Jeremy Guscott: Test matches are the lifeblood of the game

Jeremy Guscott argues international rugby must remain the sport’s priority, defending the expanded Test schedule and the financial reality behind it.

New Zealand 34-32 France: The French battle hard but Cam Roigard keeps All Blacks in the clear

Will Jordan and Cam Roigard both scored twice as New Zealand opened the inaugural Nations Championship with a thrilling victory over...

Argentina 38-47 Scotland: Hutchinson leads the Scottish hit squad

Scotland registered a record victory in Argentina with a seven-try demolition powered by the impressive Rory Hutchinson.

Australia 31-33 Ireland: Sam Prendergast seals Irish comeback

Ireland launched their Nations Championship campaign with a dramatic victory over Australia in Sydney after Thomas Clarkson’s late try and Sam...

Japan 27-10 Italy: Japan have too much in reserve despite Eddie Jones absence

Japan saw off Italy in Tokyo despite head coach Eddie Jones being absent through suspension.

Taste of winning is good, says Lake

AFTER a long losing run, it was Wales’ third consecutive win, following on from victories over Italy and the Barbarians, a...

CLOSE-UP

SEMI RADRADRA Fiji centre EDDIE JAMES Wales centre Radradra was beginning to show glimpses of his Bristol best with sleight of...

Fiji 24-39 Wales: Jac Morgan’s double is enough to quell the Fijians

Jac Morgan scored two tries as Wales began their Nations Championship campaign on a bizarre afternoon at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Nick Cain: Excluding the Willis brothers is costing England

Nick Cain explores how England are harming themselves by excluding Jack and Tom Willis, urging the RFU to scrap its overseas...

Nick Cain: Nations Championship gets off to a humdinger of a start

The Nations Championship naysayers – and there is an army of them – should take a look at the competition’s inaugural...

Brendan Gallagher watches six Nations Championship Tests in one day – here’s what happened

Brendan Gallagher settled down to watch six Nations Championship Test matches in a row. How did he find it? And did...

Peter Jackson: Louis Bielle-Biarrey leading a race to hit a century

Peter Jackson sees the French flyer reach 92 tries in his career so far as he takes a break ahead of...

Chris Hewett: Champions Cup revamp sounds good to me

The most predictable story of the week concerned yet another revamp of the much-maligned, used-and-abused Champions Cup, which was once the...

Paul Rees: Top 14 shows us how it’s done

Paul Rees looks back on Toulouse’s victory over Montpellier in the Top 14 final – and what it can teach the...

PWR Final review: ‘I’ve felt so loved’ – Marlie Packer’s emotional Saracens farewell

Marlie Packer admits she was overwhelmed by the affection shown to her during an emotional farewell week after signing off her...

DREAMTEAM

TEX CAVUBATI, THE FORMER FIJI, HARLEQUINS, OSPREYS, WORCESTER, NEWCASTLE, PER-PIGNAN & BLACKHEATH LOCK, SELECTS THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH...

Mighty Marlie did it again for Sarries

MARLIE Packer was at her formidable best on Sunday in the PWR final. In her 121st and final appearance for Saracens...

Move semi-finals up north to help promote our sport

THE letter from Simon Marlow-Ridley and Peter Jackson’s column last week certainly made interesting reading on the subject of the Prem...

Word of caution on expansion of PWR

WITH talk of expanding the number of teams in the PWR and the high level of overseas players already in the...

Brendan Gallagher: The time when Eddie Jones was on fire

Brendan Gallagher looks back on England’s historic 2016 series win in Australia, Eddie Jones’ finest hour and the decisions that shaped...

Toulouse show that loyalty brings its own rewards

YOU could write a book about what makes Toulouse great and one day I might do exactly that ... but one...

Ireland’s win was down to Goose

FORMER Ireland coach Philip Doyle, who died last week aged 61, was responsible for masterminding the biggest upset result in the...

Giliomee keeps Baby Boks on the title course

By SAM JACKSON On the attack: South Africa’s Aka Boqwana POOL A DEFENDING champions South Africa secured a bonus-point victory over...

Wales gunning for a semi-final place

By BEN JAYCOCK Touchdown: Brogan Leary goes over for Wales PICTURES: World Rugby POOL A RICHARD Whiffin’s Wales side moved to...

