YOUNG GUNS

LEWISPEARSON EXETER LOCK/BACK ROW As a schoolboy swimming protégé, Lewis Pearson dreamed of emulating his illustrious coach, the 2002 Commonwealth Games...

Josh keeps Crymych on the world map

THE Pembrokeshire village of Crymych will have more than a passing interest in Saturday’s scheduled resumption of the Six Nations. Ireland’s...

Hooper’s whirlwind ton proves Test glut

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Centurion: Michael Hooper takes on the All Blacks last Sunday PICTURE: Getty Images...

Wood’s snarl wins first battle for Telfer’s pack

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

Russell returns to spearhead Scotland attack

FINN Russell returns to a 40-man Scotland squad after missing the Six Nations matches in February and March for a breach...

Dai’s glad he skipped class for the Scarlets

By ALEX BYWATER DAI FLANAGAN’S career has skyrocketed since he swapped coaching children in a Newport school for tutoring Wales and...

Boks back out of Rugby Championship

Lucky escape: Jordie Barrett scored a last minute penalty to earn the All Blacks a draw PICTURES: Getty Images WORLD champions...

Bledisloe Cup in front of near capacity crowd

By SAM JACKSON EDEN Park was expecting to host a “near capacity” crowd of 47,000 for this morning’s second Bledisloe Cup...

Exiles backline suffers double injury whammy

LONDON Irish wing Matt Williams and centre Terrence Hepetema will miss the start of next season with long-term injuries. Williams, 22,...

Costly cameo for Owens

WALES hooker Ken Owens will miss the autumn internationals after injuring his shoulder while playing for Scarlets against Glasgow. Uncapped flanker...

Tyro Italy scrum-half Varney self-isolating

GLLUCESTER’S uncapped Italy scrum-half Stephen Varney is isolating having tested positive for Covid-19. Welsh-born Varney, 19, who is asymptomatic, joined the...

Niall targets first Irish ton at Warriors

TOM VALE talks to Worcester Warriors’ multi-talented hooker Niall Annett Niall Annett must be one of the most respected and admired...

Thomas fears for ‘lost’ generation

By GARY FITZGERALD GARETH Thomas fears the strict government stance over Covid may cost the game many of its potential future...

Blair’s battled his dark times

By GARY HEATLY Recall: Blair Cowan SCOTLAND back row Blair Cowan has battled through the “dark times” and is now on...

Blind Pugh was TMO

ONCE again we must ask: what is the point of rugby technology, and the people employed to use it? Television match...

Brad proves Gopperth still has years to go

BRAD Thorn, who won a World Cup with New Zealand more than a decade after trousering an Australian Sports Medal for...

Ten years of failure are Craig’s sad legacy

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST When Bruce Craig completed his purchase of the Bath club a decade ago, the supersized scale of...

Lousi gets four weeks

SCARLETSlock Sam Lousi has been banned for four weeks after his red card for a high tackle against Glasgow. The Tonga...

WRU lose over £5m

THEWRU have announced a loss of £5.3m in their annual report, which they say is a result of the Covid- 19...

Red card rules out Irish lock

IAIN Henderson will miss the remainder of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign after receiving a three-match ban for his red card against...

Lee’s restored Wasps sting

TOM VALE TALKS TO LEE BLACKETT, THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR WASPS’ DRAMATIC CHANGE IN FORTUNES Lee Blackett remembers the morning after...

Safety first but losing Boks is a huge blow

SOUTH Africa v New Zealand has always been the heavyweight clash in world rugby and the decision taken by the Boks...

I’ve got a mad month ahead

I’M not sure if my recent bout of running madness has been brought on by lockdown or just the desire to...

Gethin’s a great fit for Sam’s sizeable shoes

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND It was a bit of a shock reading the news about Sam Warburton stepping down...

Turnover king Willis wins RPA crown

WASPS flanker Jack Willis has been voted players’ player of the year at the Rugby Players’ Association awards. The 23-year-old, right,...

Melissa’s in RFU Press mix

THE RFU, set to lose £107m and making over 120 redundant, have so far reprieved their Press office. The RFU have...

Kitshoff looks to France

Montpellier? Kitshoff SPRINGBOK loosehead Steven Kitshoff could be off to Europe a couple of years after he rejected a switch to...

Tigers will face rebels in court

LEICESTER TIGERS are gearing up for a massive legal battle which could cost them £1 million after telling five former players...

Exiles send an SOS to Meakes

LONDON Irish are urgently working to ease the loss of centres Terrence Hepetema and Matt Williams to injuries by making contact...

ON THE BLIND SIDE

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Prem return? Santiago Cordero ■FORMER Exeter Chiefs winger Santiago Cordero is looking to make...

ROOM 101

THE AMPTHILL BACK ROWER TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND SAM HUDSON 1. Betting adverts...

Lam: We showed no fear – that’s the Bristol way

PAT LAM doesn’t really want his team contesting a surprise Premiership final next week against Exeter but vowed Bristol will be...

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Breakdown king Ben puts Bears on track for first-ever Euro crown

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER BRISTOL - as cool and canny after the break as they were frenetic before it - claimed a...

‘Modest’? Those RFU reserves are invisible

IT is a pity that the RFU’s response to the figures revealed in this column about the extent to which their...

Marshall was lone voice in the call for fair play

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE idea of reverting to ‘home’ referees took a heavy knock last weekend...

Every player was a hero in pulsating extravaganza

BRENDAN GALLAGHER VERDICT NOTHING has ever come easy for Exeter Chiefs in their 149 years, so only the most optimistic of...

‘Stand-out’ Sheedy’s ready for his big Test

CALLUM Sheedy reports for Wales duty tomorrow armed with a cast-iron case for resuming his French bombardment in Paris on Saturday...

Hail to the Chiefs!

By NEALE HARVEY Champagne moment: Joe Simmonds raises the trophy in delight as Chiefs’ celebrations begin PICTURE: Getty Images PROUD Exeter...

The Maunder dynasty’s arrow is pointing up in Exeter’s era of success

Nick Cain discusses the Champions Cup final and the journey of Exeter Chiefs with scrum-half Jack Maunder

Northampton prop Manny Iyogun hungry for more after showing his mettle at Exeter

Iyogun was there in Saints' hour of need in the Champions Cup quarter-final, the teen reflects on his end to the...

Steven Luatua a late withdrawal from Bristol squad

Bristol Bears captain to remain in England to attend birth of his child and miss Challenge Cup final

The Difference Between Sports Betting and Online Casinos

Thanks to technological advancements, there are thousands of online gambling platforms for players around the world. Online casino sites and sportsbooks...

Uren: We know Toulon’s history, but we are the team with world-class players now

Bristol Bears No.9 Andy Uren previews the Challenge Cup final and reminisces on his memories of his boyhood club

‘Having an opinion in this day and age is not a good thing’ – James Haskell

Now his autobiography is out, James Haskell is unabating in his value of being himself after adhering to RFU and club...

England Sevens ace Dan Norton eyes 15s return after World Tens Series

Dan Norton is one of a number of former England Sevens players in Bermuda for the World Tens Series

Cain column: Will Eddie’s big smile embrace the new caps?

Nick Cain believes England head coach Eddie Jones could have better utilised his training camp to whet the midfield options available

New-look Ospreys prop Nicky Smith looks to munch France

Loosehead Smith is back in the Wales squad after being dropped for the Six Nations

Premiership Rugby on alert after seven positive tests at Wasps

Bristol, Wasps opponents on Saturday, are believed to be unaffected

EXCLUSIVE: Why was JP Doyle made redundant?

Respected referee JP Doyle discusses in length his career in Premiership and European competition