Steffon Armitage still having his go in France | Chris Hewett

  BACK in 2010, when one or two suckers for journalistic punishment were huddled together on a God-forsaken touchline in Hamilton...

Georgia finally get a slither of recognition

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST When the great vaudevillian wit WC Fields suggested a possible epitaph for his own gravestone – “On the...

Les Bleus announce themselves to the world

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful Iconic Rugby...

Jenkins: Jersey boys do have an edge

THE Lions’ incoming personnel will be playing catch-up in their quest to face South Africa, according to kicking coach Neil Jenkins....

Springbok props are part of my ‘woldwide front row family’ says Furlong

By ADAM HATHAWAY Making waves: Tadhg Furlong TADHG Furlong will be ‘keeping it in the family’ in the recesses of the...

Japan will give Lions real workout | Jeremy Guscott

I have always liked change for the right reasons, and the Lions having a game against Japan at Murrayfield on Saturday...

Free to view games vital for rugby’s resurgence | Shane Williams

AFTER a horror year or more of Covid-19 we all know rugby has its financial challenges. We also know the way...

Not a fan of Springboks joining our Six Nations | Shane Williams

I’M old enough to have played in the Five Nations before it expanded to six teams with Italy’s arrival in 2001...

Women’s Game in Focus: Wales captain and Bristol back row Siwan Lillicrap

Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap would love to see Welsh teams introduced into the Premier 15s when the league re-tenders in two years’...

Saracens v Ealing: Vincent Koch set for a double celebration in second leg

SARACENS have named an unchanged line-up for today’s second leg of the Championship play-off final against Ealing Trailfinders. The north London...

Benetton 35-7 Bulls: Benetton rip up the script to give Bulls a whipping

KIERAN Crowley wrapped up five seasons in Treviso before he takes charge of the Italian national side by leading Benetton to...

Gloucester go hi-tech to match game tempo

■By JON NEWCOMBE New age: Gloucester’s state of the art gym Impressive: Gloucester’s new indoor training pitch Gloucester CEO Lance Bradley...

Norton to spearhead Team GB’s search for Tokyo gold

TOM Mitchell will lead the men’s squad at the Tokyo Olympics looking to go one better than their silver medal five...

Premiership trio go in search of second rows to add for 2021-22

WEST Country trio Gloucester, Bath and Exeter are all looking to strengthen their second rows for next season. But they are...

Alex Cuthbert signing to be confirmed by Ospreys

THE Ospreys will confirm tomorrow that they have signed Wales and British Lion Alex Cuthbert from Exeter Chiefs. Blindside revealed in...

Jonathan Joseph carries £150k Toulon price tag

TOULON could be forced to pay Bath £150,000 if they want Jonathan Joseph released from the final year of his contract,...

Baxter: Tuilagi yellow makes no sense

EXETER DoR Rob Baxter was delighted with the win but left wondering why Manu Tuilagi received only a yellow card after...

Exeter 40-30 Sale: Big-match Chiefs make it six finals in a row with early salvo

EXETER Chiefs, annoyed at one or two recent lax moments and irritated by what they perceive as inconsistencies in the disciplinary...

Exclusive: Robinson lands the job as Wasps’ new attack coach

RISING coaching star Ed Robinson has been chosen by Wasps to become their new attack coach. Wasps have a vacancy because...

Lam: We had our chances to win it

HARLEQUINS served up one of the greatest fight-backs in Premiership history to book themselves a date with Exeter Chiefs in Saturday’s...

20-try Sam Simmonds crowned Premiership player of the season

Sam Simmonds has scooped the Premiership player of the season award on the eve of Exeter‘s semi-final against Sale Sharks. The...

Leicester Tigers confirm Kevin Sinfield will join coaching staff

Kevin Sinfield will make a sensational cross-code switch this summer to join Leicester Tigers as defence coach, the Premiership club has...

Leanne Riley joins Abbie Ward is swapping Harlequins for Bristol

Bristol Bears have made a huge statement of intent with the signing of Leanne Riley ahead of the 2021-22 season. The...

Trevor Davison agrees contract extension at Newcastle Falcons

Trevor Davison will help anchor Newcastle Falcons‘ scrum for the next three seasons, having signed a new long-term deal to stay...

Red Roses lock Abbie Ward makes switch to Bristol Bears

Abbie Ward will leave Allianz Premier 15s champions Harlequins to move west to Bristol Bears ahead of the 2021-22 season. The...

