Forwards’ supremacy gets Ealing on a roll

By OLI SHAPLEY Fast start: Jordan Els scores for Trailfinders Fifty up: Tommy Bell is about to go over for Trailfinders...

Pirates steal the points with potent final quarter

By TOM INNES CORNISH Pirates flew back from the Channel Islands with four hardearned points last night after coming from behind...

Williams back after beating cancer

Preview Yorkshire Carnegie v Newcastle Today, Kick-off 3pm JOHNNY Williams makes his first-team comeback for Newcastle after overcoming testicular cancer. The...

Set piece won us the World Cup says Brits

Pressure: Bok scrum makes England unravel in final SCHALK Brits says that South Africa went into the final in Yokohama aware...

Eddie’s new forwards guru will bring time, energy and emotion

NICK CAIN TALKS TO KEY SOUTH AFRICAN FIGURES ABOUT ENGLAND’S NEW COACH MATT PRO UDFOOT MATT Proudfoot’s arrival as the new...

Tompkins handed to Wales by RFU folly

SOMEBODY at Twickenham needs their arse kicking over the loss of Nick Tompkins – a star man for England at U16,...

Gustard says it – players train too hard!

Pedagogy: Gustard A QUINS Press release earlier this week had me reaching for the dictionary. “We have five senior centres out...

New broom Galthie has the leeway to go for broke

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Golden generation: Frace win the 2019 Junior World...

Sexton is new captain of Ireland

JOHNNY Sexton will succeed Rory Best as Ireland captain. The Leinster fly-half, 34, is a doubt for the start of the...

Hogg will lead Scots

STUARTHogg will captain Scotland in the Six Nations replacing Stuart McInally, who led the side during last year’s unsuccessful World Cup...

No big-match jitters for strongman John

By STEFFAN THOMAS Rave reviews: WillGriff John is hoping to impress the Wales selectors PICTURES: Getty Images ON the eve of...

Humphreys excited by props Leon and WillGriff

JONATHAN Humphreys believes Alun Wyn Jones can defy logic and figure at the next World Cup, but insists he will come...

Pivac has shocked a few and I’m glad

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Warren Gatland constantly surprised the Welsh rugby public with his selections throughout his 12 years...

Webb must prove himself again warns Pivac

SCRUM-HALF Rhys Webb has been warned he faces a battle to regain his No.9 jersey after being recalled to the Wales...

ON THE BLINDSIDE

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Williams will stay at the Chiefs EXETER Chiefs have won their battle with Gloucester...

ROOM 101

TOM BULLOUGH THE ROTHERHAM CENTRES TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Faffing about I...

Coventry sack Walshe after their Ampthill defeat

News By JON NEWCOMBE EXCLUSIVE NICK Walshe has become the second coaching casualty of the Greene King Championship season. Walshe joins...

Bayonne hit for six as Toulon turn on the style

ROUND-UP TOULON completed a clean sweep of six victories with a 50-6 triumph over Bayonne in Pool 2. They struggled to...

Blues blast ten tries but still fail to qualify

By STEFFAN THOMAS POOL 5 Try time: Lewis Jones runs in a try for Blues PICTURE: Huw Evans CARDIFF Blues scored...

Hardwick lands the bonus as Tigers fumble their chances against battling Pau

By GARY FITZGERALD Power: Manu Tuilagi POOL 5 GEORDAN Murphy’s much-changed Tigers had their claws clipped by their French rivals but...

Wasteful Wasps get blast from boss Dai

By ROGER PANTING POOL 3 WASPS’ European campaign came to a miserable end as the French secured a home quarter-final with...

Randall bails Bristol out with try on the buzzer

By TIM LEWIS POOL 4 HARRY Randall saved Bristol’s blushes with a late try to secure a 7-7 draw against lowly...

Four-try Graham gets the job done

By GARY HEATLY SCOTLAND winger Darcy Graham warmed up for the Six Nations with four sensational tries as Edinburgh Rugby made...

Kockett hat-trick completes Castres revival as Warriors suffer second half collapse

By ROGER PANTING Match winner: Rory Kockott celebrates his late try CASTRESscrum-half, Rory Kockott, scored 23 points as Worcester crashed out...

Out-of-jail Scarlets enjoy their freedom by thumping the Exiles

By ALEX BYWATER No stopping him: Corey Baldwin evades the tackle of Nick Phipps to score for Scarlets PICTURE: Getty Images...

