Sharks keen to build on record win over Leicester

By JON NEWCOMBE Fit and firing: Manu Tuilagi caused Tigers problems LAST season’s thumping 36-14 win over Harlequins at the Twickenham...

Home comforts key to Irish challenge

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... London Irish v Bristol Today. Kick-off 3pm, Brentford Community Stadium Benhard Janse van Rensburg believes home comforts...

Rejuvenated Bears believe they can still make playoffs

By PAUL REES Leading the way: Ellis Genge scores in the 40-36 win over Irish in September BRISTOL exorcised a ghost...

Gatland has great chance to make a big difference

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND It was a pleasant and pretty reassuring sight seeing Warren Gatland back in the stands...

Rhyno makes Ulster suffer

By KEVIN FALLON Benetton ........ 31 Ulster ...............29 Ulster's mid-season crisis deepened when they fell to a fifth defeat in six...

Misery for Cardiff as Scarlets triumph

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff .................22pts Tries: Faletau 35, Carre 48, Adams 63 Conversions: Evans 35, 48 Penalties: Evans 2 Scarlets ..............28pts...

Leaders Leinster fight back to deny Ospreys

By ANDREW ROBERTS Ospreys ............. 19pts Tries: Giles 15 Conversions: C Evans 16 Penalties: C Evans 11, 43, 54, 73 Leinster...............

Warriors keen to measure progress

Preview Glasgow v Stormers Today. Kick-off 3pm FRANCO Smith says his Warriors are ready for the challenge against the defending champions...

Edinburgh dig in to avoid upset

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh ...... 24 Zebre ................ 17 EDINBURGH survived a major scare as Paddy Harrison’s late try earned an...

Healy guides Munster home

By JOHN FALLON Munster ..........33 Lions .................. 3 MUNSTER head coach Graham Rowntree praised departing outhalf Ben Healy for steering them...

Try double for local lad Forde

By JOHN FALLON Connacht ....... 24 Sharks ............. 12 GALWAY native Cathal Forde was the hero for Connacht as they carved...

Powerful Bulls prove too strong for Dragons

By ROGER PANTING Dragons ............. 14pts Tries: Roberts 24, Clark 34 Conversions: S Davies 24, 34 Bulls ...................29pts Tries: Arendse 4,...

Williams next for exit door

BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Rob Baxter last week admitted that he was planning for next season without...

Sutherland in demand

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Worcester Warriors prop Rory Sutherland is wanted by clubs in Scotland, France and England...

Munster out to tempt hooker Marx

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Munster are locked in talks with Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx about switching from Japanese Top...

Touchdown! NFL keen on Rees-Zammit

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Gloucester flyer Louis Rees-Zammit has been put under the microscope and watched by scouts from...

Saints plan for life after Ribbans

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Northampton Saints have started planning for life without England international David Ribbans, above, after looking...

Tigers have their eye on Mouneimne

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Leicester Tigers are keen on a move for Exeter Chiefs defensive guru Omar Mouneimne, above,...

From the Mad Giraffe to Zatopek’s protege

PETER JACKSON And so to the New Year list with a difference, Honours and Dishonours in roughly equal measure thereby ensuring...

Potent Du Preez fires Sharks past champions

Sale ....................40pts Tries: O’Flaherty 34, McIntyre 52, Penalty try 66, Ashman 76, R du Preez 79, Conversions: R du Preez 35,...

Double for Ramm as Saints hit feeble Quins for six

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton ................... 46pts Tries: Waller 3, Ramm 16, 40; Salakaia-Loto 53, Furbank 68, Hutchinson 74 Conversions: Smith 4,...

Super Spencer takes gritty Bath off the bottom

Bath ................... 24pts Tries: Lawrence 12, Hill 47, Spencer 55 Conversions: Bailey 13, 48, 56 Penalties: Bailey 78 Newcastle........ 16pts Tries:...

Carreras on target to cause more pain for Irish

Gloucester ......... 8pts Tries: Alemanno 10 Penalties: Carreras 80 London Irish ...... 6pts Penalties: Jackson 27, 71 SANTIAGO Carreras built on...

Farrell back to his best as Sarries ease past Chiefs

Saracens ..........35pts Tries: Christie 9, Maitland 22, Riccioni 39, Lewington 71, Tompkins 80 Conversions: Farrell 10, 40 Penalties: Farrell 44, 49...

Irish breeze past Bath to reach final four

By NICK POWELL London Irish ....26pts Tries: Cornish 19, 43 Scragg 29, Miller 75 Conversions: Atkins 20, 30, 44 Bath .........................

