Maddock urges Bath to find the space to play

Joe Maddock was instrumental in helping Bath to their last piece of silverware – and the club’s new attack coach wants...

Fijian Api has eyes set on one more World Cup

■By GARY FITZGERALD API Ratuniyawara believes his new club life at 36 can help him fulfil his dream of representing his...

Premiership must promote from within

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk SO, it has been...

English rugby is rotten to the core

I HAVE written to The Rugby Paper on many occasions over the last five years with some success on the subject...

Welsh clubs not the answer to Prem mess

ENGLISH professional rugby is undeniably in trouble if the likes of Worcester and Wasps, as appears likely, are not able to...

Write All Blacks off at your peril, warns Pollard

By PAUL REES Handre Pollard says that anyone writing off New Zealand for next year’s World Cup after their struggles this...

Midlands toasting a legend in Rossy

RUGBY in the Midlands has lost a much-loved legend following the recent passing of John Ross at the age of 85....

Dream Team with Jonny Harris

JONNY HARRIS, THE RICHMOND PROP AND FORMER LEICESTER, LONDON IRISH & LONDON SCOTTISH PLAYER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED...

We need a sustainable model to save the game

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Worcester's situation is very sad for everyone involved in the club, and to most...

I feel I’ve got an extra suit of armour, says Snowsill

By ROB COLE Key figure: Elinor Snowsill About 18 months ago Elinor Snowsill was told by one of her then Welsh...

Japan, NZ & France looking at Tuilagi

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler England and Lions star Manu Tuilagi is attracting interest from...

Gray has Brive in his sights

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER VETERAN Scotland and Lions lock Richie Gray is preparing to move back to France at...

Wasps may move for McGuigan

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Hooker: McGuigan GEORGE McGuigan could lead the exodus of players from Newcastle Falcons at the...

Bath launch surprise bid for Worcester trio

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER In demand: Worcester’s Ted Hill PICTURE: Getty Images BATH have launched a sensational bid to...

Mystery as Rona disappears from view

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Curtis Rona’s future with London Irish is in doubt after he mysteriously disappeared from the...

Bristol poised to tempt Malins

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bristol Bears are set to confirm that they have agreed on a deal that will...

Dazzling Daly the star for Saracens

By ADAM HATHAWAY Saracens ..........51pts Tries: Lozowski 14, Earl 22, Malins 30, Van Zyl 38, Daly 60, McFarland 68, Maitland 79...

We were blown away, admits Leicester chief Borthwick

Steve Borthwick, the Leicester head coach, admitted his side had been blown away by Saracens and his old club were still...

Chiefs cut down as Sale get into groove

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sale Sharks......28pts Tries: B Curry 36, van der Merwe 46, Carpenter 68 Conversions: R du Preez 37, 47...

All the work pays off for Joe

Sale’s Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Joe Carpenter was brilliant today. We have seen all those skills and talent in...

Hat-trick duo prove too quick for Bath

■By ROGER PANTING London Irish ....47pts Tries: Hassell-Collins 4, 28, 39 Loader 15, 23, 55 Jackson 80 Conversions: Jackson 4, 15,...

Graan: Simply not good enough

Bath's head coach, Johann Van Graan said after his side’s fourth consecutive Premiership defeat: “It's another loss so I'm not proud...

Newcastle too good for shambolic Bears

By NICK POWELL Newcastle ........30pts Tries: Carreras 17, 80+4; Collett 22, McGuigan 31 Conversions: Schoeman 33, 80+6 Penalties: Schoeman 64, 77...

Lam: We made far too many mistakes

Pat Lam was struggling to hide his disappointment in his own side’s performance after their nightmare at Kingston Park. Lam said:...

Amnesia in rugby’s corridors of power

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Then there were 12. Less than a month into the new season, the...

Dingwall expects a points fest with Quins

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Harlequins v Northampton Sunday October 2. Kick-off 3pm, The Stoop THE trend of high scoring matches in...

‘Slow burner’ Anyanwu is taking his big opportunity

Talent: Lennox Anyanwu ■By GARY FITZGERALD LENNOX Anyanwu steps out for his fourth consecutive start for Harlequins today eager to showcase...

Cole shows us how to survive life at the front

CHRIS HEWETT Welcome to the age of the anti-scrum. We wait whole half-hours for a set-piece only to find none coming...

