Perhaps it’s time to boycott the top tier

COULD this season get any worse? The whole salary cap saga proved just how poor the administration of the professional game...

Consign this shameful class system to history

Giant killers: Duncan Roke, of the National League XV, on the attack against the Springboks in 2000 PICTURE: Getty Images BRENDAN...

RFU executives should take pay cut

THE outrageous decision by the RFU to cut funding of the Championship by 50 per cent from next season is a...

Spare a thought for National League clubs

DID the Championship clubs really not see the RFU funding cuts coming, as all the “shock, horror” reactions would suggest? The...

Cockerill’s lads cruise to another five-pointer

Edinburgh……..41 Connacht ……..14 EDINBURGH eased past Connacht on Friday to stay top of Conference B. They were 20-7 up by half-time...

Mulvihill desperate for Blues response

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Starting: Hallam Amos, and Seb Davies WALES’ Six Nations squad men Hallam Amos and Seb Davies start for...

Ulster put themselves in pole for the playoffs

Ulster…………….20 Cheetahs ……..10 DAN McFarland’s men boosted their play-off hopes with victory over Cheetahs at Kingspan Stadium. Leinster had gone 19...

Warriors turn up the power to earn bonus win

By GARY HEATLY GLASGOW Warriors are into the Conference A playoff spots and teenage scrum-half Jamie Dobie had a first pro...

Leinster stretch unbeaten run to 12

By ALEX BYWATER OSPREYS coach Carl Hogg bemoaned his side’s inability to build enough of a first-half lead as Leinster made...

Springbok ace Werner takes reins for Scarlets

By SAM JACKSON Captain: Werner Kruger Back in: Elrigh Louw SOUTH African international Werner Kruger takes over the captaincy as Scarlets...

Munster dig deep to break resistance

Zebre ………………0 Munster ……….28 IT WAS desperate for the first 40 minutes and stylish for the second, as JJ Hanrahan led...

50-cap Joseph goes back to where it all began

Debut: Jonathan Joseph wins his first cap for England on the wing in Durban 2012 JONATHAN Joseph may have scored the...

Eddie pins his faith on a new player proto-type – the super hybrid

NICK CAIN TRIES TO UNRAVEL THE LATEST ENGLAND SELECTION RIDDLE THERE are times when Eddie Jones’ spinning and weaving around selection...

Hancock’s 15 seconds of fame lasted his lifetime

MANY sportsmen enjoy 15 minutes of fame but for Northampton wing Andy Hancock, who died aged 80 this week, it was...

Lord Myners’ review gets off to a distinctly dodgy start

I HAD been hopeful that the salary cap review by Lord Myners might cast an objective and slighlty jaundiced eye on...

Farewell to man who made Munster great

BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Modern-day rugby cathedral: Thomond Park in full swing PICTURE: Getty...

Heffernan hopes for Premiership chance

NOTTINGHAM tight-head Oisin Heffernan, right, is attracting interest from the Premiership clubs looking to strengthen their squads for next season. The...

Booth now favourite for top job at Ospreys

Impressed: Toby Booth TOBY Booth is now the clear favourite to take over at the Ospreys next season after impressing during...

Bath swoop for two Spencers and a Redpath

Three-year deal: Ben Spencer BATH have agreed to a triple deal that will see them sign Cameron Redpath, Ben Spencer and...

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...

Subscr iptions…

You can subscribe to The Rugby Paper. Just fill out the form below and send your cheque for £20, £40 or...

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...