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

Room 101: Richmond No.8 Jake Parker

Parker is not a fan of the hot-box Central Line carriages during London's summer

Bristol boss Pat Lam demands crackdown on slow play by scrum-halves

It's not the players' fault for the slow play, but change needs to happen to speed play up

Jackson column: Mike Nicholas partied with Hannibal – now he’s off to see the Queen!

Peter Jackson tells the story of the Port Talbot cross-coder who will be heading to Buckingham Palace

Munster come calling for Saracens back Matt Gallagher

Neil Fissler reveals further details on players who could be on their way out of the Premiership club

Williams column: Give George North a run out at 13 for Italy game

Jonathan Davies' injury for Wales springs a selection dilemma on head coach Wayne Pivac

Rees-Zammit one of five uncapped players in Wales squad for Six Nations

Gloucester sensation Louis Rees-Zammit included in Wayne Pivac's squad for his first Six Nations as Wales coach

Cain column: The Fabien Galthie guillotine could chop up rivals

Nick Cain dissects the youth movement France head coach Fabien Galthie is has endorsed for the Six Nations

Leicester Tigers hunt Super Rugby star Ben Lam

No one has scored more combined tries over the past two Super Rugby seasons than the Hurricanes wing

Van der Merwe agrees Edinburgh stay, as eligibility for Scotland nears

The South African will become eligible for Scotland in June