Forshaw exit is big hit

MIKE Forshaw’s departure to the Wales set-up is a huge loss to Sale – and a major coup for Warren Gatland....

Game needs fair, consistent rulings

Crunch: Owen Farrell tackles Jack Clement ■ So there we are then – Owen Farrell belatedly receives his (lenient) punishment and...

Funding priority must be for grassroots

THE desire of Championship clubs for a reinstatement of their £288k annual central funding, as reported in last week’s TRP, is...

Dream Team with Jake Armstrong

The Doncaster Knights and former Leeds, Bristol and Jersey prop, chooses the best XV he has played with or against... 1....

Time right for Evans to fire up England

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Nick Evans is a good appointment as England attack coach, and good luck to...

Classy Leinster put Gloucester to sword

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ........................14pts Tries: Penalty 25, 64 Leinster............................. 49pts Tries: Larmour 4, Ala’alatoa 11, Osborne 27, Doris 40, Keenan...

Osborne starting to show his worth

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen hailed the performance of young centre, Jamie Osborne, who is destined to be a star of...

Wiese red puts Sale on the back foot

By PAUL REES Sale ....................................... 5pts Tries: van der Merwe 12 Toulouse .......................... 27pts Tries: Meafou 69, Cramont 71 Conversions: Jaminet...

Sharks facing big test in Ulster

Alex Sanderson said Sale would need to match the pride he expects from Ulster when they travel to Belfast next Saturday...

Munster hold off Saints revival

By JOHN FALLON Munster ............................ 27pts Tries: Coombes 9, 29; O’Donoghue 20 Conversions: Carbery 10, 21, 30 Penalties: Carbery 2, 75...

Ludlam: We have to bring higher intensity from the start

Northampton flanker Lewis Ludlam was proud of his side’s fightback after giving Munster a 24-0 headstart. “We probably felt the pressure...

RFU helps Farrell stay in England contention

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK England were facing a fly-half fiasco this week when Owen Farrell went in...

It’s time Max made his return to No.10

The disciplinary convolutions surrounding Owen Farrell’s early return to match action against Scotland shines a spotlight on England’s chronic shortage of...

A red for Slade but Chiefs in good shape

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Blue Bulls ......................... 39pts Tries: Louw 15, Kriel 24, Vermaak 36, Simelane 42 , 70; Grobbelaar 51 Conversions:...

How soft is rugby, says hooker

EXETER Chiefs hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie criticised the decision to send off Henry Slade. “How soft is rugby,” he wrote on Twitter....

Reffell in charge as Tigers get to last 16

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont........................... 29pts Tries: Delguy 23, Belleau 41, Fourcade 35, Jedrasiak 48 Conversions: Belleau 25, 37, 50 Penalties: Belleau...

Pollard pleased to play his part

WORLD Cup-winning fly-half Handre Pollard was pleased to play his part with 14 points for Tigers. He said: “It’s always special...

Sharks put the bite on Begles

By BEN JAYCOCK Sharks ............32 Bordeaux .......... 3 CELL C Sharks booked their place in the round of 16 with a...

Daly shows his class as Saracens run riot

By GARY FITZGERALD Saracens .......................... 48pts Tries: Lozowski 10, Daly 16, 18, 23; Riccioni 32, Christie 35, Earl 80 Conversions: Goode...

Gatland will want players on edge

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Main man: Dan Biggar is in line to be captain PICTURES: Getty Images IT is...

Blair excited to face Castres

Preview Castres v Edinburgh Today. Kick-off 1pm CO-CAPTAINS Grant Gilchrist and Jamie Ritchie return for Edinburgh’s Champions Cup match against Castres...

Dombrandt glad to see Smith return

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Racing 92 v Harlequins Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, La Defense Arena ALEX Dombrandt expects the return of Marcus...

Chawatama: London Irish have the talent to overcome Stormers

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... London Irish v Stormers TO coin an often-used sporting phrase, Lovejoy Chawatama can talk the talk and...

Cuthbert helps Ospreys achieve stunning double

By SIMON ROBERTS Ospreys ............35pts Tries: Cuthbert 22 , 54; Tipuric 64, Morris 77 Conversions: C Evans 24, 55, 65 Penalties:...

Pumas prop Sclavi breaks Ulster hearts at the death

By KEVIN FALLON La Rochelle ....... 7pts Tries: Sclavi 80 Conversions: Hastoy 80+2 Ulster .................. 3pts Penalties: Doak 63 SPRINGBOK No.8...

