Why couldn’t we see Smith take on Farrell?

Nick Cain A Premiership that kills its own prime promotional opportunities, like preventing Marcus Smith from playing for Harlequins in a...

We’re looking a real threat – Simmonds

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Exeter v Harlequins Today. Kick-off 3pm, Sandy Park JOE Simmonds puts his strong start to the season...

Hammond out to prove himself against Gray

By GARY FITZGERALD Determined: Hammond George Hammond has Jonny Gray in his sights today as he continues to live his club...

Increasing salary cap a risk not worth taking

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Where's daddy gone?” asks the six-yearold boy. “To a Premier Rugby board meeting,” his mother replies. “What’s...

Creative types not best suited to mixing it

THE good news for Ronan O’Gara? He’ll be right in the thick of it when, alongside the super-trendy All Blacks coach-in-waiting,...

Sharks add Tuipulotu to list of targets

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Sale Sharks have added Sione Tuipulotu to their list of...

Bath chase Sutherland to cover for Obano

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Prop star: Sutherland Bath are ready to join the hunt for Worcester and Scotland loosehead...

Nowell set to join Chiefs mate Sam in France

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER French suitors: Jack Nowell Lions and England winger Jack Nowell looks set to follow his...

Collazo not joining Premiership

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Gloucester prop Patrice Collazo has spent some time recently in London, but Blindside understands...

Irishman Dunne no desire for England

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Exeter Chiefs lock Jack Dunne says there is no chance he will be seen in...

Van Vuuren at the double as Wasps shoot down Falcons

By NICK POWELL Pick of the bunch: Harry Craven scoring for Wasps WASPS shone on the pitch during a difficult week...

Time to give Louis a run at 15 against All Blacks

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND It was bitterly disappointing to see Liam Williams leave the field injured on his Cardiff...

Glasgow find feet as Horne blows Cardiff off the park

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow............52pts Tries: Brown 23, 52; Forbes 25, M Fagerson 30, Horne 40, Z Fagerson 47, Gordon 64, McDowall...

Cooney at his best as Ulster capitalise

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ............39pts Tries: J Davies 18, Conbeer 21, Fifita 41, Hughes 54, 62 Conversions: Costelow 21, 41, 54,...

Giles’ double in vain as Walsh fires wide

By STEFFAN THOMAS Ospreys ............27pts Tries: Giles 12, 16; Webb 33, Lake 53 Conversions: Walsh 13, 17 Penalties: Walsh 61 Lions...

Basham back for Dragons

Preview Dragons v Munster Today. Kick-off 3pm WALES flanker Taine Basham starts as Dragons looks to bounce from the 44-6 hammering...

TMO ruling gets Sharks off the hook

Sharks ............42 Zebre ..............37 THE Sharks survived a late fightback to win in Parma. Zebre looked to have secured the win...

Butler: Discipline let us down

By JOHN FALLON Stormers ..............38 Connacht ..............15 Connacht skipper Jarrad Butler said discipline let them down for the second week in...

Steyn steals it for Bulls

By BRYN PALMER Bulls ......................33 Edinburgh ............31 Morne Steyn’s late penalty broke Edinburgh’s hearts as the Scottish side fell agonisingly short...

Lancaster legacy will live on

By JOHN FALLON Leinster ................42 Benetton ..............10 Stuart Lancaster may be heading to Racing 92 next season but the legacy he...

Day makes the most of his return to Cornwall

By MIKE SINCLAIR C Pirates ............21pts Tries: Crane 29, Tuima 37, Wedlake 53 Conversions: Robson 29, 37, 53 Bedford ..............41pts Tries:...

Tizzano gets into gear as Ealing canter past Hartpury

By XANDER CHEVALLIER Ealing ..............42pts Tries: Tizzano 21, 55; Roots 68, Terry 75, Johnston 79, Burns 80 Conversions: Shingler 21, 55,...

Holden’s hat-trick fires up Knights

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster Knights ........48pts Tries: Holden 3, 41, 60; Roberts 13, Simpson 43, 71; Smith 69 Conversions: Olver 13,...

Elliot score and Brown treble end Exiles challenge

By DAVE CHALLIS L Scottish ..........21pts Tries: Hoadley 40, McCallum 73, Clow 78 Conversions: Sheppard 40, Nutton 74, 78 Jersey ................55pts...

Pohe gives Nottingham the edge in arm wrestle

By JOHN LYON Caldy ..................19pts Tries: Aigbokhae 39, Dickinson 66 Penalties: Hinchcliffe 14,18,73 Nottingham......27pts Tries: Slatem 7, Olowofela 32, Graham 78...