Scotland push New Zealand all the way

By SAM JACKSON POOL B NEW Zealand held off a battling Scotland side in Kutaisi to stay unbeaten and move top...

Italy battle to subdue the Brave Blossoms

By BEN JAYCOCK On the front foot: Japan attack POOL B ITALY kept their semi-final hopes alive with a clinical victory...

Ireland make too many mistakes as Los Pumitas rule

■By BEN JAYCOCK In charge: Simon Pfister scores for Argentina POOL C ARGENTINA seized control of Pool C after overpowering an...

Argentina next for England in decider

ENGLAND made it two wins from two at the World Junior Championship with a high-scoring victory over USA in Tbilisi, setting...

Baret’s solo stunner is star of show

■By SAM JACKSON POOL D FRANCE survived a scare from Spain as a solo stunner from Lyon’s Lilian Baret inspired the...

Pritchard hits his marks to lift Australia

■By SAM JACKSON Star man: Treyvon Pritchard takes charge POOL D AUSTRALIA set up a winner-takes-all showdown with France for a...

My Life in Rugby: Alex Day – Being at Bedford Blues has been my happy place

Alex Day, the former Northampton Saints, Cornish Pirates and Saracens scrum-half who now captains Bedford Blues, reflects on his life in...

A pair of fly-halves fading from view

BEAUDEN Barrett wasn’t the only decorated fly half to miss the cut for the opening round of the Nations Championship. The...

Peter Jackson: Rhys Carre proves the WRU’s 25-cap rule is failing Wales

Peter Jackson examines Wales’ controversial 25-cap rule, Rhys Carre’s rise and whether the policy is helping or harming the national team’s...

WP Nel: Time for Scotland to prove they can take on the best for the full 80 minutes

Former Scotland tighthead WP Nel says the Nations Championship could define Gregor Townsend’s side, insisting they have the talent to compete...

YOUNG GUNS

ZACFINCHSARACENS & ENGLAND U20 WING Saracens wing Zac Finch believes England have everything required to reclaim the World U20 Championship this...

Halfpenny joins Tandy’s set-up for July matches

LEIGH Halfpenny has joined Steve Tandy’s Wales set-up for the Nations Championship as kicking coach. The recently retired full-back worked with...

Result

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Forthcoming fixtures

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Heyes signs on four more years at Tigers

ENGLAND prop Joe Heyes has signed a four-year contract extension at Leicester. The 27-year-old, who has played more than 180 times...

Coach Salvin departs Exeter for Wales role

STEVE Salvin has left his role as Exeter women’s boss to become full-time forwards coach with Wales. Salvin, who was part...

We want to best club in the world – Rowe

EXETER chief executive Tony Rowe believes the 100 per cent takeover by American consortium Black Knight Rugby can push the club...

Schmidt has no desire to be head coach again

AUSTRALIA boss Joe Schmidt says he has no desire to be a head coach again when he leaves his current position...

Willis is my main man in dream XV

JACK Willis’s player-of-the-match performance for Toulouse in the Top 14 final last weekend at the end of another blockbuster season for...

Henry Pollock will take on South Africa forwards with a smile – Steve Borthwick

England star Henry Pollock is being backed by Steve Borthwick to come out smiling if targeted by South Africa’s giant forwards...

New Rugby Paper Roundup: South Africa vs England preview ft Avuyile Sawula

In this week’s episode of The Rugby Paper Roundup, assistant editor Ben Jaycock is joined by South African rugby journalist Avuyile...

Alex Coles encourages England team to fill Maro Itoje void

Alex Coles insists England must be ready to fill the leadership and playing voids created by Maro Itoje’s absence when they...

July Is Here and the Springboks Have a Point to Prove in the Nations Championship

South Africa put a frightening 80 points past the Barbarians on the 20th June, 12 tries, 80-31 at Nelson Mandela Bay...

Jamie George: Henry Pollock’s self-belief is inspiring for England

Jamie George has told his England to take a leaf out of Henry Pollock’s book when they face South Africa on...

George North signs off with a try double for Barbarians against Wales

George North ended his professional career with two tries at Twickenham yesterday – and a first-ever conversion – as the Barbarians...

Peter Jackson: Anton Segner – The German loving life as an All Black

Anton Segner’s All Blacks call-up highlights rugby’s global reach as Peter Jackson explores the Nations Championship’s multinational squads.