Halfpenny’s boot proves the difference for Scarlets

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ........... 20pts Tries: Steff Evans 22, McNicholl 54 Conversions: Halfpenny 22, 54 Penalties: Halfpenny 10, 63 Cheetahs...

Thacker’s hat-trick lifts Bears

By BEN JAYCOCK Zebre.................. 11pts Tries: Gesi 60 Penalties: Eden 7, 24 Bristol ............... 34pts Tries: Thacker 43, 67, 77; Lloyd...

Stuart: It will be tough but we’ll do our best

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Cardiff v Newcastle Today. Kick-off 1pm, Arms Park SCRUM-HALF Sam Stuart insists Newcastle haven’t given up hope...

It’s like a cup final – Annett

Preview Bath v Toulon Kick-off 3.15pm BATH’S Challenge Cup game against Toulon was postponed yesterday because of flooding. The game will...

Connacht cruise into knockouts

By DARAGH SMALL Connacht ........ 61 Brive ................... 5 ALEX Wootton scored a hat-trick as Connacht’s bonus point win secured their...

Warriors hit Perpignan for six

By BRYN PALMER Perpignan .....26 Glasgow ..........40 GLASGOW maintained their 100 per cent record in the European Challenge Cup pool stages...

Dragons end European drought

By ROB COLE Pau .................... 12 Dragons ........... 21 DRAGONS took revenge on Pau to record a first win in European...

Benetton ………26 Bayonne ………… 7

BENETTON booked their place in the knockout stage of the Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over rock-bottom Bayonne in Pool...

Stade F ………… 17 Lions ……………… 7

A SECOND half horror show saw the Lions go down to Stade Francais at the Stade Jean-Bouin. The Lions completely dominated...

Smith’s my choice at 10 for England, says Moody

By CAMERON STEPHENS Lewis Moody has backed Marcus Smith to take the reigns at fly-half for England ahead of their Six...

Twelvetrees and Reid set to sign for Ealing

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Ealing Trailfinders are lining up a double swoop on Gloucester for former England centre Billy...

Exodus from Exeter goes on as Ewers joins Ulster

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Dave Ewers will join the exodus from Exeter Chiefs at the end of the season...

Billy to quit Saracens after 2023 World Cup

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Set to leave Saracens: Billy Vunipola Billy Vunipola is preparing to join the long list...

McCallum happy to become a Falcon

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Newcastle Falcons have won the race to bring former Scotland international tighthead Murray McCallum back...

Coughlan poised to replace Forshaw

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Toulon defence coach James Coughlan is an early front-runner to replace Mike Forshaw at Sale Sharks,...

I’m excited to see what U20s can do, says Dickens

By BEN JAYCOCK ENGLAND U20s head coach Alan Dickens is excited by his Six Nations squad as he linked up with...

Eight-try Bears tear the Sharks to pieces

By JESSICA TOLKIEN Bristol Bears..........48 Sale Sharks............ 21 Bristol Bears ran in eight tries to start 2023 off on winning ways...

Hunt hits double to keep Glos on top

By BETHAN CLARGO Gloucester-H..........46 Loughborough L.... 12 Gloucester-Hartpury cemented their place at the top of the Premier 15s with a comfortable...

England flyer Kildunne scores four in rout

By TRISTAN HALL Wasps..........................0 Harlequins.............. 71 Harlequins moved up to third after they blew an off colour Wasps away courtesy of...

Phillips’ treble blows DMP away

By TOM BULMER DMP Sharks.............. 5 Worcester W..........53 Worcester Warriors bounced back from their round six defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury as Carys...

Rampant Chiefs dispatch champions

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Exeter Chiefs.........37 Saracens................. 19 It was Exeter Chiefs who kept up their fine early season form, as they...

Super-sub Norey seals the points for Pirates

By PHIL WESTREN Cornish P .......... 17pts Tries: Crane 32, Norey 45, 62 Conversions: Robson 63 Nottingham........ 6pts Penalties: Neville 9...

Caldy keep on target to push Richmond in at the deep end

By JOHN LYON Caldy ..................27pts Tries: Hearn 14, 34 Royle 23 Conversions Gourlay 15, 24, 35 Penalties: Gourlay 10, 43 Richmond...

Delight for Jersey as they score 14 in four

By PAUL SMITH Coventry ............................ 19pts Tries: Dodd 48, Bainbridge 59, Poole 70 Conversions: Pellegrini 59, 70 Jersey Reds ..................... 19pts...

Blues cut loose to sweep past Scots

By DAVID CHALLIS L Scottish ......... 13pts Bedford ............ 34pts Bedford cut loose to run in five tries in an emphatic...