Hartpury hold on to quell Scottish fightback

By MO SHER L Scottish ........ 19pts Tries: Chisholm 13, Morris 47, Hyde 79 Conversions: Chamberlain 48, 80 Hartpury Uni ......

Caldy joy as it all goes wrong for 14-man Ealing

By JOHN LYON Caldy ................................ 26pts Tries: Beer 59, 66, 79; Royle 45 Conversions: Gourlay 46, 60, 67 Ealing T............................ 24pts...

Second-half blitz puts Pirates in control

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates ..37pts Tries: Crane 5, Wyatt 53, 79, Kessell 58, Tuima 75 Conversions: Bazalgette 53, Robson 75,...

Happy end to 2022 for Richmond

By BEN JAYCOCK Richmond … 22pts L Scottish…….. 8pts Richmond last weekend secured their first league victory since October – and...

Heartbreak for Evans as Ospreys win Welsh derby

URC round-up First-half try: Dewi Lake scored for Ospreys JARROD Evans fell agonisingly short with the last kick of the game...

We want to hear that Twickenham roar

Paul Rees talks to England's new defence coach Kevin Sinfield and finds out what drives him When Eddie Jones took over...

My Life in Rugby with Will Hooley: Rollercoaster ride full of cool stuff along the way

The US Eagles, San Diego Legion and former Exeter, Northampton, Saracens & Bedford fly-half talks about his career in the game...

Thrilling finish in ‘73 never to be repeated

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER What with Italy looking more competitive, the 2023...

Dickson wrong to ignore his TMO

For me there are only two reasons for a TMO. First to adjudicate whether a try has been legally scored and...

Rams hold on after late Hull blitz

By RICHARD GORE Hull..................... 19 Rams ................ 24 Hull fought to the final whistle to gain a losing bonus point and...

Sale savour most thrilling of victories

By STEPHEN SMITH Sale FC.....................45 Plymouth A ............35 Sale edged out Plymouth Albion in a 12-try thriller played in slippery conditions....

Late Rogers try breaks Park hearts

By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s S............... 12 Darlington MP....... 10 The blustery and damp conditions made the kind of running rugby both...

Morris full of praise as his Cinderford dig deep

By NIGEL WILCE Cinderford........23pts Tries: Baker 20, Porter 51, Wilcox 77 Conversions: Austin 21 Penalties: Austin 6, 68 Leeds T .................

Esher do club legend Basil proud on 100th birthday

By TOM SANSOM Esher ........................24 B Moseley .............. 14 Esher secured a crucial win in their opening match of a milestone...

Immanuel’s effort brings no reward

By MIKE AMOS Taunton T ................. 8 Cambridge .............36 If possession and effort won games, then Taunton would have been outright...

Easter eggs side on to top triumph

By JACK JOHNSON Chinnor....................48 Rosslyn Park ......... 12 Chinnor produced a sensational display to blow away high-flying Rosslyn Park and begin...

Young Guns: Wales U18 fly-half Jacob Symes

Welsh rugby’s latest young talented fly-half Jacob Symes departs for Australia in February to play for Eastern Suburbs in the highly...

Gate show spirit in big home reverse

By TIM THORLEY Harrogate........... 0 Fylde..................52 Although the scoreline might not suggest it, Harrogate put up a spirited performance, but Fylde...

Ionians make up for some lost time

By MALCOLM KNOWLES Hull Ionians............37 Wharfedale............24 The enforced four-week lay-off, due to frost and festivities seemed to release pent-up energies in...

It’s a magnificent seven for Otley!

By NICK DOYLE Otley..........................25 Sheffield.................... 3 Otley got their seventh consecutive win when they defeated Sheffield. The hosts opened the scoring...

Field pack a punch in tightest of tussles

By DESMOND HICKIE Fightback: Chester’s Kyle Josep brings it back to a one point game PICTURES: Mike Inkley Chester............... 19pts Huddersfield.......

Ireland on song as Tigers make it tough for Dale

By DAVID ROBSON Sheffield T..............26 Tynedale................... 7 Hungry Sheffield Tigers began 2023 with a bang as they romped to a bonus-point...

Hedley proves to be hat-trick hero

By CHRIS NUNN Blaydon.................... 19 Rotherham T..........47 Rotherham showed their class as they stormed to victory at Blaydon, with Jack Hedley...

Park pressure too much for Hoppers

By KEN MOORE Preston G................... 7 Sedgley Park.........46 As half-time approached in this meeting between the league leaders and a team...

1 North East

By GEOFF LIGHTFOOT THERE proved to be a big weekend shock with the defeat of Billingham, 19-17 away to Doncaster Pheonix...