Counties enjoy a clean sweep

By JON NEWCOMBE Done it: England Counties celebrate their stunning undefeated tour of Romania JAMES Shanahan has hailed the recent England...

Positive signs for World Cup

WOMEN’S SEVENS ROUND-UP ENGLANDWomen Sevens finished eighth in Paris after a 7-20 loss to Spain in the seventh place final. They...

Victory in France clinches another Blitzboks Series

PARIS SEVENS WRAP SOUTH Africa secured the men’s World Rugby Sevens title with a 24-14 victory over England to claim the...

Fiji were sensational but 10/10 for the Blitzbokke

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Ultra consistent: South Africa celebrate their World Series...

New academy boys excel for Uruguay

Talent: Reinaldo Piussi THEfeelgood factor in Uruguay rugby continues apace with a second Nations Cup title courtesy of an excellent win...

It’s a six-way shoot out to stage 2021 World Cup

AFTER just one nation – Ireland – tendered a bid for the 2017 Women’s World Cup, everybody in the game will...

Brookes on board to power up Wasps set-piece

WASPS have signed England tighthead Kieran Brookes after he opted to leave Northampton Saints at the end of his contract. Brookes,...

Dingwall’s doing his Saints mentor proud

By NEALE HARVEY Presence in midfield: Fraser Dingwall PICTURES: Getty Images New boss: Chris Boyd HARD-HITTINGcentre Fraser Dingwall is determined to...

YOUNG GUNS

EXETER CHIEFS LOOSEHEAD PROP JAMES KENNY It’s been a stellar year for James Kenny. From getting his first taste of men’s...

2011 JUNIOR WORLD CUP FINAL New Zealand 33 England 22 (Padua June 26)

ENGLAND 1 MAKO VUNIPOLA: A force of nature and nothing much has changed since, except his scrummaging is better. Two Lions...

Current crop will yield best ever harvest

BRENDAN GALLAGHER picks out the young guns who have starred at this year’s Junior World Cup Still only 17: France No.8...

Double for Demur

Georgia............24 Japan ..............22 GEORGIA fought back from ten points down to snatch victory at the death. Late tries from winger Demur...

D’onofrio hat-trick in vain

Italy..................15 Australia ........44 AUSTRALIA prevailed in the fifth-place semi-final despite going down to 14- men after 20 minutes. Lock Michael Wood...

Ireland battle relegation

Ireland ............29 Scotland ........45 FINALAISTS two years ago, Ireland will be relegated unless they defeat Japan today. Defeat will see Ireland...

Pack power tells for Pumas

Wales ..............15 Argentina........39 WALES can finish only seventh after defeat in the sixth-place semi-final. Wales were ahead briefly in the first...

Curry wants cool heads in Beziers hot house

By NEALE HARVEY Pace man: Try-scorer Olowofela tries to break through Ouch: South-Africa fly-half David Coetzer feels the force of No.7...

Olowofela try just enough to hold off fierce Bok fightback

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Skilful: Tom Hardwick ENGLAND booked their place in a sixth consecutive Junior World Cup final with the narrowest...

Kiwis have no answer to French forward dominance

By SAM JACKSON France..............16 New Zealand....7 FRANCE booked their place in a first ever World Rugby U20 Championship final with a...

Referee Owens joins the illustrious list

NO club can have done more to celebrate the achievements of the great and the good than the Welsh Charitables RFC....

All Blacks let off the hook again is no Freek

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Double-teamed: Remy Grosso feels the force of Sam Cane and Ofa Tu’ungafasi PICTURE:...

Jenkinson relishing 40th campaign at Titans

By JON NEWCOMBE WHEN Rotherham kick off their first season at level three for nearly two decades at home to Old...

Lam can back up big talk – Muldoon

By NEALE HARVEY Defence guru: John Muldoon in action for Connacht PICTURE: Getty Images THOSE daring to write-off Bristol’s chances of...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

THE BAY OF PLENTY, CHIEFS, NEWCASTLE, NORTHAMPTON AND BRISTOL LOCK MARK SORENSON Iwas different to the norm in New Zealand because...

