Battling Quins can’t survive in Shark Tank

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sharks................................ 39pts Tries: Mbonambi 11, Mapimpi 17, 27; Kok 50, Chamberlain 78 Conversions: Bosch: 12, 18, 51, 80...

Plisson has the drop on Stormers to steer Clermont home

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont.......... 24pts Tries: Newsome 46, Raka 62 Conversions: Plisson 48 Penalties: Plisson 17, 54, 73 Drop-goal: Plisson 70...

Lyon go close but can’t catch battling Bulls

By SAM JACKSON Bulls.................. 42pts Tries: Novuka 3, Van der Linde 7, 19; Carr 23, Jacobs 41, Smith 65 Conversions: Steyn...

Chapman comes on to break the gloom

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester.......22pts Tries: Varney 24, Tuisue 63, Socino 68, Chapman 76 Conversions: Carreras 76 Bordeaux.......... 17pts Tries: Falatea 2,...

Call for Sir Clive! It’s time to rebuild bridges

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE end of Eddie Jones’ seven-year era following his sacking on Tuesday has...

This is one ludicrous idea we don’t need

NICK CAIN The RFU has plumbed the depths by considering a raft of changes which would reduce a new Premiership-Championship Cup...

Light Blues still attract a good crowd

NICK CAIN While some Premiership clubs had been struggling to draw crowds of 4,000, the annual Cambridge University v Steele-Bodger’s XV...

Munster call up Haley for Zebo

Preview Munster v Toulouse Today. Kick-off 3.15pm MUNSTER make one change from their win over Edinburgh with Mike Haley drafted into...

Holders in unforgiving mood as Saints fall

By JAMES HARRINGTON La Rochelle....................... 46pts Tries: Dulin 2, Bourgarit 21, Boudehent 24, Leyds 40, Alldritt 43, Seuteni 48 Conversions: Hastoy...

All set for another round of Warrenball

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST SHOULD the Twickenham top brass ever try to recruit a head coach from the local job centre...

Yet again, France show us the way

CHRIS HEWETT WORCESTER have now accepted the inevitable: they must start next season in the second tier of English rugby after...

We’re back right where we want to be – McCall

By JON NEWCOMBE Preview Saracens v Edinburgh Today. Kick-off 3.15 Last proper hit out: Ben Earl scores in win over Northampton...

Creevy’s red puts Irish on back foot

By ROGER PANTING London Irish.......27pts Tries: Gonzalez 25, 37; Cinti 30 Conversions: Jackson 25, 30, 37 Penalties: Jackson 9, Jennings 78...

England stars are back in

Preview Sale v Ulster Today. Kick-off 1pm SALE welcome back four England players for Ulster’s visit to the AJ Bell Stadium...

Borthwick keeps his focus on Tigers task

By GARY FITZGERALD Preview Ospreys v Leicester Today. Kick-off 5.30pm STEVE Borthwick pushed aside thoughts on his own coaching future to...

Time for players to impress Gatland

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND New coach, clean slate, new opportunities. Every player who has played for Wales in the...

Scarlets looking to prove worth

Preview Scarlets v Bayonne Today. 3.15pm SCARLETS welcome Wales internationals Dane Blacker, Ryan Elias and Josh Macleod back into their starting...

Cardiff cruise home as Williams hits 250 in style

By SIMON ROBERTS Cardiff............... 41pts Tries: Dacey 4, 18; Adams 22, L Williams 48, T Williams 60, Grady 77, Cabango 80...

Weir keeps his cool to guide Glasgow home

By HAMISH STUART Bath....................... 19pts Tries: White 22, Lee-Warner 28, Gallagher 61 Conversions: Francis 29, 62 Glasgow...............22pts Tries: Bean 3, Turner...

Relief for Moriarty after he loses head

By MATT LLOYD Lions................... 31pts Tries: Lombard 15, Ntlabakanye 30, van der Merwe 44, 48 Conversions: Lombard 10, 30; Hendrikse 44,...

Walder: We couldn’t put them under any pressure

By JOHN FALLON Connacht..........22pts Tries: Boyle 4, Byrne 37, Killgallen 77 Conversions: Hawkshaw 4, 38 Penalties: Hawkshaw 60 Newcastle.......... 8pts Tries:...

Zebre……………….. 21 Toulon…………….. 24

GAEL Drean’s 71st minute try won the match for Toulon against a plucky Zebre side. The visitors made a strong start...

Pau…………………… 16 Cheetahs………… 21

SOUTH African franchise the Cheetahs made a victorious start to their Challenge Cup campaign as they edged Top 14 strugglers Pau....

Stade Fr……………24 Benetton………… 14

STADE Francais produced a stunning second half to overcome a resilient Benetton at the Stade Jean-Bouin on Friday. In a turgid...

