Marcus reminds me of great King John

SHANE WILLIAMS WHAT a shame there were no fans at the Arms Park to watch that great European clash between Cardiff...

Women’s contracts mean their game can take off

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Chance to better themselves: Kelsey Jones of Wales is tackled by Ireland’s Hannah Tyrrell and...

You’re fired! Conor’s hope over

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER FORMER Ireland U20 international and London Irish back row Conor Gilsenan last week saw...

Prop Ryan on Sarries’ radar

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER SARACENS are showing an interest in signing veteran Munster tighthead John Ryan, who is...

Watson and Joseph will stay at Rec – for now

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER BATH chairman Ed Griffiths has moved to keep England stars Anthony Watson and Jonathan...

French lock Lambey wanted at Sharks

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Offer: Felix Lambey SALE Sharks boss Alex Sanderson is trying to lure Lyon and...

Dunne looks set for Sandy Park

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler EXETER Chiefs are talking to Leinster second row Jack...

JAMES MITCHELL

ROOM 101 THE JERSEY REDS SCRUM-HALF TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FOR THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Forwards who...

Prem will make Boks better says Benhard

By GARY FITZGERALD JAKE White has urged the Springboks to stop picking overseas-based talent but Benhard Janse van Rensburg has no...

Damages for Hankin over blow on head by teammate

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON FORMER Saracens prospect Matt Hankin has been awarded an undisclosed settlement after an ex-teammate hit him...

Wacokecoke agility is what it’s all about

By GARY FITZGERALD Biarritz ..............13pts Tries: Jalagonia 63 Conversions: Bosch 64 Penalties: Herron 34, 71 Newcastle ........17pts Tries: Stuart 5, Wacokecoke...

Creevy red card can’t halt Exiles’ progress

By GARY FITZGERALD London Irish ....21pts Tries: Rowe 25, Hoskins 45, Cracknell 77 Conversions: Jackson 26, 46, 78, Edinburgh ........20pts Tries:...

Unbeaten Lyon ease to win in Perpignan

ROUNDUP LYON ran out comfortable winners away at Perpignan to stay top of Pool B with three wins from three. Roman...

Keyboard warrior Hepburn hits wrong target

CHRIS HEWETT ALEC Hepburn’s energetic campaign to make today’s loosehead prop community more interesting than the majority of their forerunners continues...

England don’t know what world class means

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Will the Arctic icecap last long enough to witness another Italian victory in the Six Nations? Why...

Final flurry can’t rescue Warriors

By TOM BRADSHAW Worcester ........23pts Tries: Van der Merwe 62, Doel 68 Conversions: Smith 63, 69 Penalties: Smith 3, 7, 25...

Italian pack power is too strong for the Dragons

By ANDREW DEERING Benetton ..........23pts Tries: Herbst 14, Padovani 55, Baravalle 76 Conversions: Smith 57 Penalties: Smith 23, 71 Dragons ..............9pts...

Sexton on bench for ‘fired up’ Leinster

Preview Leinster v Montpellier Today, Kick-off 1pm IRELAND captain Johnny Sexton is back in the Leinster squad after a two-month injury...

We’ll throw the kitchen sink at them says Boyd

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Northampton v Ulster Sunday. Kick-off 3.15pm, Franklin’s Garen CHRIS BOYD wants to leave Northampton with something to...

Sanderson knows Clermont pose major threat to Sale (but don’t mention the elephant in the room)

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Clermont v Sale Today. Kick-off 5.30pm, Stade Marcel-Michelin Discipline: Tom Curry HAVING negotiated several hurdles and been...

Gutsy Ospreys make it tough for French aces

By ROGER PANTING Ospreys ..............10pts Tries: K Williams 21 Conversions: Anscombe 21 Penalties: Anscombe 31 Racing 92 ..........25pts Tries: Imhoff 34,...

Front row rankings put Quins pair first

NICK CAIN CAN Eddie Jones deliver on his vow to make England’s scrum great again? After the 2021 Six Nations and...

Courtney’s got the drop in captaincy shoot-out

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK COURTNEY Lawes would be my choice of captain for the 2022 Six Nations...

Redpath’s hopes disappear in fog

By ANDREW THOMAS La Rochelle ......39pts Tries: Danty 18, Piquette 24, 44; Leyds 52, Rhule 56 Conversions: Popelin 19, 25, 54,...

It’s all about digging in for 80 minutes says Peel

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Bordeaux v Scarlets Today. Kick-off 3.15pm THE season is four months old, but the Scarlets will be...