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Ambitous Coventry step up their push for Premiership

By NEALE HARVEY Big plans: Jon Sharp COVENTRY chairman Jon Sharp insists there are ‘no limits’ to the club’s ambition after...

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Ackermann working to eliminate Gloucester’s ‘kamikaze’ moments

By TOM BRADSHAW JOHAN Ackermann will use the impending preseason to improve his side’s hit-and-miss decisionmaking. South African Ackermann joined the...

Lewington in a rush to fulfill his Test ambition

By NEALE HARVEY Tough competition: Liam Williams, Sean Maitland and David Strettle CONFIDENT wing Alex Lewington believes competing with Saracens’ galaxy...

Inspirational rise of the ‘Beast’ from Zimbabwe

NICK CAIN looks at the rise of Springbok powerhouse Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira Centurian: Tendai Mtawarira is gunning to make the World...

Drowning Eddie needs a life raft

NICK CAIN SPELLS OUT WHAT YESTERDAY’S DEFEAT MEANS FOR ENGLAND Dejection: Owen Farrell, right, and Denny Solomona lead England off yesterday...

Bravo Lewis, even the best can bomb in Argentina

I’VE BEEN hugely impressed by each and every player on Wales’ summer tour, but I want to single out one man...

Edwards is a must for whoever takes over

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Best in the world: Shaun Edwards PICTURE: Getty Images WHILE Wales narrow down their search...

DREAM TEAM

PETER ANGLESEA, THE SALE COACH AND FORMER SALE AND ENGLAND ‘A’ BACK ROW, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH...

Yet more poor reffing from the game’s elite

COLIN BOAG First mistake: Luke Pearce should not have carded Paul Gabrillagues It just keeps happening, and as fans we’re being...

Youngs responsible for setting tempo

LIKE against Wales in the Six Nations, England started like a train in the first Test against the Boks and then...

How many more like Francis could be lost to England?

IN last week’s My Life in Rugby column, Jamie Salmon writes how, in the early 1980s, he went from being rejected...

Chiefs better not try and crack America

I SINCERELYhope that World Rugby read Colin Boag’s column in last week’s Rugby Paper. Colin described the present silly plans for...

French wait continues

THE days of great French tour victories over the big three are fast disappearing. France’s last win against New Zealand in...

If Saints facilities are so great why are they struggling?

NIC Groom, the former Northampton Saints scrum-half who left the club to join the Johannesburg- based Lions before the end of...

One-legged drug addict shows power of the spirit

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK FOR those at the elite end of the game going through the ordeal...

Gatland’s right, we will be contenders

ALEX BYWATER talks to Wales centurian Martyn Williams about World Cup chances ALEX BYWATER In depth talent: James Davies and Ellis...

Contepomi: We must keep our top players in Argentina

From ALEX BYWATER in Buenos Aires Puma ace: Facundo Isa needs incentives to stay FELIPE Contepomi has warned Argentina have serious...

Hansen: I wish ref let Fall stay on

STEVE Hansen sympathised with Benjamin Fall insisting he would have preferred the Frenchman to remain on the field. However, the All...

Barrett hits French as they reel from red card

By GARY FITZGERALD No stopping him: Jordie Barrett breaks through the tackled of Mathieu Babillot on his way to scoring for...

Healy facing anxious 48 hrs

CIAN Healy could face disciplinary action for his role in Australia scrum-half Will Genia’s departure through injury. Genia’s series is over...

Ireland up intensity to force series decider

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Taking advantage: Tadgh Furlong crashes over for Ireland’s second try PICTURES: Getty Images GRAND SLAM winners Ireland showed...

Scarlets open talks with Kiwi McNicholl

By PETER JACKSON JOHNNY McNicholl is to be offered a new deal designed to ensure he becomes the next Scarlet Kiwi...

Crisis time – can England stop the rot in Cape Town

From NICK CAIN in Bloemfontein It tastes bitter: Captain Owen Farrell and fly-half George Ford leave the field PICTURE: Getty Images...

Eddie: It was like watching horror film

From NICK CAIN in Bloemfontein EDDIE Jones described England’s latest defeat as “a horror show’ and called on the players to...

Steve Boden banking on that Yorkshire grit

“There are a lot of teams out there spending a lot of money and, for one of the first times in...