Thompson told to get some ring time under his belt

By JON NEWCOMBE FORMER Newcastle hooker Matt Thompson has something in common with Rio Ferdinand – their professional boxing careers have...

Woolmore ready for top flight after Jersey blooding

HUNGRY prop Jake Woolmore insists Bristol’s collection of Championship recruits will prove their critics wrong in next season’s Premiership. While Charles...

Greedy Lancashire make it nine wins under Nelson

DIVISION 1 Lancashire 32 - 16 Hertfordshire By SAM JACKSON Done it again: Lancashire captain Adam Lewis lifts the trophy FLY-HALF...

ROOM 101

THE PRESTON HOOKER AND CAPTAIN TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND PAUL ‘PJ’ MELIA 1....

YOUNG GUNS

JORDAN OLOWOFELA LEICESTER FULL-BACK Atry-double in the Junior World Cup opener against Argentina continued the recent run of success for England...

France edge 50-point thriller

France U20s…26 Ireland U20s…24 UNDER-20 Six Nations champions France were run close by Ireland as they held on to claim a...

Wales seek upset against favourites

WALES Under-20 head coach Geraint Lewis has told his charg es they can’t rest on their laurels after their 26-21 win...

Wales earn their revenge

Wales U20s ………26 Australia U20s…21 WALES got revenge for last year’s last-minute Pool defeat to Australia with a tight victory on...

Late mistakes cost Scotland

Italy U20s ……27 Scots U20s……26 ITALY face England today full of confidence after they overcame Scotland with a dramatic lastminute pushover...

Big defence energising our attack – Ponton

By NEALE HARVEY PREVIEW… England v Italy Today. Kick-off 3.30pm, Stade Aime-Giral, Perpignan ROCK solid defence and adaptability under pressure are...

Olowofela’s early double sets England on their way

By SAM JACKSON England U20s ….39pts Tries: Olowofela 7, 36: Walker 16, 45, Smith 79 Conversions: Grayson 8, 17, 46; Smith...

Pontypool wear crest with rightful pride

THE year 1868 marked the debut of the Trades Union Congress, the installation of the first traffic lights in London and...

Sexton, driving force of the Irish All Blacks

AS THE bars in Ballsbridge began to thin out in the early hours of Sunday morning, a welloiled, middle-aged Leinster supporter...

Brock goes on and on as others cry enough

Ageless: Brock James has scored more than 3,000 points IN FRANCE, a whole host of grand old warriors are slowly trying...

What a joke to call this reserve clash a Test match

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Bill Beaumont knows the definition of a Test match better than most, a...

Knight has point to prove after joining Rouen

French leave: Shaun Knight Return: Dan Mugford FORMER Bath prop Shaun Knight says the prospect of being third or fourth choice...

Bordeaux job just too good to turn down

By NEALE HARVEY Coaching role: Luke Narraway in action for Coventry PICTURE: Nick Meredith FORMER England No.8 Luke Narraway says the...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

DAVE SEYMOUR THE FORMER SARACENS, SALE AND ENGLAND SEVENS FORWARD To have started, and ended, my career working for Steve Diamond...

How Bok tour turned whitewashed England into All Black beaters

Skipper in ‘72: John Pullin I’M NOTsure how much store Eddie Jones puts in history but the last time England travelled...

Hope on the High Veldt … if you forget the drubbings

BRENDAN GALLAGHER looks back at the big England wins on tour against the Springboks Try-scorer: Ben Clarke England have taken some...

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Dallaglio: Eddie must give Cipriani chance at fly-half

By GARY FITZGERALD EDDIE Jones must start Danny Cipriani in South Africa after giving him his first taste of international rugby...

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FOUR YOUNG GUNS SET TO FIRE FOR NEW-LOOK SPRINGBOKS

WARRICK GELANT Full-back/wing Age: 23 Team: Bulls The inventive outside back has been in scintillating form this season. He is a...

Rassie’s been on a mission to make Boks competitive

NEIL DE KOCK FORMER SARACENS AND SOUTH AFRICA SCRUM-HALF Outstanding season: Faf de Klerk holds off Jamie Shillcock to score for...

