Carling’s fly-on-the-wall England plan

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler ON THE BLIND SIDE WILL CARLING says it is possible that the RFU could...

Earl and Malins are off to join the Bears

Loan: Ben Earl BRISTOL Bears have won the race to land Saracens stars Ben Earl and Max Malins on season-long loans....

ROOM 101

ALEX SCHWARZ THE CORNISH PIRATES SCRUM-HALF TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES 1. Caravans Come the summer down here in Cornwall,...

DREAMTEAM

JAMES CANNON, EALING TRAILFINDERS AND FORMER KETTERING, NORTHAMPTON, WASPS, CONNACHT & ENGLAND U20s LOCK, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED...

Truth is, Championship is simply a failing league

COLIN BOAG Not enough: Coventry attracted a crowd of 1,932 for their match with Carnegie In all of the kerfuffle about...

England ought to replicate the French system says Gimoldby

By NEALE HARVEY Sharpshooter: Ampthill fly-half Louis Grimoldby AMPTHILL fly-half Louis Grimoldby urges English rugby to mirror the French system of...

Purdy aims to repay Bristol faith

By NEALE HARVEY Dangerman: Henry Purdy is in top form for Bristol HENRY Purdy aims to fire Bristol to Premiership glory...

Harrison hungry to get one over rival Simmonds

By NEALE HARVEY Stalwart: Ian Whitten NORTHAMPTON No.8 Teimana Harrison is adamant he still has a Test future and aims to...

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Knights No.9 James next to make the step up

DONCASTER scrum-half Tom James is primed for a move to Northampton – the latest in a growing list of players making...

Championship threaten to revive play-off system

EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE Strategist: Alistair Bow SARACENS’ expected procession back into the Premiership might have to negotiate extra hurdles with...

McCall: Where do you start assessing where it all went wrong?

Harsh lesson: Mark McCall SARACENS’ director of rugby Mark McCall accepted that there was nothing his side could take from a...

It’s a rout as Wasps come alive in the lights

By ROGER PANTING First blood: Jack Willis has scored for Wasps THE Ricoh Arena’s first night match in Wasps’ history was...

Diamond promises three top signings

STEVE Diamond revealed more big-name signings are set to be announced after Sale maintained their title charge. For the first time...

Yarde hat-trick keeps Sale up with leaders

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL On a charge: Sale’s Luke James PICTURES: Getty Images MARLAND Yarde’s deadly hat-trick illuminated a thumping bonuspoint win...

Johan: Our family is having tough time

JOHAN Ackermann urged his Cherry and Whites to fight their way out of a rut which is threatening the club’s bid...

Ollie on fire to spark Exiles with all four of their tries

By GARY FITZGERALD Hat-trick: Ollie Hassell-Collins scores London Irish’s third try PICTURES: Getty Images Don’t forget him: Louis Rees-Zammitt dives in...

Gustard grumbles as Smith struggles

HARLEQUINS fly-half Marcus Smith endured a difficult day and boss Paul Gustard lamented his side’s failure to control field position. He...

sends Eddie a two-try reminder

By NEALE HARVEY Here I am Eddie: Ruaridh McConnochie runs in for Bath PICTURES: Getty Images WING ace Ruaridh McConnochie issued...

Sarries thrashing is a worry

IF anyone needed a register of just how badly the Premiership has been disrupted by the relegation of Saracens, they have...

U20s need to have top teams on parade

THE England U20’s 39-21 defeat by their Irish counterparts at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night put an end to their hopes...

This crowing cockerill can show RFU how to run Tier Two

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE desultory manner in which the Championship clubs have been treated by the...

Thomas pushing for early return after knee injury

By NEALE HARVEY Asset: Henry Thomas HAVING defied medical opinion to target an early return from the ACL injury he suffered...

Strong second half sees Wales earn first victory

By SAM JACKSON MORGANStrong’s secondhalf try helped Wales to their first win of the championship – and their first over France...

