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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain picks his 2013 Lions tour party with some surprising ins and outs
No Brian O’Driscoll. No Chris Robshaw. Neither men make my 2013 Lions tour party for the straightforward reason that others are...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 13 years agoJeremy Guscott: Lancaster must take risks to find a true cutting edge
It must be incredibly disappointing for this England side to get that close to a Grand Slam and lose in the...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain: Change now or else!
There’s been a marked reluctance in English rugby ranks to accept that the 2015 Rugby World Cup draw is by far...
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Champions Cup
/ 13 years agoAndrew Sheridan is backed for Lions call-up by rival Dan Cole
Leicester prop Dan Cole prepared for his first competitive tussle with Andrew Sheridan next week by insisting the Lions cannot afford...
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Peter Jackson
/ 13 years agoPeter Jackson: Hold it all! England have won the title…
When the Six Nations discuss the ‘on-going’ issue of bonus points, they would be well advised to examine the distorted impact...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain assesses the potential outcomes of the Heineken Cup quarter-finals
Can England’s leading club sides come up trumps when it is all on the line, or will they follow in the...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 13 years agoJeff Probyn: Selection of Marler cost England the game
As the wheels fell off England‘s Chariot in Cardiff I couldn’t help thinking that it was probably for the best. The...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoGeorge North is urged to get Test clearance
Wales have asked George North to ensure he protects his international future before completing his proposed £250,000 transfer to Northampton. WRU...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoTop English clubs would ‘welcome’ Welsh tie-up
A senior Welsh official last night claimed that some English clubs would welcome reviving Anglo-Welsh competition – and even the idea...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoLondon Irish and Sale almost safe after entertaining draw
London Irish and Sale have almost secured their place in the Premiership as they drew 33-33 in a very entertaining game...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 13 years agoJeremy Guscott: Don’t despair, we will come good
Stuart Lancaster has said he wants his England side to have amassed 600 caps between them before the 2015 World Cup…and...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain: Gatland must think French
There are not many Lions coaches who go into a tour on the back of a vintage Six Nations, and Warren...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoBilly Twelvetrees has vision to perform Ma’a Nonu role for England
Brian Ashton believes that centre Billy Twelvetrees holds the key to the next stage of England’s evolution as an attacking force....
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Peter Jackson
/ 13 years agoPeter Jackson: Welsh will grab Lions share for Australia
After smashing the team that smashed the All Blacks, Wales will take the Lions‘ share when the Test series begins against...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoThe inside story on fearsome Maurie Fa’asavalu
When flanker Maurie Fa’asavalu signed for Harlequins in 2010, director of rugby Conor O’Shea knew what he was getting: a hard...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 13 years agoJeff Probyn: End this cult of ‘superstar’ refs and sort out the scrum
If there is one thing that has made this Six Nations Championship more memorable than most, it is the controversy that has...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoNorthampton Saints will pay £250k to sign big George North
Northampton Saints have offered the Scarlets £250,000 for George North and the deal could be completed within the next seven days....
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoLondon Welsh fail appeal
London Welsh have failed their appeal against the five-point deduction and £15,000 fine they received for fielding an eligible player. They...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoRevealed: Major gulf in funding of top clubs
Premier Rugby Ltd is facing serious questions over the huge differences between the funding provided to its ‘founder’ clubs compared to...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of England and Italy
Italy have yet to beat England in the Six Nations, and, given that their only away win in the tournament since...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 13 years agoJeremy Guscott: Grand Slam won’t faze this England
Wales are a dangerous side if they bring their best game to Cardiff on Saturday against England because they have ability...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain: Let Welsh go Scott-free and return their points
Tyson Keats is innocent. Mike Scott is not. That was the only verdict that was clear in the Friday night disciplinary...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoTrigger-finger refs stamp out cynicism
Greater vigilance by referees at the breakdown and less tolerance of cynical play has led to a sharp rise in yellow...
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Peter Jackson
/ 13 years agoPeter Jackson: Trust me, Cardiff jinx waits for Lancaster!
At a dinner in London some years ago, the English defined their rugby relationship with the Welsh as one based on...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoWasps must use Tommy Bell to ring in changes for future, says Kenny Logan
Wasps’ challenge for a top four spot has defied expectations but club legend Kenny Logan insists the focus has to be...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 13 years agoJeff Probyn: These ‘hospitality’ packages are just fleecing the fans
It would seem that Nick Cain‘s expose of the Lion’s tour ticket price rigging is just the tip of the ‘rip-off...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoMatt Stevens is back to his best now he’s 20 stones!
