Barnes floored by Lions’ fast start

By MIKE HOWKINS Leicester Lions.....36 Barnes...................... 12 AN electric start helped to propel Leicester Lions to victory over Barnes. In the...

Drama as Westcliff end long losing run

By NICK CROWE Westcliff..........28 Barnstaple....... 20 WESTCLIFF beat basement rivals Barnstaple to record their first win of the season at the...

Intrepid Robin was reliant for telling truth

PETER JACKSON NOBODY understood the old tribalism of Welsh club rugby better than Robin Davey. As chief rugby correspondent of the...

Sidestep on booze is as weak as the new beer

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW The Welsh Rugby Union’s half-hearted attempt to rectify their stadium’s portrayal as the...

Ireland came calling after my Sale switch

MY LIFE IN RUGBY CHRISTIAN SAVERIMUTTO THE FORMER IRELAND, SALE & WATERLOO SCRUM-HALF I WAS obsessed with rugby, I used to...

Giteau back in LA for last hurrah at Giltinis

NEWS EXTRA By JIM TUCKER WALLABIES great Matt Giteau has ditched retirement plans and will play on in 2022 for the...

Scots ace Sam off to Italy in the summer

  SCOTLAND scrum-half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is to leave Exeter at the end of the season and join Italian United Rugby Championship...

Barbeary in reckoning for Italy game

By BEN JAYCOCK UNCAPPED Alfie Barbeary has returned to England training after a hamstring problem and is in contention for next...

Joe’s back with an eye on the years ticking by

By PAUL REES JOE Launchbury was feeling nervous ahead of his comeback for Wasps nine months after he suffered knee ligament...

All square the right result, say coaches

By TIM FORRESTER Richmond ........24pts Tries: Lennon 27, Worthington 29, Bright 39 Conversions: Kane 27, 30, 40 Penalty: Kane 50 C...

Ealing power game proves too much for Hartpury

By ANDREW BEACHAM Hartpury ............14pts Tries: Short 39, Venner 64 Conversions: Williams 40, 65 Ealing ................33pts Tries: Smid 4, De Wee...

Magical McBryde leaves Blues with nothing

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Doncaster ........24pts Tries: McBryde 27, 60; Margetts 53 Conversions: Dolly 28, 54, 60 Penalty: Dolly 48 Bedford ................0pts...

Doolan’s try double repays faith of Webber

By GARY FITZGERALD Nottingham ......31pts Tries: Allen 9, Graham 20, D Williams 48 86; Bunting 66 Conversions: Bunting 10 49 87...

Outstanding Ulster lads stake claim for Ireland

By JOHN FALLON Ulster ................32pts Tries: Baloucoune 40, 80; Jones 14, Moore 20 Conversions: Doak 54, 74 Penalties: Doak 15, 21,...

Stormers spring a surprise

Stormers ........20 Sharks ..............10 THE Stormers continued their winning momentum by stunning highly-fancied Sharks in Cape Town. Since the URC resumed,...

Two wins a row for the Bulls

Bulls ................21 Lions ................13 THE Bulls claimed backto-back URC victories for the first time after last week’s 24-10 win against the...

Van Zyl keen to stay with Sarries for long haul

SOUTH African scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl would be happy to see out the rest of his playing days in the Premiership...

Gloucester’s away day blues are in the past

By PAUL REES GLOUCESTER are on course for their best season on the road in the Premiership, but George Skivington is...

Ollie’s England call up spurs fit-again Loader

By GARY FITZGERALD   THE spring is back in Ben Loader’s stride and the smile back on his face...now he aims...

Absent stars level the playing field

COLIN BOAG Enthralling: Wasps come back to beat Exeter by a point yesterday PICTURE: Getty Images There’s a full programme of...

Leagues impede players’ progress

I WOULD like to add my own experiences to the debate that Jeff Probyn has initiated regarding the effect of leagues...

Premiership fans pay to see all their stars on display

WHY should Premiership club rugby be devoid of their best players for the Six Nations? I am fed up watching club...

Gatland-Edwards is still the dream team

I AGREE with Nick Cain’s comments in last week’s paper regarding Warren Gatland as a (possible) replacement for Eddie Jones after...

North needs a thriving Counties scene

SEVERAL seasons ago, West Hartlepool were in the upper echelons of English rugby, and able to field England internationals, thanks to...

Money alone can’t buy success

PAUL REES SPEAKS TO PREMIERSHIP DIRECTORS OF RUGBY ABOUT THE SALARY CAP CUTS As Pat Lam wrestles with the question whether...

