Exiled Bath enforcer in battle for fresh deal

DAVID BARNES FRENCH COLUMN Dave Attwood describes himself as a traditional kind of lock. In other words, he loves a scrap...

Jenkins: Injuries won’t derail Wales’ bid

ELLIS Jenkins believes he has laid down a World Cup marker after a summer to remember. Jenkins was Wales cocaptain alongside...

Codling in to replace Rowntree

Prolific: Tim Visser has scored 30 tries in 61 games for Quins PICTURES: Getty Images Lineout king: Codling HARLEQUINS confirmed that...

Visser vows allegiance to Gustard revolution

By NEALE HARVEY ACE finisher Tim Visser aims to spearhead a Quins revival this season after giving the mental grind of...

Fielding knew Huggan bravery warranted a Victoria Cross

RUGBY famously honours four Victoria Cross winners for conspicuous bravery among its former internationals – England’s Arthur Harrison and the Irish...

London Scottish 1913-14: The Club 1st XV assembled before the match against the United Services

BACK ROW Private J Ross (London Scottish Regiment): Killed November 1 1914, Messines. Won 5 Scotland caps. A Fettes boy before...

In honour of the rugby heroes of WWI

BRENDAN GALLAGHER explores the fascinating history of Scottish rugby players in World War I Paying tribute: HRH Princess Anne, with book...

Grassroots pay price for Twickenham overspend

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME As England return from a trying summer tour, the celebrations have started...

Boyd raps Hurricanes as they flop yet again

By SAM JACKSON Super Rugby HURRICANES coach Chris Boyd slammed his team’s loss to the Brumbies. The early frontrunners for the...

Former skipper Strauss calls time at Bulls

By SAM JACKSON NEWS EXTRA FORMER South Africa hooker Adriaan Strauss will retire from all forms of professional rugby at the...

Boks aside, rugby in Africa has just gone backwards

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points HEAVEN knows it’s a difficult enough job growing...

Scots got one over Ealing pranksters

Noisy bunch: Scots pipers THERE was some cracking banter at the Caledonian Club in London this week at the launch of...

Folau yellow highlights huge flaws in modern officiating

IT’S been a vexatious summer for referees and officialdom with the curious case of Israel Folau’s yellow card for his challenge...

Phillips promises cash boost to keep Wales competitive

WELSH rugby’s days of mere financial survival will end with the signing of a landmark deal. The existing Rugby Services Agreement...

Stadium green light renews Pirates hope

By NEALE HARVEY Coaching role: Pirates back rower Chris Morgan CORNISH Pirates are in a ‘strong place’ to challenge for the...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

THE FORMER BEDFORD, PLYMOUTH AND DONCASTER FLANKER ADAM KETTLE My parents are fullfledged Scousers and my uncle Brian played a handful...

My all-time US Eagles XV

15. Chris Wyles, below Native of Stamford Connecticut. High quality multiple trophy winner with Saracens where he made 254 first-team appearances....

Gold’s Eagles have found wind beneath their wings at long last

BRENDAN GALLAGHER talks to Dan Lyle about the changing landscape of rugby in America OVER the years we have heard so...

Irish pop up everywhere

ON a green field far away in a corner of Halifax, Nova Scotia last weekend, a pair of fly halves from...

Shaun has date in Japan

NOT a week goes by this summer without Shaun Edwards being linked to a job other than the one he has...

Germany are out of two World Cups!

GERMANY have now completed the fiendishly difficult trick of disappearing from two World Cups in the same week. In marked contrast...

Ioane joins quick-fire hat-trick club

RIEKO Ioane has been in a hurry ever since the All Blacks rushed him into their team as a teenager, a...

Lack of TV footage makes refs Fall-guys

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Benjamin Fall goes up for a high ball and his midair opponent, Beauden...

ROOM 101

THE DARLINGTON MOWDEN PARK SCRUM-HALF TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND MATT DUDMAN 1. Peanuts...

Steadman adds steal to the defence

LONDON SCOTTISH have bolstered their coaching staff with the addition of experienced defence and skills coach Graham Steadman. The former Rugby...

