Lions tour contenders RANKED – Tomos can put pressure on Conor Murray

Nick Cain ranks the scrum-halves available to Warren Gatland for the 2021 tour of South Africa

5 questions Bath and England flanker Sam Underhill answered

Francois Louw had a profound influence on Underhill's skills at the ruck

Rugby Australia makes huge staff cuts in £3m cost-saving measure

Rugby Australia chiefs to cut 47 of 142 full-time jobs weeks after securing World Rugby emergency loan

Rob Howley opens up on the gripping darkness which led to his gambling

"When my thoughts went towards my sister, betting on rugby was an escapism" - Howley sheds light on grief

Time for rugby to make some good TV

WHEN it comes to promoting itself on screens, either big or small, Rugby Union trails behind most sports. Nowhere is this...

Eddie on touchline is recipe for a riot

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK ONE of Eddie Jones’ strengths as a coach is that he has always...

Lessons our game can learn from America

JERRY Guscott’s piece in last week’s issue highlighted the NFL’s salary cap as a reason for the league’s financial stability. It...

How to stop cheats

CHRIS Hewett’s article in which he stated that limiting substitutions to injured players only would not work because players would be...

Simpkin was from Northland

JUST some corrections to Brendan Gallagher’s story about George Simpkin. He died in Hamilton, New Zealand not Hong Kong. He was...

I was there for Jarrett

JUST been reading Brendan Gallagher’s article on Keith Jarrett’s try in 1967. I was at that match, standing on the south...

Ambition? Lansdown should ask Ealing!

STEVE Lansdown wants to ring fence the Premier League so that the clubs can get their finances in order. Well, we’ve...

7pt try will speed it up

HERE’S an idea to have the ball in play, longer. Paint two white lines, from behind the posts to the dead-ball...

Big changes needed

IN THIS current climate, rugby has as much chance of picking up where it left off as Donald Trump being awarded...

Bring back rucking

WITH the game held in abeyance, now is a good time for World Rugby to give the game back to the...

Time to do the right thing

COLIN Boag writes that “the success of each Premiership club is inextricably linked to the survival of its rivals”. Dr Robert...

NFL show how to keep it competitive

ONE thing that Jeremy Guscott could have mentioned in his article about the continuing financial success of the NFL is the...

Marquee players inside the cap would be honest

THE fiction that the PRL salary cap is designed to create a level playing field is clearly exposed by the battle...

France looks the likeliest route for Itoje to take now

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Playing to win: Maro Itoje crashes over to score a try for Saracens during...

DREAMTEAM

WILL HOOLEY, USA, BEDFORD AND FORMER MOSELEY, NORTHAMPTON, EXETER AND ENGLAND U20s FLY-HALF, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH...

At least Dallaglio has a firm grip on reality

Views COLIN BOAG Business acumen: Lawrence Dallaglio when he was a director of Wasps Money dominated the rugby headlines last week....

Ten more years a Chief then it’s Rob for England

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL Leader of men: Rob Baxter trusts his medics EXETER CHIEFS boss Rob Baxter is destined for greatness at...

Wage cuts in Wales could be extended to a year

By ROB COLE WALES’ leading players are facing at least a yearlong extension of their 25 per cent wage cuts as...

Rennie wants Australian rugby to end public spats

By SAM JACKSON NEW Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has urged Australian rugby to unite and stop airing their differences in public....

Mills backs Wasps to put sting in his game

By NEALE HARVEY New challenge: Ryan Mills, playing for Worcester Warriors, is tackled by Sale’s Akker van der Merwe PICTURES: Getty...

Young: Life with Lions would be ideal return

By NEALE HARVEY FORMER Wasps supremo Dai Young would love a role with the British & Irish Lions after declaring himself...

Thompstone left in limbo as the jobs dry up

Concern: Adam Thompstone is fighting to save his career PICTURE: Getty Images LEICESTER wing Adam Thompstone is facing up to being...