Serendipity enhances Euro Cup’s Round of 16

CHRIS HEWETT UNINTENDED consequences? You can’t move for them in the Union game, whether the governing class is ring-fencing the Premiership...

These late, late shows are a test of nerve

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Funny places, rugby Press boxes. It was comedy gold, listening to the antediluvian correspondent of a middle-market...

Quins must sharpen up to avoid Sharks bloodbath

By GARY FITZGERALD Versatile: Oscar Beard JERRY Flannery has warned his players to sort out their discipline or risk getting “pumped”...

Manu’s back to provide firepower off the bench

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Harlequins v Sale Sharks Today. Kick-off 1pm, Twickenham Stoop AFTER a win against Leicester and a manof-the-match...

Kidney: Cute play slowed our flow

LONDON Irish’s director of rugby Declan Kidney was disappointed to come away with nothing. He said: “We had a tremendous amount...

Ackermann ‘the beast’ swings it to Gloucester

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester........24pts Tries: Ackermann 15, 79; Thorley 47 Conversions: Evans 15, 47; Hastings 79 Penalties: Hastings 72 London Irish...

Richards laments missed chances

NEWCASTLE director of rugby, Dean Richards, bemoaned his side’s failure to take their opportunities. “We didn’t expect to go 28-7 down...

Lam’s men too good for spirited Falcons

By ROGER PANTING Bristol ................37pts Tries: Uren 3, Naulago 11, Morahan 19, Leiua 27 Conversions: Whiteley 3, 11, 19, 27 Penalties:...

Regions soon to hear loan repayment deal

By STEFFAN THOMAS WELSH Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips is confident negotiations over the refinancing of the £20m CLBILS loan...

Blackett admits better side lost

WASPS head coach Lee Blackett admitted that the better side lost as he reflected: “Exeter were the far better team for...

Odogwu steals it for Wasps in red zone

By MIKE SINCLAIR Exeter ................26pts Tries: O’Flaherty 15, Pearson 27, Innard 38, Capstick 44 Conversions: J Simmonds 15, 27, 38 Wasps...

Some of our final passes not good enough, says Shaw

INTERIM Saracens head coach Joe Shaw was still left wanting more after a comprehensive win against struggling Bath. “I thought we...

Rampant Vunipolas put Bath to sword

By DANIEL GALLAN Saracens ..........40pts Tries: Woolstencroft 37, 39 Goode 46, Lewington 58, McFarland 70 Conversions: Lozowski 40, 59, 71 Penalties:...

Diamond: Weight of tackles decisive

NEW Worcester boss Steve Diamond described himself a “little frustrated” after a second defeat under his command. Diamond felt Leicester’s physicality...

Tigers keep a grip as their power pays off

By ROB WILDMAN Leicester ..........36pts Tries: Saumaki 9, Burns 28, pen try 33, Liebenberg 51, Reffell 76 Conversions: Burns 28, 51,...

DREAM TEAM

DAVID SISI, THE ITALY, ZEBRE AND FORMER BATH, LONDON IRISH AND ENGLAND U20s BACK ROW, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS...

Van Graan makes Munster’s Cloete a target for Bath

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER BATH have made a move for Munster’s former South Africa A flanker Chris Cloete...

Saints like the look of Lukhan

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER NORTHAMPTON Saints are weighing up a move for Wallaby blindside flanker Lukhan Salakaia-Loto who...

World Cup bid lures Jones to Glasgow

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Going home: Huw Jones is expected to return to Scotland HUW Jones is tipped...

Prop Brookes keen on return to Prem

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER FORMER England tighthead prop Kieran Brookes could be on the way back to the...

Hatherell has Stade circling

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER STADE Francais aim to buy Worcester Warriors second row Kyle Hatherell out of the...

Randall stays, so Quins search on

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER HARLEQUINS have been sent back to the drawing board after Harry Randall signed a...

Braley: Italy are on the up

ITALY scrum-half Callum Braley hopes this year’s Six Nations will improve their reputation on the international stage. The Azzurri have finished...

Ojomoh: Dad’s fame is no burden to me

Paul Rees talks to Max Ojomoh about his desire to expand his portfolio across the backline Max Ojomoh is one of...

Brain injury rules must be more stringent

NICK CAIN   RUGBY Union’s governing bodies must urgently take action to make concussion protocols far more stringent. World Rugby and...