Matt Stevens says piling on the pounds and a change of positions has contributed to him enjoying one of his best...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoLuke Cowan-Dickie hooked on new role
Even by England‘s precocious standards loosehead prop Luke Cowan-Dickie stood out as an early developer – now the Chiefs teenager has...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain looks at the England build-up to Italy – and beyond to the Lions
When teams which have battled to get within reach of big prizes start to batten down the hatches and ban words...
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 13 years agoJeremy Guscott: Launchbury has been the find of the season
Joe Launchbury has been the find of the international season. The England lock has a great range of skills for a...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoDan Braid has the appetite to satisfy Sale hunger
Sale flanker Dan Braid was so confident that 2013 would turn out to be a good year he saw it in...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain: Welsh are embroiled in new fight for justice
There are times, as we all know, when the law is an ass. Usually this coincides with legal technicalities getting in...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoWales v England: teams
Owen Farrell will lead the attack in England’s Grand Slam decider against Wales at the Millennium on Saturday. The Saracens playmaker...
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Peter Jackson
/ 13 years agoPeter Jackson: It’s whisky galore if Telfer tribe triumph
When Scotland last won three matches on the bounce in the same Championship, they showed their gratitude to Wales by sending...
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British and Irish Lions Tour
/ 13 years agoMichael Owen backs Tom Wood for Lions No.8 spot
This time last year Tom Wood feared he would never properly recover from his toe injury – 12 months on and...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 13 years agoJeff Probyn: President Jason can use his powers to help grassroots
The action of the RFU Council in overturning their nominations panel’s choice of president for the 2015 World Cup is probably...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoLittle and large are big-time with Bath
Matt Banahan has hailed his ‘little and large’ midfield partnership with Kyle Eastmond, likening their relationship to the 1988 comedy classic...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoRob Howley: England showdown is so huge
Rob Howley last night (Saturday) billed Wales‘ Six Nations clash with England as one of the biggest of their lives. Wales,...
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Peter Jackson
/ 13 years agoPeter Jackson talks to Maesteg coach Richard Webster about the startling decline of Welsh club rugby
There was a time when the Welsh club game was the envy of the rugby world, when popular legend had it...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoUnder-par England beat Italy and still hope of Grand Slam
England are 80 minutes away from their first Grand Slam in a decade despite an under-par display which saw them struggle...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain assesses the dramatic fight for survival at the bottom of the Premiership
If relegation is meant to be all about dull, unambitious, lock-tight rugby then London Welsh and Sale have not been listening....
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Jeremy Guscott
/ 13 years agoJeremy Guscott: Breathless, but the Referee didn’t blow
Stuart Lancaster spoke before this game about the last 20 minutes being crucial, about how England’s now superior fitness would pay...
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Nick Cain
/ 13 years agoNick Cain: Lions levy hits their own fans
The latest twist in the Lions Test ticket story is that the Australian Rugby Union has refuted the statement from a...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoEngland v Italy: teams
Mako Vunipola will make his first Test start for England after being named in the team to face Italy at Twickenham...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoLondon Welsh left bottom with 5-point deduction and £15,000 fine
London Welsh have been deducted five league points and fined £15,000 after being found guilty to have fielded an ineligible player...
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English Gallagher Premiership
/ 13 years agoShane Geraghty’s enjoying tough love with London Irish
Playmaker Shane Geraghty puts London Irish‘s recent upturn in form down to a tough new approach. The Exiles may have taken...
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Peter Jackson
/ 13 years agoPeter Jackson: Tragic Nick helps pal Huw keep injury in perspective
Sometime on Wednesday morning Huw Bennett will bow his head and remember the day they buried his friend in a churchyard...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoI’d answer England’s wing call says Manu Tuilagi
Manu Tuilagi is England‘s most dangerous midfield weapon but the 21-year-old juggernaut insists he will have no problem moving out to...
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Featured
/ 13 years agoO2 Inside Line: Episode 4
Catch the latest episode of O2 Inside line ahead of England‘s game against Italy. This week Dan Cole and Billy Twelvetrees...
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Jeff Probyn
/ 13 years agoJeff Probyn: Lancaster was always in win-win situation with RFU
It’s just over a year ago that many observers were questioning the decision of the RFU to appoint a ‘nobody’ as...