Wallabies to blood kids against Ireland

AUSTRALIA HEAD coach Michael Cheika has named five uncapped players in a 32-man squad for the three- Test series against Ireland....

Tatafa takes summer break to repay Tigers

By NEALE HARVEY World Cup ambition: Tatafa Polot-Nau PICTURES: Getty Images Coach: Michael Cheika AUSTRALIA hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau has revealed why...

New Zealand left sweating over fitness of Cane

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Injury concern: Sam Cane SAM Cane is in a race against the clock to play in the first...

I lie awake wondering how I’ve played in matches admits Mako

MAKO Vunipola has such a lung-busting lactic acidinducing workrate that you would imagine that after a match he is out as...

England know it’s make or break for them in Jo’burg Test

ANALYSIS World class: Mako Vunipola is the best all-round loose head in the game PICTURES: Getty Images NICK CAIN LOOKS AHEAD...

Ash splash: Ashton score the opening try

Try of the week: You could choose half a dozen from the England v Barbarians game but my favourite was the...

Hero pathfinders fought cause of black players

BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Ball of energy: Errol Tobias RUGBY MATTERS BACK in 2009...

Challenge Cup hit by double standards

RUGBY does have an incredibly frustrating habit of shooting itself in the foot with its blatant tendency to soft pedal with...

Ireland without Best

SKIPPER Rory Best has been ruled out of Ireland’s three-Test tour in Australia because of a hamstring injury. Munster hooker Niall...

Jackson linked with Perpignan

PADDYJackson is understood to be close to joining Stuart Olding in relocating to France as both bid to kick-start their playing...

New cap Kinghorn plots route to Japan

By GARY HEATLY Edinburgh ace: Blair Kinghorn PICTURE: Getty Images BLAIR Kinghorn knows that Gregor Townsend has put a lot of...

Springbok lock Mostert agrees deal with Glos

By ADAM ELLIS Leader: Franco Mostert GLOUCESTER have confirmed the signing of Lions and Springboks lock Franco Mostert ahead of the...

US game critics are all just talking nonsense

I SIMPLY can’t understand those who have spent the last week slamming Wales’ clash with South Africa in Washington. Yes there...

Dead dogs, muggers… welcome to Argentina!

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Needs to be at his best: Rob Evans faces a big test in Argentina INEVER...

New-look Wales bid to emulate success of ‘99

ALEX BYWATER talks to the Welsh coaching duo hoping for more glory days in Argentina History boys: Chris Wyatt scores for...

Debut for Williams as North moves to centre

WING George North was named at centre with Ellis Jenkins captaining Wales for the first time in last night’s Test match...

Edwards to help coach the regions

WALES defence coach Shaun Edwards will work with both Ospreys and Dragons next season on a part-time basis. Edwards, who recently...

Ospreys’ coaching panel swung decision for North

By ALEX BYWATER Taken care of: Wales star George North GEORGE North has revealed the coaching combination of Allen Clarke and...

Families need to stay away from big matches

ON the 2005 Lions tour Sir Clive Woodward was accompanied by his wife and their teenage son. My view after that...

Bath boss on thin ice when he raps Eddie

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK IN two and a half years of England training sessions under Eddie Jones...

Rees set for Cup bid at the age of 38

By PETER JACKSON MATTHEW Rees plans to make a Champions’ Cup come-back with Cardiff Blues next season at the age of...

Penalties will kill our Boks hopes warns Itoje

By NICK CAIN MARO Itoje has warned his England team-mates to cut out the penalties or face defeat on their Springbok...

HITZ programme shows rugby kids the power of sport

Sport helped turn John McAvoy's life around - and hand-in-hand with Premiership Rugby he's helping youngsters reach for the stars!

50 tournaments for England captain Tom Mitchell and he says Sevens can only grow

England have been drawn in a pool with Kenya, USA and Russia for the event at Twickenham

Ellis Jenkins to skipper Wales against the Boks

All four touring Dragons to play in Washington