Job done as Ward’s new boys get 50 up

By NEALE HARVEY AMPTHILL skipper Dave Ward hailed a terrific all-round display as the newcomers hit shell-shocked Carnegie for eight. The...

Alvarez leads the charge to leave Knights shellshocked

By GUY WILLIAMS ANoutstanding individual performance by Pirates’ fly-half Javier Alvarez, finishing with 24 points, ensured his team continued their excellent...

Ealing power up in first half but then switch off

By LUKE JARMYN EALING kick-started their season with a record win over Jersey to redeem themselves after last Sunday’s surprising opening...

Hooper: I expected more from my team

BATHdirector of rugby Stuart Hooper slammed his side’s second-half performance. He said: “We were ragged and gave away soft tries after...

Slimline Hughes has the Bears roaring in

By ROGER PANTING Causing havoc: Nathan Hughes celebrates scoring Bristol’s second try with Mat Protheroe PICTURES: Getty Images In front: Zach...

Fully-fit hooker Taylor aims to show what Wasps and England have been missing

By NEALE HARVEY FORMER All Blacks hitman Malakai Fekitoa is handed his Premiership debut as Wasps take on newly-promoted London Irish...

We were nervous admits Solomons

WORCESTER’S director of rugby Alan Solomons was relieved to claim a tense game. He said: “If you start the Premiership with...

Weir lands the points in a tragedy of errors

By ROGER PANTING THIS was a dreadful advert for Premiership rugby but Worcester won’t care a jot as they made it...

No World Cup regrets insists Ashton, baby comes first

Choice: Chris Ashton declined to be in Eddie Jones’ squad By JON NEWCOMBE CHRIS ASHTON admits watching the Rugby World Cup...

Kamikaze kids can nail champs

NICK CAIN FINDS REASONS TO BE HOPEFUL BEFORE ENGLAND’S MOMENTOUS MATCH WITH NEW ZEALAND Close call: Sam Underhill’s stunning try was...

Diamond: We won’t let playoff place slip by again

NEWS EXTRA By GARY FITZGERALD STEVE Diamond is convinced Sale have the player power to mount a serious push for the...

No targets for us say Gloucester, just be best

Boss: Johan Ackermann VICTORIOUS Gloucester boss Johan Ackermann refused to set any targets for the season after his men saw off...

We showed fight roars triumphant Ackermann

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL JOHAN Ackermann and his players celebrated like wild men after a dramatic finale saw Gloucester open their Premiership...

Ibitoye makes the magic we like says Gustard

TWO-TRY winger Gabriel Ibitoye was described as “a special talent” by Harlequins director of rugby Paul Gustard. “He’s been working hard...

Quins flair crushed by the boot of Simmonds

By MIKE SINCLAIR NOT many teams outscore Exeter for tries at Sandy Park – but Harlequins still took home only a...

Lawday: Quins is a better fit for me

NEWS EXTRA By NEALE HARVEY AMBITIOUS No.8 Tom Lawday has revealed how silver-tongued Harlequins boss Paul Gustard persuaded him to complete...

Spencer: Sarries are best club to push my case

NEWS EXTRA BEN Spencer is on a mission to prove Eddie Jones wrong for leaving him at home watching the World...

‘It’s your job to land kicks…you just get on with it’

JAMES Grayson believes Northampton made a big statement by defeating champions Saracens in their opening game of the season to end...

Grayson shows nerves of steel to sink Sarries

By GARY FITZGERALD CHRIS Boyd saluted young James Grayson after the fly-half kept ice cool to ensure Saints left Allianz Park...

DREAMTEAM

RYAN MILLS, WORCESTER AND FORMER GLOUCESTER AND ENGLAND U20s CENTRE, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1....

Japan should join the Rugby Championship

COLIN BOAG Even as a Scot I was applauding Japan by the end of the match, but I do wonder whether...

Unfair endurance test

THE date of the Bill Beaumont Cup final is linked with the England XV v Barbarians game on June 21. This...

Typhoon Hagibis put RWC in perspective

AROUND40 people lost their lives due to Typhoon Hagibis; thousands more lost their homes or suffered unbearable disruption. The cancellation of...

Our beautiful game has become ugly

BEFORE a player is very seriously hurt there have to be some difficult decisions and changes to the game, once beautiful...

