Baxter toasts stunning victory

BEER in hand, Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter toasted what was a famous European victory in France. He said: “In...

Skipper Beirne unhappy after Munster let winning hand go to allow Bayonne to steal draw

■By JOHN FALLON  Munster ............ 17pts Tries: McCarthy 10, Coombes 19 Conversions: Crowley 11, 19 Penalties: Crowley 55 Bayonne............ 17pts Tries:...

Freeman double has Saints on the march

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow............................. 19pts Tries: Cancelliere 4, Smith 68, Penalty 77 Conversions: Thompson 69 Northampton................... 28pts Tries: Lawes 13, Freeman...

Smith full of praise for the defence

FLY-HALF Fin Smith hailed his side’s defence and feels they have turned a corner. “We shocked ourselves with how well we...

We’re not the whipping boys Sanderson

■By JON NEWCOMBE Sale v Stade Francais PREVIEW... Today. Kick-off 1pm, AJ Bell Stadium ALEX Sanderson is relishing Sale’s novel status...

Champions La Rochelle face tough challenge against former finalists Leinster

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Leinster v La Rochelle Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Stade Marcel Deflandre Centre: Garry Ringrose THE match of the...

Fit-again Henderson out to grab his chance

 ■By LUKE JARMYN PREVIEW... Leicester v Stormers Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Welford Road CAMERON Henderson is relishing the start of Leicester Tigers’...

Lions set to ring the changes

■By BEN JAYCOCK Preview... Perpignan v Lions Today. 1pm LIONS head coach Ivan van Rooyen will be banking on the strength...

Four-try Lake guides Ospreys safely home

■By ROB COLE Ospreys ............................. 43pts Tries: Lake 7, 26, 46, 56; Thomas 17, Morris 76 Conversions: Williams 8, 19, 27,...

Clermont dominate to see off Edinburgh

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont........... 31pts Tries: Moala 25, Newsome 31, 62; Bibi Biziwu 69 Conversions: Belleau 27, 32, 64, 70 Penalties:...

The Viking will put steel back into Bath

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE Viking – a.k.a. RG Snyman – is expected to arrive in Bath...

Sorry to see European Champions Cup lose its shine

The quality of rugby union’s competitions is crucial to its future as a professional sport. However, what we are witnessing is...

£750,000 payoff for Jones just staggering

We have now discovered that Eddie Jones was almost certainly paid the equivalent of a full year’s £750,000 salary in a...

Lloyd blow a problem for Scarlets and Gatland

■By ANDY HOWELL Castres ............. 34pts Tries: Raisuqe 5, Fernandez 32, Papali’i 38, Dumora 43, Le Brun 66 Conversions: Le Brun...

Barton is on target to rescue Gloucester

■By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Black Lion .......... 10pts Try: Matkava 20 Conversion: Matkava 21 Gloucester ......... 15pts Penalty: Matkava 68 Penalties: Barton...

Newcastle are hoping for a cold front in basement battle

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Newcastle v Montpellier Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Kingston Park IT will be a case of bottoms up at...

Pau no match for powerful Sharks

By SAM JACKSON Sharks ........... 45 Pau ..................... 5 LUKHANYO Am and Eben Etzebeth scored two tries apiece as the Sharks...

Perfect Pienaar downs Zebre

By BEN JAYCOCK Zebre ...............15 Cheetahs .......33 CHEETAHS scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar was perfect off the tee as the South African invitational...

Dyer at the double to seal victory for Dragons

By SIMON THOMAS Dragons............ 24pts Tries: Hewitt 43, Davies 74, Dyer 77, 80 Conversions: Reed 44, 80 Oyonnax.............. 7pts Tries: Treilles...

Rocketing ticket prices proving tough on fans

Assistant Editor Ben Jaycock surveys the top two divisions to find out which clubs charge the most - and where you...

Minnows can make splash of a whale

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED ACCORDING to Donald J Trump – you may have heard of him – “losers” are the lowest...

We need outcome that we can trust

It has been heading our way for many months, but now it seems horribly real. The concussion lawsuit laid against three...

We need the game to be more exciting

Former RFU President Bob Reeves on how to solve rugby’s problems WHAT game do we want? If we asked, ‘what game...

Toxic social media

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk THE recent decision by...

Too close for comfort

I AM sure that we are all concerned at this season’s falling attendances at Premiership matches but there is a measure...

