Baxter: Cut games and we’ll all go bust

By NEALE HARVEY EXETER supremo Rob Baxter has warned that professional rugby will go bust if demands by players to play...

West Country foes set to rekindle rivalry in Ashton Gate near sell-out

26,000 tickets and counting have been sold for the Premiership season opener between Bristol and Bath

The Beast has shown Kyle Sinckler the route to the top

The Harlequins prop explains what he learnt playing opposite the Springboks stalwart during the June tour

Premiership preview: Saracens

The champions have focussed their recruitment on tying down their current stars during the off-season

Cain column: Eddie Jones has no grounds to dump his bad boys

The end of Eddie Jones' "clean slate" approach?

Premiership preview: Wasps

This summer’s big spenders will be looking for a return on their investment in trophies. With All Black fly-half Lima Sopoaga...

Steve Diamond can shine rough edges with his talent-spotting

Brendan Gallagher's assessment of Sale Sharks heading into the new season

Premiership preview: Worcester Warriors

The Warriors finished 11th last season, and although this time they are favourites for the drop they did enough to prove...

Ackermann relieved as scan shows Tom Savage injury not as bad as first feared

Ackermann had feared the forward could be out for "six to nine months"

Delon Armitage’s season is over after damaging knee ligaments

An ACL injury strikes cruel blow to the Lyon full-back

Marc Jones leaves Sale Sharks to join Scarlets

Competition for Ken Owens and Ryan Elias

Michael Cheika needs to bridge the gap to the All Blacks, says ARU chief

"I don’t think it’s about changing what we’ve got, it’s about what can we bring"

Chiefs lay down Cup marker over Irish

By BARRY MURPHY EXETER Chiefs laid down a big marker ahead of the start of their Premiership campaign by not just...

Giant Skelton shows he can be real deal for Saracens

By NEALE HARVEY AUSSIE powerhouse Will Skelton led an impressive pack performance as Premiership champions Saracens notched a convincing four-try victory....

Bristol rocked by injury to £1m man Piutau

By ALEX BYWATER CHARLES Piutau handed Bristol a significant injury scare ahead of the new Premiership season as he was forced...

Griffiths upset by Falcons dominance

By GUY WILLIAMS Still in it: Morgan Eames scores for Knights Away: Ben Stevenson runs in one of his two tries...

Tuilagi’s back but Eastmond is the Tigers midfield star

By ROB WILDMAN MANU Tuilagi showed he has recovered from summer surgery to put himself in line to face Exeter next...

Worcester ……57 Moseley …………0

■ WARRIORS ran in nine tries to make it a clean sweep of wins in preseason on Thursday night at Sixways....

Bristol ……………31 Nottingham ….12

■ HARRY Randall showed Pat Lam he intends to be a part of his Premiership plans with Bristol this season as...

Heed this Beauden lesson

IF any international coaches out there needed reminding of the importance of fierce competition for places in their squads all the...

All Blacks aim for the solar plexus

THE continued domination of the Rugby Championship by New Zealand, reflected in their two runaway wins so far over the Wallabies...

Eddie has no grounds to dump his bad boys

Chris Ashton and Danny Cipriani are like men with itchy trigger fingers who are caught in a hypnotic trance which draws...

DREAMTEAM

LUKE EVES, HARTPURY AND FORMER BRISTOL, NEWCASTLE AND NORTHAMPTON CENTRE, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1....

RFU make a rod for their back over Cipriani case

COLIN BOAG No role model: Danny Cipriani leaves court Were the RFU right to charge Danny Cipriani with ‘conduct prejudicial to...

Grow up Danny, and stop drinking

EVERYONE deserves a second chance after a silly mistake, but giving Danny Cipriani another chance is not the answer, he has...

Probyn was spot on with defence of grassroots game

HAVING crossed verbal swords with Jeff Probyn last season, when I thought he was not giving community rugby its full credit,...

How is a driving maul not blocking?