Dragons scorch into quarter-finals despite forgettable first half

European Challenge Cup By ALEX BYWATER Tyler Morgan runs in to score the bonus point try PICTURE: THuw Evans DEAN Ryan...

Tyro Randall relishing the high-octane style at Bristol

News Rising star: Harry Randall TURBO-CHARGED Bristol scrum-half Harry Randall hopes improvements in his game will enable him to complete his...

Connacht looking to build momentum

POOL 5 PREVIEW… Montpellier v Connacht Today, Kick-off 3.15pm KIERAN Marmion returns from a back injury for Connacht’s dead-rubber Pool game...

Val up for a fight against Charlie

By NEALE HARVEY GLOUCESTER prop Val Rapava-Ruskin heads into one of European rugby’s most demanding bearpits aiming to prove why he...

Big guns return for Ospreys’ European farewell

POOL 4 PREVIEW… Munster v Ospreys Today. Kick-off 1pm, Thomond Park WALES flanker Justin Tipuric and centre Scott Williams return as...

Vunipola determined to channel his frustration

European Champions Cup By NEALE HARVEY Focused on the job: Saracens and England star Mako Vunipola PICTURES: Getty Images SARACENS will...

Lewis on mission to tidy up set-piece basics

NEWS EXTRA By KASEY REES DILLON Lewis admits he must improve the basics of his set-piece work to challenge for a...

Freddie was my main man – Burns

ULSTER out-half and man of the match Billy Burns admitted he had mixed emotions after his side secured their spot in...

Billy puts boot into his brother and Bath

By RONAN O’BRIEN BILLY Burns won the battle of the brothers as Ulster earned a place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals...

Player welfare is paramount says proud captain Chisholm

Diplomat: James Chisholm QUINS captain for the day James Chisholm diplomatically downplayed the controversial ending against Clermont, preferring to highlight a...

Quins bow out amid controversy at the death

European Champions Cup By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Hug it out: Clermont’s Alivereti Raka celebrates with Sitaleki Timani, left, after scoring his side’s...

Vindictive owners get their pound of flesh off Sarries

What is bitterly disappointing for any England fan is that the roof caving in on Saracens will have serious ramifications for...

Baxter: Luke’s the No1 No2 now

ROB BAXTER preferred to reinforce the claims of England hopeful Luke Cowan-Dickie rather than speculate on Exeter’s chances of securing a...

Chiefs turn into a mean machine after half-time

European Champions Cup By MIKE SINCLAIR EXETER hit the power-pack button in the second half to destroy La Rochelle for the...

OFFICIAL! Saracens WILL be relegated

Job well done: James Fish dives over to score Northampton’s fifth try PICTURE: Getty Images PREMIERSHIP Rugby confirmed last night that...

Lyon offer an escape route to Sarries trio

By NEIL FISSLER Wanted: Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola LYON have stepped into the salary cap chaos by offering...

Saracens, Europe and McConnochie: What’s in Sunday’s TRP?

Plenty of news, views, action and reaction in issue #592 of The Rugby Paper – here’s what features… SARACENS: Sarries risk...

TEAMS: Who Gloucester have turned to in place of injured Danny Cipriani for trip to Toulouse

Full Champions Cup team news for Round 6, as Lloyd Evans is preferred to Owen Williams at Gloucester

Saracens call crisis meeting with whole squad to outlay relegation threat for breaching salary cap

Saracens faced with serious threat of relegation to the Championship after failing to comply with salary cap again

Rugby Matters: England game provides Sergio Parisse with perfect curtain fall

Italy's talismanic No.8 can bow out on his own terms, with a stock of flourishing back rows ready to pick up...

Influx of South Africans puts the squeeze of Europe’s Pacific Islanders, warns union chief

Dan Leo points out the shift in recruitment by European clubs from Pacific Islanders in the 80s, 90s and 2000s, to...

Davies is the right man to salvage Yorkshire Carnegie, says Stuart Lancaster

The former England head coach says the appointment of Phil Davies is perfect for his old club

Dan Robson interview: I’m still waiting for Eddie Jones to call

"I won't play like a robot for England" - Wasps scrum-half Robson hopes to be the answer for Eddie

England hopeful Alex Dombrandt extends Harlequins deal

Harlequins head of rugby Paul Gustard describes the back row as 'exceptional'

Wales lock Adam Beard hands Ospreys much-needed boost

The Wales forward has signed a new deal at the Liberty Stadium