Albion stop the rot with nervy win

■By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A ….14 Sale FC ……………7 PLYMOUTH Albion halted a run of five successive defeats with a hard-earned...

Six tries but Stort hurt by late line decision

■By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s St……20 Rotherham……22 STRUGGLING Bishop’s Stortford came desperately close to a vital win in the relegation battle, but...

Brexit minister made clean breaks at Fylde

Fan: Stephen Barclay AS A former Fylde No.9, Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay should have fewer problems than some sidestepping through the...

Evergreen Smith targets ‘four decades’ at the top

By NEALE HARVEY Target: George Smith wants to go on past 2020 PICTURE: Getty Images Ambitious: Pat Lam BRISTOL’s veteran back...

Melville understands the dangers of ring-fencing

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Pedigree: Nigel Melville at the RFU and, inset, playing for England PICTURE:...

Cambridge women closing the gap

Joy: Kate Marks celebrates CAMBRIDGE’S women defended their crown as they held off a late Oxford fightback to win 8-5 in...

Dominant second half puts Oxford back on top

■ By ROGER PANTING Varsity match Held: Cambridge’s Jake Hennessey is tackled We’re bubbling: Oxford lift the Varsity trophy. PICTURE: Getty...

Bath set to opt for hybrid surface at new Rec

■ By SAM JACKSON NEWS EXTRA BATH have unveiled their stunning plans for a new 18,000-seater stadium that they hope to...

Kicking king Daryl set to hand over the tee

■ By JON NEWCOMBE Banter: Veenendaal IT will be with much reluctance on his part if Nottingham scrum-half Daryl Veenendaal hands...

Hooley magic and penalty count put paid to the Pirates

■By SAM ROBERTS BEDFORDkept their Cup qualification on course with a tough win against Cornish Pirates. Bedford need a win against...

Maxwell’s hammer delights Richmond boss Hill

■By LUKE JARMYN RICHMOND lock Maxwell Davies finished a catchand- drive to score the only try of the game and reward...

Power of Knox halts Knights’ pack-men

■By PAUL SMITH Threat: Rory Pitman on the charge for Knights Flying machine: Jona Bulumakau dives over Pete White to score...

‘Error-free’ Ealing end Islanders’ winning run

■By TOM INNES SUPERB control of the game in the face of atrocious conditions saw Ealing claim an away win to...

Tonks set to lead the Irish charge

Preview London Irish v Hartpury Today, Kick-off 3pm. Madejski St IT’S A battle of top versus bottom in Pool 3 of...

England after Jones has to be Gatland or McCall

NICK CAIN TALKS TO NIGEL MELVILLE ABOUT THE ENGLAND COACHING SUCCESSION Super coach: Warren Gatland stands tall among his Welsh players...

Where have all the Welsh coaches gone?

THERE was a time when Wales taught the world how to develop coaching into an art form, when everyone who was...

Players’ Association go stum on big player fitness issue

Together again? Andy Farrell and Stuart Lancaster with England PICTURE: Getty Images ■ Just suppose, for argument’s sake, that Ireland win...

Numbers don’t lie, fans snub the regions

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Astartling fact can be unearthed from the mound of attendance figures at the...

DREAMTEAM

JOHN MULDOON, BRISTOL DEFENCE COACH AND FORMER CONNACHT AND IRELAND FLANKER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST…...

Sam’s delayed Test bow worth the wait

■By NEALE HARVEY International bow: Sam Skinner in action for Scotland PICTURES: Getty Images EXETER lock Sam Skinner has revealed how...

Wallabies can turn it around like in 2015 says Toomua

NEALE HARVEY Resilient: Wallaby centre Matt Toomua MATT Toomua promises Australia will respond to their 2018 debacle by ramming Kyle Sinckler’s...

Anscombe faces his big test against Farrell

Breakthrough: Gareth Anscombe in action against South Africa PICTURE: Getty Images GARETH Anscombe had a breakthrough campaign with Wales in November....

Jackman’s on the brink at Dragons

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND “Players don’t know their roles. There is confusion everywhere!” BERNARD Jackman is living on borrowed...

Protheroe’s back with pointers from Piutau

■By JOHN HARDING Main man: Mat Protheroe celebrates a try for Bristol against Ealing last season Advice: Luke Morahan BEING sidelined...

Mooar insists Scarlets can become kings of Europe

■ By STEFFAN THOMAS Crusaders pedigree: Brad Mooar KIWI Brad Mooar has told Scarlets fans they can dream of European glory...