Act now to save us from elitist rulers

IT’S time to get rid of the elitist segregationists approach to international rugby if there is a genuine desire to grow...

Borthwick in under Murphy

LEICESTER Tigers will be waiting for England’s World Cup campaign to finish so they can finalise a reshuffle of their coaching...

Saints are keen on Dombrandt

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler NORTHAMPTON Saints are leading the chase for Harlequins back row Alex Dombrandt as they...

Saracens offer more to Malins

SARACENS have made an increased offer to highlyrated fly-half Max Malins to keep him at the club next season. Exeter Chiefs...

Rebirth of Hiroshima ignored by RWC

PETER JACKSON IN JAPAN They began queuing in the rain at the Peace Memorial Park first thing on Friday morning, global...

Tonga reel in Eagles to break their duck

TONGA came from behind to beat the United States in their final Pool C game and earn their first win at...

Young guns set to bump off the old guard

Tom Bradshaw says the Scots let themselves down on and off the field Half-an-hour into their defeat in Yokohama, there came...

Scottish fans call for Townsend head but he’ll get Six Nations

By NICK CAIN at Yokohama Stadium Irrepressible: Keita Inagaki evades Stuart Hogg to score Japan’s third try THE knee-jerk reaction after...

Japan players will be humble even if they beat the Boks

By TOM BRADSHAW NEVERMIND the so-called Miracle of Brighton in 2015, when Japan stunned South Africa with their lastminute 34-32 win,...

We’re a very different team from four years ago warns Pollard

By ADAM HATHAWAY History men: Japan beat South Africa in Brighton in 2015 SOUTH African fly-half Handre Pollard has refused to...

Leitch is new hero for man in sumo suit

Nick Cain looks at the impact Japan’s World Cup giant-killing is having on the whole country THE day after Japan had...

Eddie got ‘bullet train’ game back on track

The term ‘bullet train rugby’ – almost too fast for the eye, direct, unstoppable – beautifully describes Japanese rugby at present....

Raise a glass to stickler Gardner

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S that time again. Who deserves a jouer de rugby gallant t-shirt this week for their class...

Warburton red card still haunts me today

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND THERE is a picture of me after our 2011 World Cup semi-final defeat by France....

Huget: My sloppiness killed the mood in Six Nations

YOANN Huget admits the pain of his Six Nations horror show against Wales still hurts as he plans to make amends...

Josh is hunting down Shane’s try record

Alex Bywater talks to Wales wing Josh Adams who has scored five World Cup tries so far JOSH Adams never thought...

Second-half salvage job secures top spot in Pool

WALES led only 7-6 after a error-strewn first-half but went onto clinch the bonus point and ensure they topped Pool D...

Let’s do it for Gats, orders Alun Wyn

ALUN WYN Jones has told Wales this morning’s World Cup quarter-final with France has been ten years in the making for...

Volcanic Kyle erupts into smiles during England rout

Rhino charge: Kyle Sinckler, right, celebrates scoring England’s third try against Australia with Anthony Watson From NICK CAIN at Oita Bank...

Now let Rhino loose on those All Blacks!

From NICK CAIN in Oita EDDIE JONES hailed Kyle Sinckler’s “rhino charge” of a try as he revelled in England’s thrashing...

Squad lists all for 12 Premiership teams 2019-20

Take a look at the forwards, backs, coaches and captains which will make for another exciting season of Premiership rugby

Premiership kick off! Sale Sharks must show more bite

It's time for Steve Diamond to aim for a top four finish, writes Brendan Gallagher

Rugby Matters: Make Pacific Islands rugby’s West Indies

The West Indies cricket team can be selected from 15 Caribbean island nations. Brendan Gallagher asks if the same can be...

Tommy Reffell will be a star for club and country says Leicester’s Thompson

The future of Wales' back row? Guy Thompson think so after being impressed with the young flanker's displays at Leicester

Schmidt: ‘We aren’t going to sneak up on the All Blacks’

Can Ireland reach a first-ever World Cup semi-final by beating New Zealand?

England change George Ford’s role for Australia showdown

Eddie Jones makes bold selection call ahead of World Cup quarter-final with the Wallabies