Coach to Coach with Paul Morris

Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill talks to Cinderford director of rugby Paul Morris Steve Hill: How and why did...

A team stuffed full of captains

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER I was having one final lingering look at...

I can’t see how a single action can cover it all

Lawyers and the legal system move in mysterious ways but as a layman it’s difficult to understand how the law firm...

Too many are being pushed to the edge

Paul Rees says it's time to ensure players spend less time in the gym and more with the ball in their...

Race for the top is going to be close

The Premiership is taking a short rest after eight rounds and by Christmas will have reached the halfway stage. It is...

It’s time for Lions to hunt change

By JOE SANTAMARIA Crunch: Jonny Wilkinson weathered the storm to kick three late points to earn the Lions a draw against...

Varndell: We need to help players to handle this abuse

By NICK POWELL FORMER Premiership top try-scorer Tom Varndell wants better training around coping with social media abuse for players in...

No room at the top for Welsh regions

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AS Anglo-Welsh duels of the blood-and-guts variety go, one springs foremost to mind:...

Only right that the Lions play in Ireland

The Lions used to go out of their way to make friends in little towns not much bigger than villages. Now...

Red Roses: Ella Wyrwas

SARACENS SCRUM-HALF Birthplace: Enfield Date of Birth: 07/03/99 Community Club: Saracens Minis Red Roses Debut: 2023 vs Scotland Caps: 6 Why...

Varley gets Bears back in winners’ enclosure

By JAMES GALLAGHER Loughborough L ........... 17pts Tries: Morrall 11, Treder 51, Williams-Morris 76 Conversion: Rowland 12 Bristol Bears .............. 46pts...

Doidge on fire as lively Exeter prove too strong for Harlequins

By EDDIE MCATEER Harlequins.............27pts Tries: Robinson 41, Sims 66, Cromack 73 Conversions: Tuima 42, 67, 74 Penalties: Tuima 16, 28 Exeter...

Crake leads from front as Trailfinders win at last

By BEN CONEYBEARE Trailfinders ....36pts Tries: Crake 3, 30; Haflin 9, Barwick 36, Dow 57, Zackary 73 Conversions: Green 4, 37,...

Mann happy he made the switch from football

By SIMON THOMAS Football's loss is proving to be rugby’s gain in the case of URC top tackler Alex Mann. He...

A walk in the Park as Benji inspires visitors

By GRAHAM COX Blackheath ....... 0 Rosslyn Park..15 THREE unconverted tries for Rosslyn Park gave them a comfortable win in a...

Warboys claims it in dramatic style

By JOHN VAUGHAN Chinnor....................27 Birmingham M......24 CHINNOR snatched a dramatic win deep into injury time when George Worboys kept his cool...

Hosts celebrate a ‘must-win’ victory

By NIGEL WILCE Cinderford..............40 Taunton Titans .... 31 CINDERFORD boosted their season with a thrilling win over Taunton in a must-win...

Late Hayman try seals fine success for Rams

By TIMOTHY FORRESTER Richmond .........40pts Tries: Jones 1, 48, Spring 17, Mpiko 58, Hitchcock 71, Kaye 77 Conversions: Burrage 18, 49,...

Yates leads the way as Park take maximum points

By TOM BULMER Darlington MP.......29 Leicester Lions ...... 3 DARLINGTON Mowden Park returned to winning ways with a dominant display against...

Mead is in at the double for hosts

By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A.............22 Sedgley Park........... 3 ALBION made it six from six at home this season with a hardearned...

FC weather storm to earn vital victory

By GARETH DANIELS Sale FC....................... 8 Bishop’s S.................. 7 SALE secured the narrowest of victories in the tightest of contests. The...

Is promotion to Championship far too big a gamble to take?

By BEN JAYCOCK Blackheath have aspirations to go as far as they can in the rugby pyramid, but head coach James...

Super Steelers get off to strongest of starts

JAPAN RUGBY By BEN JAYCOCK ALL Blacks Brodie Retallick and Ardie Savea each scored two tries to power the Kobe Steelers...

Harrison helps the in-form Dalesmen

By ANDREW SMITH Huddersfield.......... 12 Wharfedale............26 A LATE try from Rian Harrison secured a bonus-point win on the road for in-form...

Ionians undone by late Otley scores

By MALCOLM KNOWLES Hull Ionians............34 Otley..........................39 WHEN Hull Ionians scored after 65 minutes through Ben Stephen and scored again three minutes...