Easson goes for even split of Scottish first-timers

By BEN JAYCOCK Skipper: Rachel Malcolm again captains Scotland Scotland are playing in their first World Cup in 12 years and...

Lionesses have inspired us to live the moment says Middleton

By BEN JAYCOCK ENGLAND A year later than advertised, the 2021 Women’s World Cup gets underway in New Zealand next weekend...

All-rounder Brown has set her sights on the top prize

By ADAM HATHAWAY Versatile: Shaunagh Brown is used to the big stage SHAUNAGH Brown has packed plenty into her first 32...

No stone is unturned for Welsh coach Cunningham

By BEN JAYCOCK Influence: Siwan Lillicrap leads the Welsh charge Head coach Ioan Cunningham believes this Wales team head into the...

Heartache for Dragons as Sharks fight back

By TIM LEWIS Dragons ............19pts Tries: Dee 46 Conversions: Reed 47 Penalties: Reed 11, 14, 27, 40 Sharks ..............20pts Tries: Williams...

Ospreys take it as Giles puts on a show

By ROB COLE Ospreys ............32pts Tries: Giles 29, 49, North 72, Morgan-Williams 78 Conversions: Anscombe 30, Walsh 50, 78 Penalties: Anscombe...

Halfpenny and Owens can’t stop Benetton

By STEFFAN THOMAS Benetton ..........34pts Tries: Albornoz 29, Padovani 57, Menoncello 76 Conversions: Albornoz 31, Smyth 58, 80 Penalties: Albornoz 5,...

Champs leave it late for flurry

By BEN JAYCOCK Stormers ........34 Edinburgh ......18 The Stormers were forced to call on their champion qualities before they beat down...

First win in Rowntree’s rule

By PHILLIP SMITH Munster ................21 Zebre ........................5 Munster captain Peter O’Mahony said the win was all that mattered as they finally...

Connacht stay pointless

By JOHN FALLON Bulls ......................28 Connacht ..............14 Connacht captain Jarrad Butler lamented another error-strewn performance as they fell to their third...

Ulster’s reign ends in the rain

By KEVIN FALLON Ulster ....................13 Leinster ................20 Leinster may face some upheaval next summer following the confirmation earlier in the week...

Determined Lions pounce on foolish Cardiff errors

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ................18pts Tries: Botham 37, Lewis-Hughes 67 Conversions: Evans 37 Penalties: Evans 9, 25 Lions ..................31pts Tries: Penalty...

Wray: I don’t want to leave Saracens

By GARY FITZGERALD One-club man: Jackson Wray wants to finish his career at Saracens PICTURES: Getty Images Jackson Wray has set...

Lancaster leaves Leinster for top job at Racing

LEINSTER have confirmed that former England coach Stuart Lancaster will leave the province at the end of the season to take...

How losing a finger didn’t stop Bennett

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW At the last count, Alexander Zverev’s tennis earnings had topped $32 million, enough...

Jones will be looking for instant impact

Quite how the US Navy SEALS’ mission to obliterate Osama Bin Laden can be related to the green fields of France...

Raynal is my referee of the year

By Peter Jackson Mathieu Raynal ought by now to have turned the Referee of the Year award into a foregone conclusion....

Pirates are all at sea as Reds obtain gritty victory

By TIM PRYOR Jersey Reds..... 21pts Tries: Penalty try 34, 40, 73 C Pirates............ 10pts Tries: Andrew 45, Penny 54 A...

Nottingham stun Knights with Boden giving credit

By ROB WILDMAN Nottingham.....30pts Tries: Olowofela 15, 33, Graham 21, 39 Conversions: Hollingsworth 21, 33 Penalties: Hollingsworth 7, Bunting 76 Doncaster............

Quality of Holmes is too much for Cov!

By PAUL SMITH Coventry.............................. 5pts Tries: Nayalo 50 Ealing Trailfinders....... ...50pts Tries: Bodilly 4, Holmes 13, 43, Bird-Tulloch 23, Willis 31,...

Ampthill cut loose to banish the Exiles

By KEVIN MILLER Ampthill.............59pts Tries: Montgomery 4, Cambriani 6, 10, Ryan 33, Gallagher 38, White 50, Beckett 65, Finlay 77, Rankin...

Ravers are left feeling the Blues after Bedford rout

By ALEX WILKINSON Bedford.............52pts Tries: Adamson 2, 18, Tapley 10, Taylor 26, Grayson 31, Garside 35, 41, Day 57 Conversions: Maisey...