Series 3, Episode 3: South Africa’s World Cup prospects with Hennie Le Roux and England release World Cup squad

Continuing our review series of the major nations in the lead-up to the World Cup later this year in France, today...

Vunipola beats Dombrandt as only eight in England squad

Billy Vunipola beat Alex Dombrandt to the sole specialist number eight spot in England‘s Rugby World Cup squad as Henry Slade...

Mako set to miss out

Mako Vunipola has been ruled out of England‘s 33-man World Cup squad due to a back injury. The 32-year-old was ruled...

Rugby Championship Opener brings exciting start to nonstop sporting action!

The Rugby Championship came alive in July, and the Southern Hemisphere is buzzing with scintillating rugby action. It will be nonstop...

The Essential Foundations of Successful Rugby Wagering

The world of rugby wagering can be a thrilling yet daunting arena, with a need to understand the nuances of the...

Borthwick decides to see the positives

By BEN JAYCOCK at Principality Stadium Steve Borthwick remained positive after seeing his England team get well beaten by an inexperienced...

24 teams likely to line up at USA 2031

EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin has revealed that they plan to go big in America in 2031...

Financial stability is our priority – Durkin

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates chairman Paul Durkin has branded the RFU “the only body in sport who haven’t reinstated Covid...

Bedford the only club for me – Tapley

Jon Newcombe talks to the loyal Blues winger who has been granted a testimonial As a primary school teacher and long-time...

Morgan shows way for Wales as England struggle to spark

By NICK CAIN Wales..................................20pts Tries: Davies 48, North 58 Conversions: Halfpenny 49, 59 Penalties: Halfpenny 17, 26 England ................................ 9pts Penalties:...

Next week matters for Borthwick’s men

PAUL REES There is a danger of reading too much into a pre-World Cup friendly between two sides some way below...

England need to start trusting their instincts

BRENDAN GALLAGHER But what does it all mean? That is always my big problem with these trial games – sorry, World...

Why deny us Louis’ moment of brilliance?

SHANE WILLIAMS As useful as technology can be in professional sport, there are moments when you have to curse it. Why...

Italy make Ireland fight all the way

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Ireland............................... 33pts Tries: Kilcoyne 13, Doris 28, 72; McCloskey 38, Healy 66 Conversions: Crowley 14, 29, 39; Frawley...

Fagerson fear mars Scotland fightback

By GARY FITZGERALD Scotland ..................................................25pts Tries: Graham 46, Schoeman 57, Cherry 67 Conversions: Russell 47, 58 Penalties: Russell 4, 76 France..........................................................

Libbok leads fightback as Boks eventually win comfortably

Argentina ........ 13 South Africa .. 24 South Africa came away victorious after a controlling second half performance. Argentina led 10-3...

Fiji take honours as they get better of Japan

PACIFIC NATIONS CUP By SAM JACKSON Fiji won the Pacific Nations Cup after beating 14-men Japan 35-12 in Tokyo in coach...

Mo’unga on target to deny Wallabies

By BEN JAYCOCK New Zealand................... 23pts Tries: Stevenson 44, Finau 64 Conversions: McKenzie 45, Mo’unga 65 Penalties: McKenzie 14, Mo’unga 58,...

Mentality of the players holds key

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK OWEN Farrell has won over 100 England caps, George Ford has 81 caps, Manu...

Cut Championship clubs some slack

THE promotion/relegation play-off set to be introduced next season between the Premiership and Championship is a long overdue step in the...

Drastic measures are required to ensure progress

OVER the last three years, or is it longer, I can’t recall anybody having a good word to say about the...

Sad not all fans can watch warm-ups

THE brains at Twickenham have done it again. As we all know, the four consecutive weekends in August are to broadcast...

Sanderson looking for an extra 12%

By PAUL REES Alex Sanderson believes Sale will need to improve by at least 12 per cent if they are going...

