Second-half blitz seals comeback

■By DAVE MOORE Blackheath …22 Cambridge…27 BLACKHEATHsaw their title bid take a hit on Saturday afternoon as Cambridge put in one...

OEs open up a gap with big win

■By ALINA MENUKHIN NATIONAL One bottom side Loughborough Students looked to build momentum on home turf following last week’s win, but...

Zebras keep up top four pressure with win

■By ROSS BARNETT Leics Lions …14 Otley …30 OTLEY maintained their push towards the top of the National 2 North table...

England are now mental test for us says Brunel

■By ALEX BYWATER Focus: Jacques Brunel Comeback kings: Gareth Anscombe and George North celebrate Wales’ victory in Paris PICTURE: Getty Images...

Fylde go level at top with five-try victory

■By SIMON MOYLE IT WAS a familiar tale at Solstice Park where highflying Fylde comprehensively outplayed the Lions in a convincing...

Carnegie will expect the unexpected from Bedford

■By JON NEWCOMBE Tough job: Steve Boden AS THEIR 53-52, 15-try thriller with Coventry showed, anything can happen when Bedford are...

Pirates pick Reds pockets with Koster’s try at the death

■By TOM INNES Pivotal: Javier Rojas-Alvarez THE PIRATES snatched victory and a Championship Cup semi-final place thanks to a spectacular Dan...

Pack power sends Ealing into last four

■By GARY FITZGERALD Held: Nottingham’s Shane O’Leary BEN WARD heaped praise on his formidable forwards as Ealing cruised into the semi-finals...

Atkins given reins again as Kidney picks academy kids

■By NEALE HARVEY No drop off: Nick Walshe HIGHLY-RATED fly-half Jacob Atkins gets another chance to prove his worth as London...

World league could sound World Cup’s death knell

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Under threat: World league could hit the cash raised by Six Nations...

DREAMTEAM

NIZAAM CARR, THE WASPS, SOUTH AFRICA AND FORMER STORMERS BACK ROWER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST…...

Resilient Beno back early for Bath run-in

■By NEALE HARVEY Raging bull: Beno Obano is charging for a recall after injury PICTURE: Getty Images PROP star Beno Obano...

Judge targets top-three finish to repay his debt to Paver

Excelled at Sarries: Christian Judge Master: Alan Paver BATH-BOUNDprop Christian Judge says he owes Cornish Pirates scrum guru Alan Paver a...

‘Brothers from other mothers’ dominate Six Nations

THEopening Six Nations weekend featured a cast of 138 players as, of course, will each ensuing round. Almost exactly a quarter...

Glory days come with a big price for Dafydd

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Streaking into the corner: Dafydd James scoring for the British Lions in Brisbane...

Dollman extends ten-year stretch

EXETER Chiefs pair Ollie Devoto and Olly Woodburn have signed new two-year contracts, while long-serving full-back Phil Dollman has penned a...

Care staying at Stoop

ENGLAND scrum-half Danny Care has signed a new two-year deal with Harlequins, who have resigned a handful of stars for next...

Quins banish away day blues for crack at title

■By NEALE HARVEY Getting a grip on Saracens: James Horwill grapples with Billy Vunipola PICTURES: Getty Images Potential: Alex Dombrandt Class...

Six-try Cheetahs make it four on the spin

■By SAM JACKSON Cheetahs …40 Kings …36 CHEETAHS pulled off a bonus point derby victory as Reinach Venter’s late try secured...

Warriors battle for home comforts

■By NEALE HARVEY High hopes: Worcester centre Francois Venter FRANCOIS Venter returns to spearhead Worcester’s attack knowing a bonuspoint win will...

Falcons fancy chances but it’s a tall order

■By JON NEWCOMBE WHILE Newcastle’s focus is firmly on Premiership survival, head coach Dave Walder insists the chance to win some...

Aussie ace Reid on radar for Saracens

Wanted: Jordy Reid SARACENS are looking to pounce on Championship high-flyers Ealing Trailfinders for their Australian flanker Jordy Reid. The 27-year-old...

Sharks line up £1m deal to lure lock star Retallick

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Talks: Brodie Retallick SALE SHARKS are in advanced discussions with All Black star Brodie...

Bristol will bring Attwood home

BRISTOL have beaten a host of their Premiership rivals to tempt Dave Attwood, right, into returning to his home town club...

