Henry Arundell is ready to go again after near miss with Bath

Henry Arundell against Louis Bielle-Biarrey was one of the match-ups to savour when Bath met Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup semi-final...

Shoulder ko for Will

BATH wing Muir has been ruled out the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in the Champions Cup...

Blues swoop to capture Wells

BEDFORD have signed Leicester lock Harry Wells on a player-coach deal for next season. The 32-year-old, left, who will leave Tigers...

Theo joins the Sarries exodus

SARACENS flanker Theo McFarland will leave the club at the end of the season to take up a move to France,...

Ball game at an end

FORMER Wales lock Jake Ball will retire for a second time at the end of the season after injuries brought an...

Wales v Italy

PREVIEW... Today. Kick-off 12.45pm, Cardiff Arms Park WALES are desperate to avoid a third successive Wooden Spoon and Sean Lynn has...

Ireland v Scotland

PREVIEW... Today. Kick-off 2.30pm, Aviva Stadium IRELAND will look to celebrate a landmark day at the Aviva Stadium by securing third...

Home comforts can wait as Leicester Tigers wing Ollie Hassell-Collins focuses on Sale Sharks clash

Ollie Hassell-Collins says Leicester Tigers are looking no further forward than today’s encounter with Sale Sharks in Salford as they chase...

Kane James switch proves handy as Steve Tandy names Wales summer squad

Steve Tandy has named six uncapped players, including former England U20s flanker Kane James, in a 48-man Wales squad for this...

Saracens’ Charlie Bracken credits Championship stint as key step in his rise

Saracens’ Charlie Bracken is climbing up England’s scrum-half ranks and credits a stint in the Championship as being the crucial step...

DREAMTEAM

OLLIE HEARN, THE FORMER CALDY, MANLY, NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY AND ANSELMIANS HOOKER, SELECTS THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST......

Unlucky Ibitoye latest to add to Bears’ casualty list

wouldn’t have adapted to Bracken might be only younger lads.” well. We had a BRISTOL Bears have been dealt another major...

I just can’t fathom why the RFU have stuck with Steve

I WAS again disappointed by the RFU last week as they continue to support Steve Borthwick, a coach they appointed to...

Running on empty

carefully and ask how Mike Douch THE last Prem matches in the regular season are to be played on June 6....

Jeremy Guscott: ‘Home’ advantage can give holders Bordeaux Begles the edge over Leinster

The right teams will be contesting the European Cup final, because holders Bordeaux Begles and challengers Leinster are the best in...

Van Graan fancies home comforts for the play-off assault

JOHANN van Graan has his eyes on a home draw after champions Bath qualified for the play-offs for the third successive...

Bath 69-12 Newcastle Red Bulls: Max Ojomoh’s entrance puts the holders in full flow

Bath qualified for the play-offs with a routine bonus point victory over a Newcastle Red Bulls side that will finish bottom...

Saracens 30-14 Gloucester: Super Rotimi Segun’s on fire to boost Sarries’ bid

Mark McCall is delighted Saracens’ play-off hopes are back “in our own hands” after Rotimi Segun’s brace of tries helped them...

Joseph impact boosts George

GEORGE Skivington was disappointed with his side’s heavy defeat but the Cherry and Whites chief was far from completely deflated. And...

Harlequins 41-24 Exeter Chiefs: Maestro Marcus Smith is the chief destroyer

Marcus Smith got the party started at Allianz Stadium with a stunning second-half masterclass, transforming a flat Harlequins display into a...

My boys looked drained – Rob Baxter

ROB Baxter admitted Exeter simply ran out of steam as their play-off hopes suffered a major blow in a bruising loss....

Northampton Saints 94-33 Bristol Bears: Sizzling Saints make it hell for tame Bears

Northampton Saints predictably bounced back from their no-show against bitter rivals Leicester Tigers last week... but nobody could have envisaged this...

Nick Cain: Saints expose case for defence of van Rensburg

The integrity of the Prem as a league capable of producing international quality players took a battering when Northampton humiliated Bristol...

Karl Dickson’s scrum calls could be crucial factor in Champions Cup final

When Bordeaux Begles and Leinster go head-to-head in Bilbao on Saturday, the refereeing of the scrum is going to be scrutinised...

Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers: Tom Curry return boosts Alex Sanderson’s side for meaty test

Alex Sanderson has welcomed the return of Tom Curry as Sale Sharks look to defeat a side above them in the...

Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers: It’s same-again for Geoff Parling’s men as Joe Heyes reaches his century

Leicester Tigers can take another huge stride towards securing a Prem semi-final place at CoprAcq Stadium against an out-of-sorts Sale Sharks...

