked a home tie in the play-offs with a nine-try demolition job at Loftus Versfeld....

Libbok books spot in play-offs

By JOHN FALLON Connacht ........ 12 Stormers.......... 16 Connacht coach Pete Wilkins lamented his side’s failure to fire a shot in...

Best I’ve felt for six years – Roux

By JON NEWCOMBE Quinn Roux is feeling in the best shape of his life but the former Ireland international admits it’ll...

McNally to leave Rec this summer

Bath lock Josh McNally is to leave the club at the end of the 2023-24 season after five years at The...

Blues coach role for Cruse

NORTHAMPTON hooker Tom Cruse will join the coaching team at Bedford when he retires at the end of the season. The...

Too many coaches taking liberties in selection

It should not be difficult to distinguish between a Premiership rugby match and a game of county cricket: one, full of...

Mako reinvented job of loosehead

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Eddie Jones coached Mako Vunipola during a brief spell in charge of Saracens, and coached him again...

‘We have to manage load’

PAUL REES EXAMINES THE FALLOUT FROM GLOUCESTER’S 90-0 HIDING BY NORTHAMPTON SAINTS George Skivington has had better weeks. He knew his...

Cup final is genuine clash of the giants

By PAUL REES Nearly half of the Champions Cup finals have involved Toulouse or Leinster, the two most successful sides in...

Dean seeks platform

Ross Heppenstall finds out what Dean Richards has been up to since stepping down as Newcastle Falcons boss for more success...

A tribute to unlucky Rory…

On the charge: Exeter’s Rory O’Loughlin powers forward against Munster PICTURES: Getty Images Another week ends with another player forced to...