Quins eye Carnegie centre Forsyth

Move? Andy Forsyth HARLEQUINS have spoken to Yorkshire Carnegie centre Andy Forsyth about making a move to the Premiership next season....

ROOM 101

THE GLOUCESTER HOOKER TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND HENRY WALKER 1. Cold pizza After...

A ton of trouble for England

NICK CAIN LOOKS AT THE MASSIVE PHYSICAL CHALLENGE FACING EDDIE JONES’ MEN AT TWICKENHAM NEXT WEEK Land of giants: from left,...

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Vaughan: Close the league but prepare for expansion

■By NEALE HARVEY GLOUCESTER chief executive Stephen Vaughan says Premiership Rugby must get their head around an expansion system if they...

Why should we bail out SANZAAR? It’s their own fault

COLIN BOAG Twitter spat: Brian Moore commentating In crisis: Warratahs’ Jed Holloway on the attack during the Super Rugby semi-final in...

Referees must simply stop ignoring the laws

I WAS RFU President in 2013/14 and spent a few weeks with England U20s as they went on to win the...

Dismayed at these reasons to ring-fence

AMI alone at being dismayed at some of the arguments being used to support ring-fencing (Stephen Rodgers, Jan 27). His reasoning...

A-Team Six Nations needs resurrecting

Getting up to speed: Dan Robson in Saxons action WITH the Six Nations just kicking off I have a question: Just...

Quality of soccer’s second tier is streets ahead

HAVINGread Nick Cain’s piece picking at Steve Lansdown last Sunday, I can’t help but object to his ridiculous argument about why...

Premiership self-interest set to repeat

JEFF GAGE Europe’s second tier: Saints skipper Dylan Hartley “It’s time the rest of English rugby woke up to the fact...

Bike ride to Japan!

THE 2019 Rugby World Cup kicked off at Canterbury yesterday – on two wheels. Ron Rutland and James Owens are making...

Gustard chasing Scarlets ace Boyce

■By STEFFAN THOMAS Wanted: Will Boyde HARLEQUINS want Scarlets flanker Will Boyde to help continue Paul Gustard’s revolution. Boyde’s contract in...

Italy’s Six Nations place safe despite desperate run

RELEGATION will not be introduced to the Six Nations, according to tournament chief Ben Morel, who also says there is no...

Underdog status suits me just fine

Jon Newcombe talks to Graham Rowntree as work begins for his World Cup return Passionate: Graham Rowntree takes a Georgia training...

St Andre: We have no chance at Twickenham

■By NEALE HARVEY Realist: Philippe St Andre FRANCE’S brittle confidence makes it almost impossible for them to storm England’s citadel and...

X-factor will make Josh world star

ALEX BYWATER on the remarkable progress of Wales wing Josh Adams Ganging up: Josh Adams is tackled by Wesley Fofana and...

Scotland unable to capitalise on Italian indiscipline

Scotland W …7 Italy W …28 ITALY opened their campaign with a bonus point away win on Friday night, battling in...

French show they’re a class apart

France Women 52 Wales Women …3 THE French Grand Slammers of last season made Wales suffer on the opening day of...

Roses warm up for French test

■By RONAN O’NEILL Supergirl: England’s Zoe Harrison scores the sixth try PICTURE: Inpho ENGLANDhead coach Simon Middleton says attention will quickly...

Wales without star centre Tiaan as they tackle the champions

■By ALEX BYWATER WALES head coach Gareth Williams has been dealt a blow with Tiaan Thomas- Wheeler unavailable. The Ospreys centre...

Foley’s late snipe seals bonus point for Ireland

■By BARRY MURPHY Early lead: Tom Willis celebrates his try Ireland’s hero: Replacement No.9 Cormac Foley scores the late winner PICTURES:...

Shocker for Scots as Trulla’s late score seals it

■By GARY HEATLY Scotland U20…22 Italy U20 …32 JACOPOTrulla’s try sealed a brilliant opening victory for Italy as Scotland mounted a...

Don’t rush to rubbish World Lge, we need it!

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK “The international game is treading water from one World Cup cycle to the...

We had a virus reveals O’Shea

ITALY boss Conor O’Shea praised his side in adversity. He said: “We had quite a few guys affected by a virus...

Kinghorn’s hat-trick lights up Murrayfield

■By NEALE HARVEY Irrepressible: Blair Kinghorn dives over for his second try PICTURES: Getty Images Battling on: Jayden Hayward makes a...