It’s sad that fans don’t love Sarries the way they should

COLIN BOAG Boring? You must be joking: Billy Vunipola scores for Saracens What did you make of Saracens’ Champions Cup triumph?...

Goode’s top class

ALEX Goode may not have the same top speed as Anthony Watson or Elliot Daly but he is no slouch and...

Just play for kicks

MEMO to James Haskell. Everyone has to retire at some time. Why not put something back into the game, or perhaps...

Wrong to insist on relegation up north but not down south

I FIND the idea of a World League, which includes the Six Nations and Rugby Championship teams interesting. Reading last week’s...

All this yo-yoing just makes my head spin

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk I THOROUGHLY agree with...

Smith counting on Tiger cubs to form new core at Leicester

By NEALE HARVEY MATT Smith is confident a good core of home-grown players is the key to getting Leicester firing again...

Roberts: Girwan will be vital in new Hooper era

By STEFFAN THOMAS Optimistic: Jamie Roberts Key man: Dempsey JAMIE Roberts says Bath must reach a level of consistency they have...

Slade wants a bigger part after 2015 frustration

By JON NEWCOMBE BIT-PART player at the last World Cup, Exeter’s Henry Slade is hoping to make it big in Japan...

Daly’s move driven by need to be challenged

By NEALE HARVEY ELLIOT Daly says the chance for personal improvement rather than winning trophies was the driving force behind his...

Welsh clubs bemused by new tournament

By ROB COLE WELSH Premiership clubs reacted with bewilderment this week when it was announced they would be playing Scottish semi-pro...

RUGBY SHORTS

DoR Morris exits Exiles LONDON Scottish director of rugby Dave Morris will leave the club in June as a result of...

Teague gets in line for coach’s job at Racing

DAVID BARNES FRENCH COLUMN Farewell: Mathieu Bastareaud plays his last match for Toulon today Racing are out to win a top...

Fortune favours the Nonu braves

By ADAM ELLIS Warrior: Ma’a Nonu led the way for Blues LUCK was on the side of the Blues as they...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

NEIL COCHRANE THE FORMER EDINBURGH, ROTHERHAM, DONCASTER, BEDFORD AND WASPS HOOKER/FLANKER When I was called up to the Scotland Six Nations...

Warrior Te’o rides east for pay day in Japan

By JON NEWCOMBE ENGLAND international Ben Te’o is set to play in Japan irrespective of whether he is picked to play...

Curry’s openside battle with Sam will be tasty!

By NEALE HARVEY In possession: Tom Curry in Six Nations action against Scotland. Right: Sam Underhill PICTURES: Getty Images ENGLAND openside...

Even best club games are no match for Test intensity

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME PICTURE: Getty Images With the...

Championship for Wands and Ystalyfera

ROUND-UP GLAMORGAN Wanderers will be playing WRU National Championship rugby next season after overturning a first leg deficit in their playoff...

Gogs finish with a bang as Blue & Blacks run trial

By JOHN MURPHY RGC 1404 ……..63 .. Cardiff …………24 CARDIFF finished second outright in the Principality Premiership despite being dealt a...

Prydie angles Fisher’s men to play-off win

By STEFFAN THOMAS Llanelli ……….27 .. Pontypool ……16 LLANELLI secured their position in next season’s Principality Premiership with a comfortable victory...

Sweeney on song as Ponty finish on a high note

By ROB COLE Pontypridd ….47 .. Merthyr ……….19 CERI Sweeney fought back the tears as he signed off in style at...

Singleton pumped up for his second chance at Saracens

By NEALE HARVEY HOOKER Jack Singleton says the lure of returning to Saracens and going head-tohead with England star Jamie George...

Folau has contract terminated

ISRAEL Folau’s sacking by by Rugby Australia was upheld at an appeal hearing after the player said ‘hell awaits’ gay people...

Launceston promotion is career high for Westren

By NEALE HARVEY On the up: Launceston celebrate beating Old Centralians PLAYER-COACH Ryan Westren predicts brighter times ahead for Launceston, a...

Blues get green light for Williams

CARDIFF Blues have won their appeal to retain No.8 Nick Williams for next season. Kiwi Williams, 35, was due to come...

Pat’s putting me back on track for Wales – Thomas

By STEFFAN THOMAS DAN Thomas hopes a stellar Premiership campaign with Bristol can throw him into contention for the Wales set-up...