Coventry power too much for Ampthill

By PAUL SMITH Coventry ..........26pts Tries: Lane 32, Rigg 35, O Betteridge 49, Talbot-Davies 55 Conversions: Mitchell 32, 49; Pellegrini 55...

Middleton should open up strongly in World Cup

ROCKY CLARK WORLD CUP WINNER Five years on from the last World Cup there were 39 Red Roses awaiting squad selection,...

The Butler did it! Day Eddie was in the dock

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AT the crack of dawn on Thursday, September 6, 2001, the highest-powered disciplinary...

Room, finally, for Billy

PETER JACKSON At the first post-Covid dinner staged by the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame in Cardiff the other night, Wales...

Time for the game to credit Littlejohn

PETER JACKSON MAYBE one day those responsible for deeming who is worthy of World Rugby’s Hall of Fame and who is...

Raynal’s call correct …but was it fair?

Paul Rees finds out how the French referee’s last-minute decision has divided opinions Australia claim that World Rugby has backed their...

Springboks power home but fall short of their target

■ By SAM JACKSON South Africa ....38pts Tries: Wiese 19, Kolisi 29, Penalty 64, 72; Arendse 80 Conversions: Steyn 19, 29,...

Five-try rout puts All Blacks on top

By NICK POWELL New Zealand ..40pts Tries: Jordan 23, Penalty 28, Whitelock 43, Taylor 54, Tu’ungafasi 65 Conversions: Mo’unga 24, 44...

Time for Argentina to host World Cup

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sometimes the obvious just stares you in the...

I’m sorry to see Trinity miss out on schools list

RUGBY MATTERS THE authoritative Next Gen XV website has drawn up its annual top 20 of rugby schools worldwide for 2022...

Rampant Park run up a Hull of a score

By RICHARD GORE Hull..................... 19 Rosslyn Park.....66 Hull could not to match the speed and precision of Rosslyn Park and, despite...

Stortford stunned by a Rams raid

By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s Stort........ 10 Rams.........................40 With the visiting pack dominant from the word go, things looked ominous from the...

Chinnor break duck in late show

By JACK JOHNSON Chinnor.....................38 Moseley................... 21 Chinnor scored four tries in the final 16 minutes to secure their first win of...

Comeback win sees Sale remain as early top Dogs

By ALEX THROWER Sale FC............... 31pts Tries: Penalty 32, Mulchrone 38, Dixon 44, Edwards 52 Conversion: Penalty 32, Robins 39, 45,...

Austin powers Cindy to come roaring back

By ANNA WASH Cinderford............... 41 Plymouth Albion...28 A hat-trick of tries contributed to a 26-point haul as Mike Austin led Cinderford...

Park suffer again in one-point loss

By TOM BULMER Darlington MP....... 31 Cambridge..............32 For the second week running, Mowden Park fell to a one-point home defeat, this...

Tykes off mark as kicks are the key

By STEPHANIE FRANKLIN Esher.........................24 Leeds Tykes...........26 Leeds Tykes came away with a much-needed first win of the season as two conversions...

Young Guns: Wasps & England U20s No. 8 Greg Fisilau

Like any young player, England U20s back row Greg Fisilau has dreams of going all the way in the sport but...

Tynedale lose their unbeaten record

By DAVID BEDDOWS Rotherham.......37 Tynedale............ 7 Rotherham inflicted a first defeat of the season on Tynedale in a much more competitive...

Grasshoppers spring to victory

By JOHN LE PAGE Preston G’h.............32 Huddersfield.......... 12 With both sides precariously placed in the table and yet to record a...

Main Mann Tom blitzes Blaydon

By CHRIS NUNN Blaydon...................... 7 Wharfedale............46 Wharfedale raced to a comprehensive success at Crow Trees. Blaydon, though, started the better started...

Fylde edge win to stay in pole position

MALCOLM KNOWLES Hull Ionians...... 31pts Fylde.................. 34pts RECENT encounters between these two sides have produced hard fought, high scoring affairs and...

Vare’s try ultimately proves vital in low-score affair

By DESMOND HICKIE Chester....................... 8 Sheffield.................... 5 This was tight, as the score suggests. Neither side ever looked comfortably in control....

Aces mauled by sizzling Sedgley

By TIM THORLEY Harrogate................10 Sedgley Park...........41 Sedgley Park ran out easy winners to increase Harrogate’s woes. The initial stages of the...

Zebras maul the off-colour Tigers

By NICK DOYLE Otley..........................24 Sheffield Tigers...... 8 Otley scored their first try bonus win of the season in a match they...