No need to worry for Exeter

AS an Exeter Chiefs fan I was getting worried who would be left to select next season but looking forward I...

Farrell doesn’t need to play the full 80

80-minute man: England captain Owen Farrell PICTURE: Getty Images WHY is it not possible to substitute Owen Farrell at any point...

That’s the height of hypocrisy

BEN Jaycock described last week how Stourbridge RFC is being used as a means to prevent Worcester being demoted to the...

Dream Team with Glen Townson

The Bristol academy transition coach and former Sale, Sedgley Park, Bristol, Doncaster, Newcastle and Ealing lock, picks the best XV he's...

Positives begin to add up for Borthwick

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Assuming that the Wales v England game in Cardiff on Saturday is played despite...

Saints stun Sharks after Tuilagi’s red

By PAUL REES Northampton ................... 38pts Tries: James 23, Freeman 48, Proctor 56, Penalty 65, Braley 73, Dingwall 76 Conversions: Smith...

‘Ref was correct to send Manu off’

Alex Sanderson said he had no complaints about Manu Tuilagi’s red card for a forearm smash, but questioned the two yellows...

Pragmatic Irish are looking in the mood

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bath ..................................... 10pts Tries: Bayliss 21 Conversions: Spencer 21 Penalties: Spencer 28 London Irish .................... 25pts Tries: Jackson...

Tough Bristol test next for Bath

Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan is demanding a big improvement next week against Bristol. He said: “I have no...

Carreras artistry too much for Quins

By TOM BRADSHAW Gloucester ....................... 28pts Tries: Blake 5, Thorley 18, Carreras 72, Rees-Zammit 74 Conversions: Carreras 6, 18, 73, 75...

Bonus points could make the difference, says Matson

Harlequins boss Tabai Matson believes the two bonus points the visitors claimed could prove vital come the final reckoning. Asked whether...

Ealing poised to break up cartel

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK ARE Ealing Trailfinders finally about to break the grip of an RFU-backed Premiership...

Wasps likely to be caught in a tangled web

NICK CAIN The Atlas Group’s purchase of Worcester Warriors from administrators Begbies Traynor, which includes the Sixways stadium, the site, and...

Lively Randall raises Bears off the bottom

By ROGER PANTING Bristol .................................30pts Tries: Randall 9, 42; Vui 20, Harding 80 Conversions: Williams 20, 42 Penalties: Williams 40, 68...

Gustard to stay in Paris

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Paul Gustard is set to slam the door shut...

French line up swoop for Warner

ON THE BLINDSIDE Former Worcester Warriors flanker Fergus Lee Warner, who is on a short-term deal with Bath until the end...

Cheika cuts links with Japanese outfit

ON THE BLINDSIDE Michael Cheika has parted company with Japanese outfit NEC Green Rockets, where he was director of rugby after...

Chiefs set to make a move for prop Smith

ON THE BLINDSIDE In demand: Ospreys prop Nicky Smith PICTURES: Getty Images Exeter Chiefs have sounded out Ospreys and Wales prop...

Grace’s injury woes continue

ON THE BLINDSIDE Regan Grace, above, has suffered a major setback in his bid for fitness and faces several more months...

Webb in line for Baa-Baas return against World XV

WALES scrum-half Rhys Webb is set for a Barbarians return against a World XV in May. The 34-year-old Webb is in...

Tougher challenges for U20s – Dickens

By BEN JAYCOCK Rapid: Rekeiti Ma’asi-White scores against Italy ENGLAND U20s have found a way through major tests from Scotland and...

McCall: We’re ready to take on rock stars

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Leicester v Saracens Today. Kick-off 3pm, Welford Road MARK McCALL comes across as someone who has no...

Debut for Brown as Wigglesworth looks to old guard

By PAUL REES RICHARD Wigglesworth has mobilised Dad’s Army as he looks to mastermind a repeat of last season’s Premiership final...

Time to change rules about the driving maul

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST As a rule of thumb, rugby folk do not pick an intellectual fight with the great New...

King of the team sports? Not from where I’m sitting

CHRIS HEWETT Later this year, when the French go tete-a-tete with the All Blacks in the opening fixture of the glitziest...

Bosch guides the way for Sharks

By BEN JAYCOCK Lions .................. 7 Sharks ............29 Curwin Bosch inspired the Sharks to a crucial bonus-point victory over the struggling...

