Sleeping Warriors stunned by early onslaught

By SAM JACKSON S Kings …38 Glasgow…28 THE Kings registered their first win of the season in commanding fashion in Port...

Scene set for Watkin to state his claim in midfield

INJURIES are an unfortunate, but now inevitable, part of modern-day rugby. No-one wants to see the best players fall lame, but...

Well done to Martyn Phillips and the Union for bringing in £97m

IT WOULDN’T be Welsh rugby if there wasn’t someone out there beating the Welsh Rugby Union with a stick over some...

Resting top players is vital, but so is winning!

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND IF you don’t understand players need resting every now and again, then you don’t understand...

Matson: Stick will Todd, he’ll bring Bath success

TABAI Matson has urged Bath to think twice before sacking Todd Blackadder and believes he is the man to end their...

No excuses, big guys must tackle lower

By NEALE HARVEY Wreckless: Will Spencer sees red against Wapsps last Sunday PICTURES: Getty Images NORTHAMPTONSaints midfield hitman Andy Symons insists...

Saracens call for front row reinforcements

HOOKER Joe Gray has signed for Saracens from Northampton on a deal until the end of the season. The 30-year-old trained...

Stuart targets first full cap of 2016 class

By NEALE HARVEY WASPS’ tyro tighthead Will Stuart is determined to win his battle for a starting jersey and stake his...

ROOM 101: PAOLO ODOGWU

THE SALE SHARKS WINGER TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND. 1. Badly worn shoes A...

Fekitoa may go home to New Zealand for RWC bid

TOULON centre Malakai Fekitoa, who has been attracting interest from the Premiership, could return home to New Zealand. Blindside understands that...

Luke’s contract stalemate has clubs buzzing

Attracting attention: Luke Cowan-Dickie LUKE Cowan- Dickie is attracting serious interest from Premiership rivals wanting to obtain his services as a...

Taylor’s talents in demand

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter:@neilfissler WASPS are fighting to hang onto England hooker Tommy Taylor who...

Farrell set to follow Schmidt as Irish boss

Main man: Andy Farrell ANDY FARRELL is being groomed to become coach of Ireland if the current boss, New Zealander Joe...

Winless Warriors wary of new Bakewell factor

By NEALE HARVEY Ready for battle: Marco Mama WORCESTER are desperate to snap a run of three straight defeats and flanker...

Ford counting on crowd comfort to spark Tigers

By JON NEWCOMBE Star man: George Ford has hit a rich vein of form PICTURES: Getty Images GRAHAM Kitchener returns from...

Ludlow relishing his role as defence linchpin

Chopped: Lewis Ludlow tackles Bristol’s Ed Holmes TACKLE-MASTER Lewis Ludlow wants Gloucester to prove their title credentials by stripping away Saracens’...

Evergreen Richard is out to post a big score

By NEALE HARVEY SARACENS stalwart Richard Wigglesworth has vowed to set a mark that is “tough to beat” as he prepares...

Deano curses missed chances

NEWCASTLE director of rugby Dean Richards was proud that his side held on for a bonus point but rued missed opportunities....

Simmonds sends out a reminder to Eddie

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER EXETER Chiefs, not for the first time, struggled a little at Kingston Park but in the end ground...

Spencer’s reckless tackle did deserve red card

WILL Spencer’s shoulder to the jaw of Wasps hooker Tommy Taylor was high, dangerous, and merited the one month suspension handed...

Stay-at-home Mitchell needs to be hands on

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK JOHN Mitchell polarises opinion in Rugby Union more than anyone with the possible...

Bassett given the plaudits from Dai

WASPS director of rugby Dai Young hailed the performance of Josh Bassett after the wing’s excellent all-round display. Alongside Michael Le...

Wasps finally get Sale monkey off their back

By COLIN NEWBOULT THESE victories certainly don’t come around very often for Wasps. Since 2010, they have endured disappointment at Sale,...

‘End HIA to curb brain injuries’

By PETER JACKSON WORLD Rugby is being urged to eliminate the danger of ‘brain damaged’ players being sent back into action...