YOUNG GUNS

SAM COSTELOW LEICESTER FLY-HALF It promises to be a memorable month for 18-year-old flyhalf Sam Costelow, who hopes to line up...

Prop star steps up for shot in top-flight

LONDON Irish have bolstered their front row options for next season by signing prop Will Goodrick-Clarke from Richmond. The 23-year-old, named...

Lion’s share for top three but try-hungry Tigers get two

The Rugby Paper’s reporters have submitted their votes to reveal our National 2 North Team of the Season NOMINATIONS have come...

Dorset & Wilts to meet Cumbria in final

DIVISION 3 ROUND-UP By TOM HAIMOVICI IT WAS Cumbria who took the spoils in a dramatic head-to-head shootout against Oxfordshire in...

First-half barrage spells broken Herts

By JOHN FOX GLOUCESTERSHIRE won on Hertfordshire soil for the first time since 2006 thanks to a powerful first half in...

Cant’s heroes to the fore for Kent

By TIM ALLEN Hampshire……26 Kent ………………35 ON a warm sunny afternoon at Hooks Lane, home of Havant RFC, Hampshire hosted Kent,...

Twickenham calling as Cornish run riot in second half

By SARA RAINE Devon …………20 Cornwall ……50 CORNWALL ran in eight tries against their big rivals Devon at Brixham yesterday to...

Yorks hold off to edge the late fightback Roses rivalry

By CHRISTIAN EVANS YORKSHIRE and Huddersfield winger Tom Hodson praised his team as the White Rose County edged arch rivals Lancashire...

Birkenhead boost for Cheshire final

By FEARGAL BRENNAN Cheshire……….52 Durham …………..7 CHESHIRE stormed into the final of the 2019 Bill Beaumont Cup with a dominant display...

Counties hold on as Bird lets it slip

By STEVE JACKSON East Counts….28 N’umberland ..27 EASTERN Counties finished their season with a bonus-point victory over Northumberland at the Haberden...

Attacks rule in Div 2 as try-fest ensues

DIVISION 2 ROUND-UP By DAVE MOORE LEICESTERSHIRE sealed a shot at Twickenham glory as they beat East Midlands 29-20 in what...

Ferguson has got Saints pack rolling again says Waller

By NEALE HARVEY NORTHAMPTON’S pack is becoming a force to be reckoned with again according to long-serving prop Alex Waller. Waller,...

South African invasion will give Sharks teeth

By JON NEWCOMBE Top tackler: Jono Ross Talisman: Faf de Klerk A TWEET from Sale showing Faf de Klerk in a...

European Cup takes a bow in Detroit

DETROIT, where Henry Ford invented the assembly-line and Diana Ross personified the sound of Motown, is big on sport, too. It...

Caballero’s walk-on part among Test bit players

THE raft of retirees leaving the stage within the next fortnight includes Castres back row forward Yannick Caballero, after 15 consecutive...

Iron-man Ryan back on parade

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Two minutes’ fame: Lee Jarvis of Wales in action. Inset: Yannick Caballero PICTURES:...

Mako will be fine for World Cup – McCall

SARACENS loose-head Mako Vunipola will be sidelined for “a minimum of three months” with a torn hamstring. Vunipola sustained the injury...

Opportunity knocks for Ryan’s Dragons

By ROB COLE NEW Dragons boss Dean Ryan insists the talent pool in Wales is as big as England and plans...

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McCall for Test arena

I WAS delighted to see Liam Williams win the Champions Cup with Saracens – but their real unsung hero is Mark...

For Wales’ sake, end the verbals

I WAS interested to read Shaun Edwards’ tit-fortat with Wayne Pivac last week. Both are passionate rugby men, but this talking...

Taskmaster Ryan won’t let the rot continue

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Non-nonsense: Dean Ryan coaches his Gloucester players PICTURE: Getty Images DEAN Ryan is a no-nonsense,...

Rampant Warriors canter into the final

By GARY HEATLY Glasgow ………50 Ulster………20 GLASGOW played some of their best rugby of the season to ease past Ulster into...

European shootout goes Ospreys way

By STEFFAN THOMAS No stopping: Olly Cracknell scores Ospreys’ second try PICTURE: Huw Evans TEAMS OSPREYS: Evans 7; North 7, Allen...