Chris Hewett: Changing Premiership game still needs derby passion

If there is a god in rugby’s heaven, Leicester and Northampton will be still be squaring up to each other this...

Chris Hewett: You need to have the right instinct for top-level rugby

So it’s official: the one thing in top-level rugby that sorts the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff,...

Cardiff 22-16 Stormers: Cardiff forwards muscle up to seal play-off spot

Cardiff saved their best for their last home game by qualifying for the URC play-offs for the first time in a...

Munster 24-17 Lions: Munster’s hard-fought victory secures play-off spot

■By HOLLY DAISY Munster secured their place in the play-offs with a hard-fought victory at Thomond Park despite spending six first-half...

Bulls 45- Benetton: Bulls power pack proves the difference

By SAM JACKSON The Bulls produced a powerful second-half display to strengthen their URC play-off position. Despite the scoreline, it wasn’t...

Ulster 22-26 Glasgow: Glasgow finish top of the table as Ulster bow out

Glasgow secured top spot in the table after a pulsating encounter in Belfast which left Ulster sweating on their playoff fate

Scarlets 35-35 Dragons: Thrilling derby day finale ends all square

Joe Hawkins missed a penalty from halfway in the final minute to prevent Scarlets from winning a game against all the...

Edinburgh 5-26 Connacht: Connacht grab bonus to keep season alive

Connacht booked their place in the play-offs with an impressive victory at Hive Stadium which lifts them into sixth place while...

Leinster 68-14 Ospreys: Leo Cullen’s side get set for Euro final with 10-try rout

Leinster warmed up for the Champions Cup final with a 10-try romp to finish second in the URC and book home...

Siya signs off with double for Sharks

■By SAMANTHA EMMA S Hurley-Langton - Connacht Sharks ........... 54 Zebre ...............19 THE Sharks ran in eight tries as they overwhelmed...

Hard-grafting Bedford Blues and Michael Le Bourgeois are gearing up for big finale

Veteran centre Michael Le Bourgeois feels Bedford Blues thoroughly deserve their home Champ semi-final after a season built on consistency, resilience...

Richmond 34-11 London Scottish: Derby joy for Rob Powell’s side has Scots on the brink

Richmond beat their most local of rivals by a convincing five tries to one to assure themselves of Champ rugby again...

Davidson try tees Coventry up for a semi-final with Blues

By HARVEY ALLEN COVENTRY survived a very late scare, as substitute Josh Thomas led them to a quarter-final victory with Bedford...

Naulago at the double as Warriors march on

■By CÓILÍN DUFFY Worcester ........35pts Tries: Naulago 17, 77; Wallis 34, Anstee 59, Bassett 64 Conversions: Twelvetrees 18, 35, 60, 65;...

Birmingham Moseley 19-15 Oundle: Moseley hold firm to keep their place in National One

BIRMINGHAM Moseley retained their National League 1 status after they came from behind to edge past Oundle in the National 1...

Yorkshire 22-20 Lancashire: Lancs lose the battle but win the war

It felt strange for Lancashire to celebrate a defeat to Yorkshire, no matter how narrow – but that was the scene...

Nine-tries Cheshire showcase credentials

Bill Beaumont Division Two round-up By COLIN DUFFY CHESHIRE, Northumberland, North Midlands and Devon were the big winners in week two...

Leicestershire storm into semis

Bill Beaumont Division Three round-up By MO SHER LEICESTERSHIRE secured their spot in the semi-final of the third tier with a...

Eastern Counties off to a flyer

Gill Burns Championship By BEN JAYCOCK EASTERN Counties, Hampshire and Lancashire all opened their Division 1 campaigns with wins as the...

Guernsey 35-28 Jersey: Guernsey front up to retake Siam Cup

Guernsey Raiders produced a season defining display of composure under pressure and some impressive quick play as they nullified Jersey to...

National Two East Dream Team: Bury and Oundle lead the charge

Bury St Edmunds completed a remarkable campaign by securing a historic first-ever promotion to National One and, unsurprisingly, the champions are...

Young Guns -Molly Bunker – “No one takes the England shirt for granted”

Gloucester-Hartpury centre Molly Bunker admits rugby only became a genuine career ambition in the last few years, but now the Red...

Peter Jackson: If only the RFU had backed walk-off referee George Crawford

George Crawford remains the only referee to make the ultimate protest over on-field violence between old Anglo-Welsh foes.

Peter Jackson: Lions tours didn’t use to be all about the dosh

Lions tours now are more about making money than friends