Champions keep dream of a second Slam alive

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Threat: Theo Dan tries to break Decisive: Max O’Reilly scores Ireland’s fifth try as England’s George Barton closes...

Boyle’s late score seals dramatic comeback

SCOTLAND staged a dramatic fightback to claim their first win of the campaign in Reggio Emilia. Despite trailing by 11 points...

Tuilagi is so vital, Eddie must find another one!

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Missile: England have missed Manu Tuilagi in midfield PICTURE: Getty Images THE debate over...

Skipper Lllicrap is up for the scrap against France

WALES captain Siwan Lillicrap is anticipating the toughest match of the Six Nations so far for her young teammates when they...

Scarratt: England are a team for all seasons

By ADAM ELLIS High hopes: England’s Emily Scarratt TEAMS ENGLAND: McKenna, Dow, Scarratt, Reed, Breach, Daly- McLean, Riley; Cornborough, Davies, Bern,...

Learn from Murrayfield Doyle urges his Scots

SCOTLAND coach Philip Doyle has urged his squad to take lessons from their heavy defeat to England and use them against...

Pivac blast at ref in row over Wales ‘penalty try’

WALES boss Wayne Pivac slammed the refereeing of Matthew Carley after his team’s Six Nations title hopes came to an end...

Ex-RFU chief raps Tier Two cash cuts

By NICK CAIN ‘It’s poor’: Cattermole GRAEME Cattermole, former RFU chairman, has added his criticism to the slashing cuts to Championship...

How Will the Saracens Squad Look in the Championship?

The story of Saracens rugby club being relegated to the Championship and fined for breaking the wage cap has dominated club...

Jonathan Joseph on the wing for England, Daly to full-back

England head coach makes changes to the backline after George Furbank is ruled out of Ireland clash

Italy plot a new shock victory over Russell-less Scotland

Scotland are a team Italy know they can beat, writes Brendan Gallagher

World Rugby to hold expert forum before outlining transgender policy

London forum will discuss the biology of transgender rugby players to ascertain selection guidelines

Bath flanker Francois Louw eyes last hurrah in MLR

World Cup-winner Francois Louw talks Bath, Major League Rugby interests, and how he also retired as a Springbok

Gareth Davies preferred to Williams at scrum-half for Wales’ clash with France

Wales head coach places faith in Gareth Davies and Ross Moriarty against Les Bleus

Elliot Daly and George Furbank expect Irish bombardment

Ireland's variety in kicking have been the focus of England's preparations

Rugby Matters: 2020 is no comparison to the thuggery of 1980

Brendan Gallagher recalls the most brutally physical of Five Nations championships in 1980

Huw Jones dropped as Scotland seek to extend Italy’s drought

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has named his team to face Italy

Exeter Chiefs hunt centre seen as Wales’ long-term successor to Jonathan Davies

A player future Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney does not want to see leave

Wasps seek to rekindle old flames in search for new DoR

Joe Worsley and Dave Walder in the frame to be Wasps' new coaching figureheads

Ireland stick to their guns for trip to Twickenham

Andy Farrell names an unchanged starting line-up for the head-to-head with England

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney responds to outcry from Championship clubs

Sweeney justifies cuts to Championship funding in reply to clubs' letter voicing grave concerns

Jackson column: Advent of Josh Adams puts North at big risk

Josh Adams is showing his true Test class for Wales, writes Peter Jackson

Guscott column: England need to get smart or pay the price against Ireland

As we reach the half-way mark of the Six Nations, Jeremy Guscott writes of the significance of the Twickenham clash

Bristol Bears move quick to sign Henry Purdy to new deal

It has taken Purdy two games to persuade Pat Lam to offer a substantial extension

Williams column: Don’t drop George North for France clash

Shane Williams urges Wayne Pivac to stick with North for this week's clash with France

Apprenticeships with the seniors is driving up England U20 standards, says Dickens

Alan Dickens has named his side to face Ireland on Friday with both side's unbeaten records on the line