Red card fever could ruin rugby warns Care

By GARY FITZGERALD DANNY Care fears red cards could wreck top rugby as a spectacle if officials fail to adopt a...

Is England’s scrum doomed ahead of the World Cup? The architect of the 2003 world beaters shares his view

Phil Keith-Roach explains why the time for change may have arrived at the feet of England's front row

Hook: George North is showing he can smash Shane’s Wales try record with form for Ospreys

North's Ospreys debut was certainly a perfect welcome home

Guscott column: Eddie must pick a backline and stick with it through to Japan

Jeremy Guscott outlines who he would start with the World Cup less than a year away

Stephen Jones urged to stay at Scarlets rather than join Pivac at Wales

A former Scarlets and Wales coach says Llanelli is the place to be for Jones

Eddie Jones names England training squad as countdown to World Cup hits 12 months

Danny Cipriani overlooked by Eddie Jones as World Cup looms

Where will you be this time next year?

See yourself in a stadium? Us too. Fortunately, it’s not too late to secure a spot at the world’s most important...

Henry Trinder says Cipriani has got Kingsholm rocking and can ignite his own England career

The Gloucester fan favourite talks about the Cherry and Whites' playmaker

Cain column: Hold a World Cup just for Tier Two nations

By Nick Cain SOME of the leading lights in World Rugby appear to be struggling to work out which way is...

Murphy’s law can make Manu Tuilagi lethal for Leicester, says George Ford

"We are looking a bit more threatening" – Geordan Murphy can put right the 'disservice' done to Tuilagi

Leicester Tigers Will Spencer handed four-week ban for red card against Wasps

Spencer was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Tommy Taylor

I’m not concerned about my job security, says Dragons coach Bernard Jackman

Coming off a heavy loss to Leinster last weekend

RFU and Bulls agree deal to make John Mitchell England’s new defence coach

Just in time for the Autumn internationals

Rassie Erasmus to take charge of Barbarians at Twickenham

Plotting victory with the BaaBaas after beating the All Blacks with the Springboks

Gustard blasts lethargic first half

TODD Blackadder hailed his new juggernaut out wide, Joe Cokanasiga, after his try-double. “Joe was sensational today, not just his finishing...

Cokanasiga acrobatics prove he’s more than just muscle

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER TWO of England’s brightest prospects – Joe Cokanasiga and Zach Mercer – lit up a hectic afternoon as...

Saints will try to unleash Taqele

NORTHAMPTON boss Chris Boyd said that he hoped to utilise huge Australian wing Taqele Naiyaravoro –who marked his Franklin’s Gardens debut...

Peter Pan Strettle hooks in the Saints

By NICK CAIN Prolific: Alex Lewington dives over for the first of his two tries PICTURES: Getty Images THESE sides met...

Champ clubs worth their £650k

THE RFU’s parlous current financial position has led to competition among some grassroots clubs for loan funding, along with resentment that...

One good game does not deserve a Test cap

THERE’S been plenty of entertainment in the opening weeks of the season, but one thing that rankles is that every time...

Hold a World Cup just for Tier Two nations

NICK CAIN SOME of the leading lights in World Rugby appear to be struggling to work out which way is up....

DREAM TEAM

WILL HARRIES, EALING AND FORMER WALES, NORTHAMPTON AND DRAGONS WING, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1....

It’s boom time for northern rugby thanks Agustin!

COLIN BOAG Too dominant: The All Blacks thrash Australia Agustin Pichot, World Rugby’s vice-chairman has issued a warning that the game...

Not just Newcastle on receiving end

TOTALLY agree with H. Johnson’s sentiments in his letter “All Clubs are Equal? Not on this Showing” regarding Newcastle’s unfair refereeing...

Invest in lower tiers rather than waste it on Championship

CHAMPIONSHIP clubs receive up to £650,000 a season from the RFU. Clubs below this level get nothing but a contribution towards...

Resistance to the ring-fence fading

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk THERE’S talk of the...