Quins form partnership with Honda Heat

Harlequins and top tier Japanese side Mie Honda Heat have entered into a long-term strategic partnership designed to help support the...

Too much Politburo, too little democracy

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THERE are aspects of the way the RFU is being run that would...

Argentina threaten England’s progress

NICK CAIN There has been far too much talk about England’s “free pass” into the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup,...

Borthwick prepares to make final calls

PAUL REES CONSIDERS THE OPTIONS AS ENGLAND’S HEAD COACH GETS READY TO ANNOUNCE WORLD CUP SQUAD TOMORROW STEVE Borthwick has never...

Southgate links with Borthwick

ON THE BLINDSIDE Gareth Southgate is forging close links with his rugby counterpart Steve Borthwick after enjoying a close friendship with...

Carcassonne the next stop for Graham

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Gary Graham is linking up with his former Newcastle Falcons...

Cipriani gets ready for life in the jungle

ON THE BLINDSIDE Danny Cipriani is set to thrust himself back into the spotlight after signing a six-figure deal to join...

Gold adds his experience to the Blue Bulls

ON THE BLINDSIDE Former Bath boss Gary Gold is back in coaching after agreeing to join Jake White’s coaching staff at...

Burns has his eye on media

ON THE BLINDSIDE Freddie Burns says he would love to move into the media if he calls time on his career...

Dream Team with Cam Neild

The former Sale Sharks, Worcester & Glasgow flanker chooses the best XV he has played with or against... 1. Eifion Lewis-Roberts...

Crowds need to be part of the action

CHRIS HEWETT THE best part of 84,000 spectators congregated at “The G” for last weekend’s Bledisloe Cup contest in Melbourne, which...

The day Mouritz showed his desire

CHRIS HEWETT Every so often, rugby sheds its hard skin and shows us its soft side. Not that Mouritz Botha was...

Smith’s backing Cov to get better

Coventry secured their highest ever finish in the Championship last season and young second row George Smith knows there’s added pressure...

‘I’ve given everything I could to the game’

Ben Jaycock sits down with Stuart Hogg to discuss his career and his plans for the future Scotland centurion Stuart Hogg...

At last! Spain show us what they can do

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S BEEN a bittersweet roller coaster five or...

The time that Dixon bolted out of the blue

RUGBY MATTERS Bolters seem to be less common in top rugby these days but as teams finalise their World Cup squads...

My Life in Rugby with Gary Pearce: ‘All Blacks victory left me needing plastic surgery’

The former England and Northampton prop talks about his life in the game Knackering Fran Cotton’s knee in a training session...

Top Cat: charisma, sermons and style

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW IF ONLY Mark Twain had been born half a century later, on the...

Norton never forgot his friend Murdoch

PETER JACKSON Tane Norton never lost sight of one image from his first UK tour as an All Black, that of...

The Rainbow Nation enjoys day of history

Brendan Gallagher looks back at the players who shone on the biggest stage Rugby World Cup has spawned many iconic moments...

Japan host great party as Boks snatch the glory

Japan, having been thwarted at the death in their efforts to stage RWC2011, finally achieved their aim in 2019 and made...

Young Guns: Harlequins & England U20 back row Zach Carr

Zach Carr was planning a holiday in Asia with his family this summer but was drafted into the England U20s camp...

Honey aiming to make his mark at Rams

By BEN JAYCOCK Dead-eye goal kicker Fraser Honey has taken the step up to National 1 side Rams and is hoping...

Pre-season

By BILL HOOPER Redruth ............ 17 Plymouth A .... 64 ALBION ran in ten tries as they overcame a valiant Redruth...

Spain join top tier after Uruguay win

By BEN JAYCOCK SPAIN have been promoted to the top tier of U20s rugby for the first time after winning a...

Borthwick deserves a chance to learn

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME WITH England’s first warm-up game taking place this weekend, it brings home...

Twelvetrees keen to get Ealing firing

Ben Jaycock talks to the former England star as he prepares to help his new club fight to regain the title...