Guy Thompson to leave Ealing Trailfinders

Guy Thompson will leave Ealing Trailfinders and return to old club Jersey Reds this summer. The No.8 spent two years at...

Bath lock Josh McNally called up to England squad

England head coach Eddie Jones has called up Bath lock Josh McNally to his summer training squad after Sean Robinson suffered...

Sam Skinner and Dave Ewers done for the season after bans

Exeter Chiefs back rows Sam Skinner and Dave Ewers will play no further part in the Premiership season after receiving four-week...

Gloucester back row Ruan Ackermann goes under the knife

Gloucester back row Ruan Ackermann will undergo a rehabilitation programme over the close season after he required surgery on a toe...

South African teams will be eligible for Champions Cup in revamped ‘United Rugby Championship’

PRO14 have unveiled a new format for next season’s expanded league which will welcome four South African franchises and be renamed...

Tom Homer opts to retire instead of Montauban stint

London Irish full-back Tom Homer has retired with immediate effect following the conclusion of the Premiership season. The 31-year-old was due...

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Ford out, Kevin Sinfield in at Leicester Tigers

LEICESTER Tigers are set to announce yet another coaching restructuring with Mike Ford leaving Welford Road to be replaced by Super...

Aussies Disappoint, Blues Clear Favourites to Win Super Rugby Trans-Tasman Final

Aotearoa’s domination of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition continued into the final week of the regular season as all five New...

Sean O’Brien urges Ireland to blood players in Premiership

SEAN O’Brien believes Ireland should relax their rule which all but bars players being selected for the national squad if they...

We’ll be the poor men of Europe say regions

WALES’ four regions fear they will be put at an even greater disadvantage next season with their English rivals being up...

Dombrandt: Bristol victories ‘count for nothing’

ALEX Dombrandt denies Bristol will have either a psychological or physical advantage over Quins when the teams do playoff battle on...

Harlequins 54-26 Newcastle: Eight-try Quins tune up for their Bear hunt

NICK Evans is confident Quins can cause a major upset when they enter the Bears’ backyard next weekend after seeing them...

Sanderson: We ‘had the game but blew it’

SALE director of rugby Alex Sanderson was accentuating the positives despite insisting his side blew the chance of winning at Sandy...

Exeter 20-19 Sale: 14-man Chiefs secure semi-final advantage

EXETER booked their sixth Premiership home play-off on the trot but the reigning champions had to dig deep against a Sale...

Big Joe Cokanasiga must seize his England chance this time | Jeremy Guscott

JOE Cokanasiga on top form is quite simply a lethal rugby player. That is why it is so good to see...

DREAM TEAM

JACK PREECE, THE CINDERFORD AND FORMER BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL, COVENTRY, ROTHERHAM, MOSELEY, AND ENGLAND SEVENS AND COUNTIES OPENSIDE, CHOOSES THE BEST...

No club has thrown in towel – even Worcester

COLIN BOAG When the moratorium on relegation from the Premiership for this season was announced in mid-February, a new word entered the...

Bristol got a yellow and benefitted!

REFEREE Ian Tempest had no option last week but to give a yellow card to the Bristol prop Nahuel Chaparro after...

Ring-fence row is claptrap as the changes will prove

MORE emotive claptrap in the TRP about socalled ring-fencing, with Nick Cain going overboard, talking of the RFU “deliberately scuppering the...

Spreading the word on women’s game

I AM writing in response to the letter by Mel Rothero: “Why didn’t they play in London?”, regarding the Premier XVs...

Hardy eager for Peel tips

KIERAN Hardy believes the no-nonsense coaching of Dwayne Peel can help take him to the next level after a breakthrough season...

Cuthbert: Winners’ medal would ease pain of last season

ALEX Cuthbert would love nothing more than to leave Exeter Chiefs this summer with a Premiership winner’s medal safely tucked into...

Boyd predicts big summer for tenacious flank Ludlam

By ADAM HATHAWAY Back in the frame: Saints flanker Lewis Ludlam LEWIS Ludlam forced his way back into the England fold...

Harry Wells is the epitome of Borthwick’s new Tigers

HARRY Wells has enjoyed his breakthrough season at the age of 27, an almost ever-present in an improving Leicester side the...

Invevitably Gael sticks to script for derby win

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN French rugby’s new definition of ‘inevitable’ is Racing 92 new boy Gael Fickou scoring the first try of...