Magical Marcus brings Quins back from brink

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ................33pts Tries: Lane 12, 55; Ratti 18, Lewis 53, Domachowski 56 Conversions: Evans 12, 18, 53, 56...

Livewire Randall puts Bears through to knockout stages with super show

By ROGER PANTING Bristol ................28pts Tries: Purdy 16, O’Conor 24, 59 Randall 49 Conversions: Sheedy 16, 24, 49, 59 Stade Francais..17pts...

Saumaki gets Tigers over line in thriller

By JOHN FALLON Connacht ..........28pts Tries: O’halloran 16, 48; Prendergast 28, Marmion 44 Conversions: Carty 17, 29, 4, 49 Leicester ..........29pts...

Wales lose Faletau and eight more Lions

By PETER JACKSON TAULUPE Faletau will miss the start of the Six Nations, leaving Wales to defend their title minus nine...

ITV set to show club rugby for first time

EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE TOP-LEVEL live domestic club rugby in England is set to return to terrestrial TV from the end...

Welsh crowds set to return for Six Nations

Crowds are set to return in Wales from January 21st after the Welsh government announced an easing of coronavirus restrictions. All...

Phil Dowson to succeed Chris Boyd as Northampton Director of Rugby

Northampton Saints forwards coach Phil Dowson has been appointed as Director of Rugby at Franklins Gardens from next year. Current Director...

Bath won’t travel to France unless French restrictions eased

Bath Rugby have confirmed that they will only fulfil Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup fixture against La Rochelle if French travel restrictions...

Postponed European rugby matches cancelled amid future uncertainty

All postponed matches from round two of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have now been cancelled, while uncertainty hovers...

WRU hand out first full-time Wales Women contracts

The first full-time Wales Women players have been contracted by the Welsh Rugby Union. 12 players have accepted contracts – two...

Alex Dombrandt signs long term contract at Harlequins

Alex Dombrandt has signed a new “long-term” contract at Harlequins. Capped four times by England, the 24-year-old number 8 has become...

Bath record first win of the season over 14 man Worcester

Bath………….22 Tries: Rokoduguni, Ojomoh, De Glanville Cons: Bailey 2 Pen: Bailey Worcester….19 Tries: Shillcock, Batley, Simpson Cons: Smith 2 HT 14-19 Bath’s first win of the season came against...

Wasps end Leicester Tigers’ unbeaten record

Wasps………………………16 Try: Penalty Penalties: Gopperth (3) Leicester Tigers………..13 Try: Montoya Con: Ford Penalties: Ford (2) HT 7-13 A depleted Wasps ended...

King: It’s a proud day for players

ALEX King feels the rare and memorable triumph in Saracens’ backyard will ensure Gloucester carry on the upwardly mobile curve towards...

Ludlow’s late show grounds Saracens

By GARY FITZGERALD Saracens ..........24pts Tries: Morris 20, Segun 28, McFarland 54, Lewington 87 Conversions: Lozowski 21, 29 Gloucester ........25pts Tries:...

Smith kicks ‘are no fluke’

QUINS senior coach Tabai Matson was delighted with the win but that won’t spare Quins a tough debrief at training this...

Marcus and his giant mate settle a thriller

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Harlequins ........14pts Tries: Northmore 3, Esterhuizen 78 Conversions: Smith 4, 79 Exeter ................12pts Tries: Slade 32, Innard 65...

Dupont nowhere near Gareth – but he’s got time

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK THE amount of hype surrounding France’s brilliant scrum-half Antoine Dupont raises the question whether...

DREAM TEAM

NICK WALSHE, THE FORMER ENGLAND, HARLEQUINS, SARACENS, BATH, SALE AND BEDFORD HALF-BACK, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR...

Six Nations must follow government guidelines

COLIN BOAG With the Six Nations still four weeks away, it’s already dominating the rugby headlines. First we had the storm...

Regulate the drunks

RE THE problems with crowd drunkeness at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and the WRFU’s failure to act as highlighted by...

Rugby needs fans

I FULLY endorse Louis Rees-Zammit’s tweet that ‘rugby is nothing without fans’, even if it means Wales play their home games...

NFL is usurping rugby fan base

APART from Six Nations coverage for five weeks a year there is no Rugby Union on the BBC, ITV, or any...

Kolisi: My big battle with the bottle

SPRINGBOK captain Siya Kolisi has revealed how heavy drinking almost destroyed his career. In his autobiography Rise, Kolisi recalls his battle...

Unlucky Nanai may miss rest of season

WORCESTER Warriors full-back Melani Nanai could miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee against Saracens on Boxing Day....