Scarlets pay price for lack of discipline

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets .............. 20pts Tries: Tuipulotu 60, Lewis 67 Conversions: Costelow 61, 68 Penalties: Costelow 10, 26 Ulster ......................

Thrilling title race goes to final day

By PAUL REES The race for the top four will go down to the final round on Saturday, although Northampton and...

‘Play big matches at neutral venues’

By PAUL REES Danny Wilson’s has backed calls to play Champions Cup semi-finals at a neutral venue after Toulouse and Leinster...

I’m still supporter of relegation – Diamond

By PAUL REES Newcastle may be adrift at the bottom of the Premiership but Steve Diamond remains an advocate for promotion...

WRU ramps up its scouting operation

The WRU will ramp up its exile programme to identify players qualified to play for Wales. They are also determined to...

New-boy Roots has his eye on NZ return

By PAUL REES One of England’s Test debutants this year has a big incentive to make the summer tour to New...

It’s been a crazy six months, says new Welsh star

By SIMON THOMAS Alex Mann is the first to admit his “crazy” journey over the past six months hasn’t really sunk...

I want to win title before I leave Bristol – Luatua

By PAUL REES Few overseas signings have had a more lasting impact in the Premiership than Steve Luatua who looks like...

Game in England is good, says Ford

By PAUL REES George Ford feels English rugby is on the up after a testing couple of years on and off...

Graham: Guys were in tears after that defeat but we’ll fight back

Sam Graham believes Northampton can turn the heartache of losing last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final to their advantage as they set...

Warning for Vunipola but Sarries carry on as usual

By BEN JAYCOCK BILLY Vunipola put his club Saracens through a PR disaster when he was arrested in Mallorca but director...

Stop this constant disregard for laws

LAST weekend I witnessed one of the most blatant forward passes this season. During the Challenge Cup semi-final between Gloucester and...

Courtney is so good, both on and off the pitch

CREDIT where it’s due for the Saints’ own Courtney Lawes. For such a big fella he consistently tackles low, plays a...

Ten in the Prem is right for England

GREAT to read in your paper that there are no plans to increase the number of teams from the current 10...

Focus on aspiration

THE Championship clubs deserve far more than they are getting in terms of RFU funding and access to the top flight....

Tiueti out to make most of Cov move

By JON NEWCOMBE Inspired by his old Uni mate Will Rigg, Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti is hoping that joining Coventry this summer will...

Dream Team with Alex Loney

The former Leicester, Nottingham, Avignon, Rotherham and Fylde hooker, now head coach of Fylde & Lancashire, chooses the best XV he...

Leicester have the class to rule again

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Leicester are not where their fans want them to be – and a minority...

Saracens closing in on finishing line

By PAUL REES Bristol Bears ....................20pts Tries: Batley 4, Thacker 52 Conversions: MacGinty 5, Williams 53 Penalties: MacGinty 11, 20 Saracens...

Farrell: We play with our heads up

OWEN Farrell said Saracens remained on course for another Twickenham final because of their ability to adapt their gameplan. A close...

Dominant Chiefs set up shot at the semis

By MARK STEVENS Exeter Chiefs .................. 58pts Tries: Slade 20, Feyi-Waboso 33, 65, John 40, Skinner 43, 71, Jenkins 77 Conversions:...

Baxter: We must recharge quickly

EXETER DoR Rob Baxter says his team will have to recharge quickly in their quest to reach the top four with...

Superior Saints go on 14-try rampage

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton....................90pts Tries: Furbank 1, Dingwall 12, Sleightholme 21, 56, 66; Langdon 27, 35; Mitchell 39, Waller 47, Matavesi...

We had a job to do and we went out and did it, says Dowson

NORTHAMPTON director of rugby Phil Dowson felt sympathy for Gloucester after their 14-try drubbing but said his side had a job...

Russell masterclass has Bath in top gear

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle......................... 17pts Tries: Blamire 30, 40+2, Stuart 63 Conversions: Connon 64 Bath .................................... 28pts Tries: du Toit 4,...

Diamond calls for 80-minute showing

NEWCASTLE boss Steve Diamond told his players and staff “to stop feeling sorry for themselves” after Falcons’ suffered a 20th league...