Crane delight as Bears put on ‘best show of the season’

By GARY FITZGERALD Perpignan.......... 5pts Tries: Shahn 40 Bristol Bears... 19pts Tries: Piutau 3, Harding 11, Jenkins 34 Conversions: MacGinty 4,...

Lions star Russell turns down a move to Bath

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bath have missed out on signing arguably the best fly-half in the world on current...

Borthwick may miss out on Willis again

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Steve Borthwick missed out on signing Jack Willis as Leicester Tigers boss, and he could find...

Tug-of-war for Bath lock

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bath lock Fergus Lee-Warner is at the centre of a tug-of-war between Premiership rivals Bristol...

Gloucester in line for Stuart and McGuigan

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Gloucester have been busy shopping to improve their squad for next season and have lined...

Mystery as Tigers lose comms man

ON THE COVER BY NEIL FISSLER Leicester last week parted company with the long-serving Head of Communications Gary Sherrard after more...

Israel banking on the Heat to build profile

RUGBY MATTERS - A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER One of the more unusual modern days...

So who is the real villain here?

RUGBY MATTERS - Brendan Gallagher Newcastle's Carl Fearns has been at the sharp end of professional rugby for nearly 14 years...

England toiling in the foothills

RUGBY MATTERS I will leave it to others to do the heavy lifting in dissecting the sacking of Eddie Jones but...

Time for the forgotten men to return

Tom Bradshaw urges the new England coaching team to give these players a chance Decisions, decisions, decisions. Or maybe that should...

Tizzano and Malton put Trailfinders back on top

By XANDER CHEVALLIER Ealing................. 42pts Tries: Malton 9, 50, Tizzano 28, 46, Howard 35, Terry 75 Conversions: Willis 10, 29, 36,...

Richmond fight back to share the spoils

By TIM FORRESTER Richmond......... 21pts Tries: Vajner 7, 39, Stafford 77 Conversions: Johnston 8, 40, Atkins 78 Ampthill............ 21pts Tries: Montgomery...

Hartpury make it matter in red zone

By DAVID EVANS Hartpury............................. 45pts Tries: Morgan 3, Walker 22, Short 44, Smith 60, Davies 65, Tarling 74 Conversions: Mathews 3,...

Caldy defy blizzard to overcome Pirates

By JOHN LYON Caldy................... 15pts Tries: Royle 41, Cartmill 60 Conversions: Gourlay 61 Penalties: Gourlay 28 C Pirates............ 14pts Tries: Dawson...

Harris fires hat-trick to keep Jersey in the hunt

By LUKE JARMYN Nottingham.....22pts Tries: R Olowofela 17, 52; D Williams 74 Conversions: Bunting 18, Hollingsworth 75 Penalties: Bunting 8 Jersey..................

Relieved Doncaster sneak past Scottish

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster.......... 15pts Tries: Holden 46, Simpson 52, Holling 71 L Scottish.......... 14pts Tries: Morris 37, Bradley 42 Conversions:...

The time I nearly gave Rayer a heart attack…

MY LIFEIN RUGBY DARRYL VEENENDAAL THE FORMER BEDFORD, NOTTINGHAM AND AMPTHILL SCRUM-HALF Cheeky: Darryl Veenendaal in action PICTURE: Getty Images WHEN...

Wales simply have to take Rowlands to the World Cup

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Those who drew up the four top seedings for the World Cup defied...

So where have all the Welsh coaches gone?

PETER JACKSON By the time Warren Gatland’s second coming runs its contractual course, Wales will have gone 20 whole years without...

Moseley hold off Titans comeback

By MIKE AMOS Taunton T......... 21 B Moseley........26 Birmingham Moseley managed to come out on top in a close contest at...

Slick Cinderford topple the leaders

By JOSHUA MATHESON Cinderford...............37 Rams......................... 17 Dominant Cinderford stormed to victory over table-topping Rams. Top try-scorer Nathan Taylor scored the opening...

In-form Sale are homing in on top spot after Park win

By STEPHEN SMITH Sale FC.............. 24pts Tries: Brown 20, Cecil 33, Mulchrone 60, Onasanya 64 Conversions: Robins 21, 34 Rosslyn Park.......

Morley’s magic boot snatches the victory for gutsy Esher

By TOM SANSOM Esher......................... 18 Darlington MP....... 17 Sam Morley’s penalty gave Esher the narrowest of home wins over Darlington Mowden...

Quins claim bonus-point triumph to halt Sharks run

By ELISE WALSH Harlequins..............40 Sale Sharks.............. 3 Sale Sharks’ unbeaten run in the Premier 15s came to an end after Harlequins...

Chiefs make three on the bounce

By BETHAN CLARGO Exeter Chiefs.........52 Loughborough L...... 5 Exeter Chiefs secured their third win on the bounce with a demolition of...

Champions are put to the sword

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens................... 7 Gloucester-H..........53 Gloucester-Hartpury put the rest of the league on notice with a statement victory over reigning...