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Value of Six Nations is cut by 60 per cent in Guinness deal

By PETER JACKSON What it’s all about: Ireland celebrate winning Six Nations PICTURE: Getty Images THE Six Nations have been forced...

ROOM 101

THE LEICESTER PROP TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND GREG BATEMAN 1. Overly positive people...

Bath go for another Du Preez offspring

BATH have opened talks with Springbok international Dan du Preez about a move to the Rec next season. Du Preez who...

Wasps desperate to prevent Daly move to Sarries

Call in the lawyers: Wasps may go legal to keep Elliott Daly WASPS are making a last ditch attempt to stop...

Stay here, Sharks plead with Boks star De Klerk

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler SALE SHARKS want to sit down with Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk to discuss...

Youngs on sidelines

LEICESTER have suffered a blow after experienced hooker Tom Youngs was ruled out of their December fixtures with a knee injury....

Melville: New laws on tackles working

NEWS EXTRA NEALE HARVEY TRIAL LAWS banning tackling above the armpit line in the Championship Cup are having the desired effect,...

Bristol killed off by second-half blitz

■By WILL CARPENTER Fast start: Harry Thacker gets the applause after scoring Bristol’s first try after six minutes PICTURE: Getty Images...

Blanc score adds late gloss to the Slade show

■By ALEX BYWATER COLIN Slade’s try-double helped end Worcester’s unbeaten Challenge Cup run at the Stade du Hameau on Friday night....

Leiataua sin-bin opens door for Godwin

By DARAGH SMALL Connacht …22 Perpignan…10 KYLE Godwin’s late try clinched the win for Connacht who had to withstand a late...

Quins sent crashing by Ioane’s late breakaway

By ADAM ELLIS HARLEQUINS came crashing down from the high of beating Exeter as a last-minute try from wing Monty Ioane...

Clinical Sharks put the bite on 14-man Begles

By CHRIS ROGERS Double: Chris Ashton SALE made it three wins from three matches as Chris Ashton and Paolo Odogwu both...

Saints pile more woe on underfire Jackman

By NEALE HARVEY Stop that! Taqele Naiyaravoro dives in for Saints PICTURE: Getty Images Down: James Fish tackles Dragons’ Richard Hibbard...

Bonus point puts Ospreys in pole position in Pool 3

By STEFFAN THOMAS THE OSPREYS moved top of Pool 3 with a six-try bonus point victory over Stade Francais. Cory Allen...

Promotion stays but 16 teams is good move

READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Concerns: Ealing Trailfinders have gates of around 1,000 APremiership table in which there is only...

Balmain progressing nicely now he’s seen the light

By STEFFAN THOMAS Coach: Ackermann Chance: Fraser Balmain HAVING emerged from sizeable shadows cast by Dan Cole and John Afoa, unsung...

Burrows loving high life since switch to Falcons

By JON NEWCOMBE Aiming for an 80-minute performance: Ryan Burrows PICTURES: Getty Images Rival: John Hardie RYAN Burrows achieved another memorable...

Morgan fighting to remain in the frame

By STEFFAN THOMAS New cap: Luke Morgan LUKE Morgan has vowed not to become a Wales one cap wonder and push...

Deano: We have spirit to hit back

DEAN Richards insists his Falcons need to turn things round quickly if they are to get back to winning ways when...

Patched-up Falcons no match for Cockerill

By GARY FITZGERALD Over the line: Hamish Watson scores the opening try for Edinburgh PICTURES: Getty Images Scragged: Sonatane Takulua can’t...

Late tries give Toulon the edge in clash of the French giants playing catch-up

By SAM JACKSON Toulon …38pts Tries: Penalty try 31 Lakafia 47, Monribot 71, Nakosi 76 Conversions: Penalty try 31, Belleau 47,...

Beware backlash warns Dwayne

FORMER Wales and Scarlets favourite Dwayne Peel, now Ulster’s backs coach, was pleased with the clinical finishing on display. He said:...

Sloppy Scarlets sign own death warrants

By ROGER PANTING Not quite enough: Steffan Evans slides in to score for Scarlets PICTURES: Getty Images SCARLETS’ European Cup hopes...

Timid Tigers fight for pride after white flag at Bristol

By NEALE HARVEY Under fire: Murphy MATT Toomua has called for a resilient response as Leicester fight to put memories of...