James at his best as Sale keep in the race

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sale .....................................31pts Tries: Warr 8, Taylor 13, James 34, O’Flaherty 43 Conversions: Ford 9, 14, 35, 44 Penalties:...

‘I’m going to stick with this motley lot’

ON an evening of final home appearances for some big names, Sale coach Alex Sanderson announced live to the home crowd...

Time to put an end to marquee players

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK ARE marquee players, or coaches, worth it, or are they just a Premiership...

Mistake to reduce value of the scrum

The danger World Rugby’s high-handed law-makers face with their insistence on trying to marginalise the scrum is that it could easily...

Calling MPs will add to pressure

The decision of Championship clubs to contact their local MPs to ask for Government to mediate in its gridlocked negotiations with...

Glasgow gunning for top two spot

By BRYN PALMER Bulls ................40 Glasgow......... 34 GLASGOW salvaged two bonus points from a stirring last-quarter comeback to maintain their hopes...

We blew our chances to win, admits Thomas

By SIMON THOMAS Lions................. 34pts Tries: Venter 7, Q Horn 18, Tshituka 73, 79 Conversion: Nohamba 8, 19, Lombard 74, 80...

Flanagan can’t believe it as Dragons fall away

By ROGER PANTING Dragons.............21pts Tries: Keddie 14, Wainwright 59 Conversions: O’Brien 59 Penalties: Reed 7, 26, 49 Stormers.......... 44pts Tries: Davids...

Munster make it seven in a row

Munster ......... 47 Connacht......... 12 By JOHN WILKINS MUNSTER made it seven wins on the spin with a seven-try victory over...

Leinster get in the mood for a double triumph

Leinster ........... 61 Ospreys............14 By SAM JACKSON JORDAN Larmour scored a hat-trick as Leinster showcased their credentials of a possible Champions...

Everitt set for Irish crunch

Edinburgh .......40 Zebre.................14 By BRYN PALMER EDINBURGH head coach Sean Everitt believes another five points will seal a URC play-off place...

Northampton swoop to sign England U20s fly-half

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton have signed England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt. Having endured the hardship of London Irish folding, the tyro...

Tbilisi win was key – Skivington

By JON NEWCOMBE George Skivington has credited the European Challenge Cup win against Black Lion in Tbilisi as the moment Gloucester...

Davies, 36, open to offers

Wales centre Jonathan Davies is leaving Scarlets at the end of the season and hopes for one final opportunity with another...

Devoto calls it quits at Exeter

EXETER centre Ollie Devoto will leave the club at the end of the season. The 30-yearold has scored 21 tries in...

Rugby’s holy trinity prove the difference

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED SINCE time immemorial, rugby has been cloaked in its own cliches: Prince Obolensky was always “dashing”; Colin...

Mo’unga likely to be back in black

SO he hasn’t gone for good, after all. Not quite. If the All Blacks have their way, as they invariably do...

Power of the four musketeers

A common theme of last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals was the influence of the four scrum-halves, the catalysts of teams that...

Mine was very much the road less travelled

My Life in Rugby - Mike Ross, the former Ireland, Harlequins and Leinster prop talks about his life in the game...

Davies the leading light in Welsh quartet

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Four international fly-halves took flight from Wales last year, understandably so given the...

When Goodall was the bigger man

Ken Goodall shall forever be remembered as one of Ireland‘s greatest back row forwards, a humble man with a freakish talent...

Morgan has final say to make sure for Hartpury

By BEN WHITE Ampthill ............36pts Tries: Elliott 3, 27; Bracken 24, Jackson 32, 59 Conversions: Parks 4, 25, 28, 33 Penalty:...

Coventry denied by powerful Pirates

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates ............ 22pts Tries: Hocking 69, Johnson 79 Coventry ..........................12pts Penalties: Tries: Houston 15, 18, 22, 51...

Doncaster win the battle but Ealing take the title

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster......... 20pts Tries: Fox 25, Margetts 59 Conversions: Bennett 25, 59 Penalties: Bennett 40, 68 Ealing T ................