Libbok drops in to seal Stormers win

By SAM JACKSON Bulls ................19 Stormers ........23  The Stormers secured a narrow victory at a packed Lotus Versfield to do the...

Cardiff ride luck to stay in the race

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ................. 30pts Tries: Lane 2, 6; Ratti 49, Thomas 80 Conversions: Thomas 49, 80 Penalties: Thomas 13,...

Delight for Peel as Scarlets romp home

By ROB COLE Scarlets ........... 42pts Tries: Conbeer 5, 46; Fifita 11, Evans 30, Davies 49, James 75 Conversions: Costelow 6,...

Ruddock leads way for Leinster

By TOM SHEEDY Leinster .......... 43 Dragons ...........14 Leo Cullen praised his men as their second string side maintained their perfect...

Warriors move into top four

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow ..........17 Ulster ............... 11 Scotland lock Scott Cummings impressed on his return after a three-month lay-off with...

Late try flurry saves Connacht

By JOHN FALLON Zebre ............... 34 Connacht ........57 Hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin became the fourth Connacht player in a row to score...

Ospreys suffer nine-try mauling

By JOHN FALLON Munster ..........58 Ospreys.............. 3 Ospreys head coach Toby Booth is hopeful that their heaviest defeat ever in the...

Kidney using Cup to bring on youngsters

By PAUL REES LONDON Irish have made the Premiership Cup final for the second season running and are using the tournament...

McGuigan: Great to hear Shed roar

By JON NEWCOMBE Injured: George McGuigan was named in Steve Borthwick’s first England squad PICTURES: Getty Images GLOUCESTER hooker George McGuigan...

WRU now the laughing stock of world rugby

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Oh, what a week that was! I felt the pain along with every other Welsh...

Perris-Redding relieved after Sale get league place

By BEN JAYCOCK Sale Sharks flanker Georgie Perris-Redding was relieved to have her side’s place in the Premier 15s next season...

New maternity deal agreed

ENGLAND women’s players are now entitled to 26 weeks’ fully-paid maternity leave as well as funds for children to travel to...

Saracens have final word in The Duel

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens.................32 Harlequins.............. 12 Saracens overpowered Harlequins in The Duel, as they stunned the visitors with five first half...

MacDonald leads way for Chiefs

By JAMES FOWLER Worcester................. 5 Exeter.......................57 Exeter produced another dominant performance to overpower Worcester at Sixways. There were eight tries in...

Nine-try Bears too strong for Sharks

By TOM BULMER DMP Sharks.............. 7 Bristol.......................55 Bristol ran out bonus point winners in Round 11 after a high-scoring contest at...

Field calls the shots for Lightning

By BETHAN CLARGO Loughborough....... 17 Sale........................... 10 Loughborough Lightning came from behind twice to claim a hard-fought victory against the Sharks...

Biggar has no one to blame but himself

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Had Wales only opted to man the picket lines outside Murrayfield instead of...

Ireland show just how farWales have to go

PETER JACKSON • A Ferrari is said to go from a standstill to 50mph in 2.9 seconds. The one seen at...

When the boys of ’68 were set to strike

PETER JACKSON Only two world wars have interrupted the annual England-Wales fixture since its inception on Mr Richardson’s Field in the...

Bonus win not enough to keep Cov hopes alive

By MO SHER London S...........31pts Tries: Els 19, Mehson 36, 50, Taulani 47 Conversions: Chamberlain 20, 37, 48, 51 Penalties: Chamberlain...

Five-try Reds book place in semi-final shoot-out

By TOM INNES Jersey Reds ...31pts Tries: Hadfield 2, 41; Barnes 40, Brown 44, Chapman 72 Conversions: Pittman 2, 40, Burnell...

Blues are blitzed by Doncaster fightback

By BEN REYNOLDS Bedford ............................. 42pts Tries: Uru 8, 20; Conway 12, Arthur 32, Worley 67, Frost 74 Conversions: Maisey 10,...

Strong finish sees Ealing march on

By XANDER CHEVALLIER Hartpury Uni ....28pts Tries: McNab 4, 46; Morris 20, Sranford 51 Conversions: Mathews 4, 20, 46 , 51...

Nothing to shout about as Caldy take the honours

By LUKE MARSH Caldy ................ 24pts Tries: Aigbokhae 26, Hayes 34, 40; Royle 63 Conversions: Gourlay 35, 64 Richmond ........ 19pts...