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

Blackadder can’t wait to let Attwood off the leash at Bath

By TOM BRADSHAW HARD-TRAINING Dave Attwood is ready to be “unleashed” back on the Premiership, says excited Bath director of rugby...

Deano: It’s bubbling here but we need to scrap on

By GARY FITZGERALD Salute: Falcons’ Vereniki Goneva celebrates scoring like Alan Shearer at St James’ Park DEAN Richards admits his Falcons...

Ruan’s having a really ‘lekker’ time in Gloucester

Ambition: Ruan Ackermann RUAN Ackermann says SA Rugby’s decision to overturn a ban on picking overseas-based players will result in him...

The Beast has shown Kyle route to the top

By NEALE HARVEY Learning curve: Kyle Sinckler with England PICTURES: Getty Images KYLE Sinckler believes his wild summer safari against South...

England ‘should blood hooker Singleton’

HIGHLY-rated Worcester hooker Jack Singleton is a viable World Cup candidate for England and must be given a chance to prove...

Evergreen Grifiths can’t hear the fat lady singing just yet

Jon Newcombe talks to Doncaster coach Clive Griffiths about the challenges ahead Passionate: Clive Griffiths loves the game CLIVE Griffiths’ passion...

Clermont show why they are favourites

DAVID BARNES FRENCH COLUMN Debut try: Paddy Jackson scored for Perpignan PICTURE: Getty Images Apoll of Top 14 coaches anointed Clermont...

Of course Cipriani brings the game into disrepute

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Jacket and jeans: Danny Cipriani on his way to his RFU disciplinary...

Quins sign Fijian 7s gold star

HARLEQUINS have signed Fijian Semi Kunatani, an Olympic Sevens gold medallist. Kunatani, 6ft 3ins and 16st 8lb, played in all six...

Dunn still pushing at England’s door

■ By TOM BRADSHAW Fit-again: Tom Dunn on the charge EDDIE Jones has told hard-tackling Bath hooker Tom Dunn that the...

YOUNG GUNS

RIODYER DRAGONS WING Rio Dyer’s first Junior World Cup experience with Wales U20s ended in agony in June when he dislocated...

Poland have the athletes to become world class

BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points RUGBY MATTERS Man mountain: Gregory Kacala in action for Brive...

No wonder Ashton saw the red mist

Provocation: Kockott “Provocation is not a defence to foul play…” read part of Richard Whittam QC’s verdict on Chris Ashton on...

Playing in centre needs to carry a warning

THERE is much concerned debate in New Zealand at present regarding centre being the most dangerous position in the world. At...

Aussies floored by the Beauden show

■ By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Unstoppable: Beauden Barrett runs away to score the All Blacks’ third try PICTURES: Getty Images BEAUDEN BARRETT...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

JON GOODRIDGE THE FORMER GLOUCESTER, LEEDS AND BRISTOL FULL-BACK Every time I ran out at Kingsholm as a Gloucester player it...

Sexton’s fit as a fiddle …but silent

UP INGlasgow the other day, Johnny Sexton marked the launch of another PRO14 season by declaring himself in an unusually unmarked...

Clubs are asked to jog along in memory of Sam

GARETH’Sam’ Williams, the Bridgend, Wales and Lions back row forward, died at the end of last season way ahead of his...

Who’s that acting with Meg Ryan? Oh, must be Geoff Bray!

EVERY now and then, whenever he felt the need to enlighten a dull moment, Geoff Bray would slip the name of...

Broken but now bowed, the Dragons fight back

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Reason to be cheerful: Cory Hill PICTURE: Getty Images Had someone devised a...

Quins may seek cover for Saili’s new injury

Blow: Francis Saili HARLEQUINS could be set to enter the transfer market after former All Black centre Francis Saili received another...

Saracens battle to keep Skelton from going home

Wanted: Will Skelton SARACENS are facing an uphill battle to retain the services of Wallaby lock Will Skelton when his contract...

WRU may scrap dual contracts to save cash

Pioneer: Warburton THE WRU have held high level discussions about scrapping their Dual National Contracts, Blindside can reveal. The Welsh Union...