Give stars Test fees but keep pay down

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME In the money: England players get £25,000 for each Test match PICTURE:...

So proud to be made captain of my country

THE FORMER USA EAGLES CAPTAIN AND LEICESTER AND CARDIFF BLUES FULL-BACK BLAINE SCULLY MY LIFEIN RUGBY High spot: Blaine Scully scores...

Loader steps in to beef up Ystalyfera forwards

By ROB COLE NEWS EXTRA YSTALYFERA have added former Wales prop Christian Loader to their coaching team for next season as...

Bracken brings world class to Wanstead

WORLDCup winner Kyran Bracken has signed up to coach East London club Wanstead next season. Bracken, who won 51 caps for...

Retallick rejects offer from Gatland

BRODIE Retallick will not be turning out for the Chiefs in the upcoming Super Rugby Aotearoa with the All Blacks lock...

Saracens lads ‘will thrive in Tier Two’

By NEALE HARVEY High hopes: Adam Powell Home-grown: Joel Kpoku, left, and Ralph Adams-Hale can spark Saracens SARACENS academy coach Adam...

England beat the Boks and the All Blacks!

Gloucester farmer: John Pullin GENERALLY the 70s weren’t kind to England but there was a madcap two or three years at...

ANATOMY OF THAT BARBARIANS 1973 TRY

THE 1971 Lions re-mustered in all but name for the Barbarians match against New Zealand in January 1973 with Phil Bennett...

Sideburns,big hair and huge talent the 70s Lions were show-stoppers

Brendan Gallagher continues his expert and authorative look at the history of Rugby Union Flying doctor: JPR in full flow in...

Davies calls time on Wales

SARACENS have signed Wales scrum-half Aled Davies from Ospreys on a three-year contract - their first signing ahead of next season...

Dennis wants to make Australia great again

By NEALE HARVEY Mission: Dave Dennis has plans Down Under EXETER star Dave Dennis has outlined his ambition to help Australian...

Webber will take top tips to Jersey

By NEALE HARVEY Career switch: Rob Webber is leaving Sale to coach Jersey PICTURES: Getty Images ROB WEBBER aims to assimilate...

YOUNGGUNS

LEWISHOLSEY WORCESTER PROP When Lewis Holsey had a tap on the shoulder from Worcester supremo Alan Solomons during training one Tuesday...

Where have all the Welsh coaches gone?

NO MATTER how different it may look or when it will start, next season will have a depressingly familiar look about...

Givvons spun them a golden yarn in Oldham

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Star man: Alec Givvons, bottom row, third left, with the Oldham team of...

Was this the greatest club Seven of all time?

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring photographs, and explains the story behind the iconic image Iconic Rugby Pictures:...

I’m leaving Scarlets with them ready to explode

Q&A BRAD MOOAR ON THE RECORD Scarlets head coach Brad Mooar flies back to take up a coaching role with New...

BT show they are true rugby Sports

THESE are nervous cantankerous times with many sounding off before engaging their grey matter while too often reasoned debate descends into...

Barnard Castle, monument to mystery old and new

Old boy: Underwood ISN’T it great to see Barnard Castle back in the news! Actually there is a long, proud tradition...

Can life be pumped back into French titan?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER Dynasty: Beziers captain Richard Astre shows the Bouclier de Brennus after beating Montferrand 31-9 to win the 1978 French...

Farrell has the game to replace Sexton

NICK CAIN LOOKS AT THE CONTENDERS FOR EACH POSITION 2021 LIONSA YEAR TO GO THIS WEEK… FLY-HALVES Ice cool from the...

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Baron’s Coronavirus Cup proposal dismissed

FRANCIS Baron’s idea of a major international tournament to be held in England in 2021 to ease the financial impact of...

World Rugby law trials not for us says Davies

By SAM JACKSON Integrity: Gareth Davies WORLD Rugby have approved ten optional law trials to help reduce the risk of Covid-19...