Vernon brings Test pedigree to Exiles

By NEALE HARVEY MARQUEE signing Richie Vernon is ready to spearhead London Scottish’s charge for a top six Championship place after...

Record win in Argentina salvages Scots’ pride

SCOTLAND wrapped up their summer tour with a record 44-15 victory over Argentina last weekend. Scrum-half George Horne scored the first...

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National One clubs hit out at dual registration snub

By NEALE HARVEY ANGRY National One clubs have accused the RFU and Premiership Rugby of ‘damaging the integrity’ of their competition...

Welfare is still key but refs need more empathy

I’VE watched a lot of rugby this summer and I have to raise my concern over players competing for the high...

Summer rugby way forward for the minis

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND AS a parent I read with interest the Welsh Rugby Union’s plan to trial mini...

Ealing call Buckland back from rugby wilderness

JAMES Buckland has vowed to make the most of a ‘fantastic opportunity’ after being summoned from the coaching wilderness to lead...

Bruzulier puts French nightmare behind him

By JON NEWCOMBE Top level experience: Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier in action for Clermont NEW Yorkshire Carnegie scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier comes with a...

Nagusa takes new signings up to ten

FIJI back rower Nemani Nagusa has become Newcastle’s latest signing. The 30-year-old helped Fiji win their fourth consecutive Pacific Nations Cup...

May’s electric but Eddie’s in dark

NICK CAIN GIVES HIS ENGLAND MAN-BY-MAN RATINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA THIS was a tour in which only five players – Jonny...

Old stagers set to return as England stumble on

NICK CAIN gives his thoughts on where the South African tour has left England preparations THE leading question following England’s twoone...

Slade deserves to keep the 13 jersey for Autumn series

WHILEOwen Farrell and his Saracens mates head off to Hvar in Croatia for his stag weekend and the rest of the...

Youngs played like a general, De Klerk led from the front like a fireball

NEIL DE KOCK EX-SARACENS AND SOUTH AFRICA SCRUM-HALF Controlling influence: Ben Youngs The first-choice scrumhalves for England and South Africa, Ben...

Fine having two alphas, but they must be in sync

ANDY GOODE GUEST COLUMN FROM THE FORMER ENGLAND FLY-HALF Dominant voice: Owen Farrell leads a post-match team talk The third Test...

‘No guts’ Samoa answer their PM with ten-try rout

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER SAMOA virtually guaranteed their place at RWC2019 with a thumping 66-15 home win over Germany in Apia yesterday...

Eddie’s pack has just gone backwards for 12 months

EREMYGUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE…EVERY WEEK The England pack has shown an incredible drop-off between the intensity when Eddie Jones first came...

Bradley wanted back at Cardiff

By ALEX BYWATER CARDIFF Blues hope to bring Bradley Davies back to the Welsh capital and the giant lock is keen...

‘Fearless’ Fred warns dissent will wreck game

By PETER JACKSON WORLD Rugby are being urged to take a tougher stand against dissenting players who threaten to drag the...

My Life in Rugby: Junior Fatialofa – Former Cornish Pirates, Exeter and Bristol centre

One of my earliest rugby memories was watching Western Samoa, captained by my Uncle Peter, beat Wales at the 1991 World...

Barnes column: The golden generation give hope to Bernard Laporte

David Barnes reacts to Les Bleus Under-20 World Championship victory on home soil

Stephen Myler relishing new challenge at London Irish

After the release of the GK IPA Championship fixtures last week, Exiles fly-half Stephen Myler talked to Neale Harvey

Barbarians return to Twickenham this December for Argentina grudge match!

The Barbarians team packed full of global superstars, will light up the stadium with their unique brand of rugby, proving perfect...

Gloucester CEO Stephen Vaughan defends stance over foreign signings

The Cherry and White's chief executive cools scrutiny over the signing of banned steroid user Gerbrandt Grobler

Cain column: Eddie Jones has a plan for life without Billy Vunipola

Any coincidence that England's 2018 losing streak came when Big Billy was out injured?

Dan Lydiate is aiming for fresh Test glories

Wales aren't short of depth in the back row