Five-try Quins take the title in fine style

Welsh Division One round-up MAESTEG Quins sealed the One West Central title in style with a 47-28 victory over Bridgend Athletic....

Walsh the hero as Ponty edge scrappy contest

■By GEOFF CHAMPION Pontypridd …18 Cardiff …8 A LATE try by Geraint Walsh clinched victory for Pontypridd after plucky Cardiff fought...

Perfect Leadbetter has the key to unlock jaded Newport

■By IAN GOLDEN Newport …19 Cross Keys …35 CROSS Keys overcame Newport in a scrappy Principality Premiership affair at Rodney Parade....

Llanelli enjoy try-fest success over the Whites

■By PAUL HOPKINS Llanelli …43 Swansea …26 LLANELLI ran out comfortable winners in a thrilling try fest against local rivals Swansea...

Magnificent Maynard leads Drovers to derby success

■By HUW S JONES Llandovery …31 …Carmarthen Q…24 THE eagerly awaited Tywi Valley derby went the way of the Drovers in...

Ravens spread their wings with ten-try rampage

■By PAUL HOPKINS Bridgend …68 Bargoed …35 BRIDGEND continued their impressive run with a ten-try win over Bargoed. The Ravens’ first...

The Wizards cling on despite frantic late Neath fightback

■By CARL FIELD Neath…17 Aberavon …18 ABERAVON emerged victorious from a game they had earlier dominated before being given an almighty...

Principality Premiership

RGC1404…13 Merthyr …20 MERTHYR are now just seven points away from successfully defending their Principality Premiership title after a tough victory...

Farcical that players must quit their club for England

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Farcical situation: London Irish wing Joe Cokanasiga must leave the club to...

Fab at 40, Filisi can crown it all with Cup

By PETER JACKSON TAU Filise is ready to make one last historic stand for Cardiff Blues as the first 40-year-old to...

YOUNG GUNS

BEN WHITE LEICESTER SCRUM-HALF Ben White’s perfect summer would see him playing a lead role for England U20s during a World...

Williams saves Dorset & Wilts at death

■By HENRY HOLLAND Division Three Round-up MARLBOROUGH scrumhalf Jake Williams was the hero for Dorset & Wiltshire as they snatched victory...

Guardian Angel to Glos’ rescue

■By SARA RAINE Devon …26 Gloucs…38 GLOUCESTERSHIRE had to dig deep to see off a spirited Devon side at Brixham. The...

Cloud nine for Herts after victory

■By GRAHAM COX Hertfordshire 59 Kent …21 NINE tries gave Hertfordshire the perfect start to their County Championship campaign. Kent had...

Reigning champs Lancs start with a bang

■By SIMON MCINTYRE North’land …20 Lancashire…64 ON a hot day more suited to cricket than rugby, Northumberland made a positive start...

Arbury tackle saves Surrey in tight draw

■By BILL HOOPER Cornwall …15pts Surrey…15pts On he run: Tom Notman of Cornwall sprints down the wing PICTURE: Jack Dawe Photography...

Rayner is too late to rescue Mids

■By DAVID BIRD East Mids …19 Eastern Co …22 EASTERN Counties held on to beat East Midlands despite Lawrence Rayner’s late...

Minken’s speed is great for Yorks

■By JAMIE RUSSELL Cheshire…27 Yorkshire…34 THE perfect summer’s day ended in disappointment for Cheshire as they were losers to an efficient...

Warks back to winning ways at long last

■By HENRY HOLLAND Division Two Round-up WARWICKSHIRE failed to secure a victory in the Bill Beaumont County Championship last season but...

Baa-Baas will be spoilt for choice with this lot

Great: Conrad Smith TO misquote Hemingway, there are players retiring this season who never retired before! Never can I remember so...

RUGBY MATTERS

European farce has forced Samoa to play waiting game BRENDAN GALLAGHER Weekly look at the game’s other talking points Frustrated: Samoa...

THIS WEEK’S AWARDS…

Try of the week: Danny Cipriani is in the kind of form that makes it impossible for Eddie Jones to ignore...

Uruguay gear up for new Super League

URUGUAY, give or take a couple of players based in France, were the only truly amateur team at RWC2015 but that...

Meredith strikes at the death to clinch Lucs win

■By ROSS BARNETT Leicester Lions 21 Luctonians…22 LUCTONIANS overturned an eight-point deficit at half-time to defeat Leicester Lions. Charles Meredith grabbed...

What a Week for hat-trick hero

■By NICK BURT Plymouth …53 Rosslyn Park …14 ROBBIE Weeks scored a hat-trick as Plymouth Albion cut loose in an emphatic...

Chinnor promoted in thrilling play-off

■By KEN VAUGHAN Going up: Chinnor celebrate at the end of the match PICTURES: Simon Cooper GEORGE Oliver’s lastgasp try secured...

Final glory for Thirlby

ST IVES gave player-coach Paul Thirlby a league and cup double send-off as he heads into retirement. Former Bath centre Thirlby,...

Derby side Melbourne to appeal relegation

NEWS EXTRA MELBOURNE RFC have been relegated despite getting the vital point they thought they needed to avoid the drop. Melbourne’s...

Bumper crop from Tier Two make step up to Premiership

By JON NEWCOMBE Happy shopper: Pat Lam FOR all the talk of chairman Steve Lansdown’s treasure chest and bigname signings like...

Big rewards for Lam’s lads who put league to slaughter

BRISTOL won the league at a canter but they’ve not got it all their own way in our correspondents’ Dream XV...

ROOM 101

THE EALING LOCK TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND. OLI CURRY 1. People who go...

Ugly ducklings’ springboard to bigger success

Brendan Gallagher looks at how the Challenge Cup has been the launching pad for some big names Coming force: Harlequins triumph...

Injury issues may scupper Gloucester’s bid for glory

BRENDAN GALLAGHER sets the scene for next week’s Anglo-Welsh finale of the Challenge Cup Decisions: Johan Ackermann As somebody once said...

De Jongh will get down and dirty

MIDFIELD linchpin Juan de Jongh knows Wasps’ must shore up their defence if they are to claim the Premiership title. Wasps...

Jersey sign Premiership youngsters

GLOUCESTER forward Charlie Beckett and Bath scrum-half Will Homer are to join Championship side Jersey Reds. The pair, both 22, have...

Navy assault torpedoed by Matavesi’s mad red

By SAM JACKSON Army 22 Navy 14 Done it again: The Army boys celebrate retaining the Babcock Trophy in front of...

Navidi all the way

POLLING in the election of Welsh Player of the Year, as voted for by the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Club, closes on...

Victory on Saturday will place Nacewa in land of European giants

SHOULD Leinster justify their No.1 seeding and reclaim the Champions’ Cup in Bilbao on Saturday, Isa Nacewa will find himself on...

Thomas’ plight puts injuries into perspective

Welsh warrior: Rhys Thomas Rhys Thomas began the season waiting for a heart transplant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham....

Cohen urges reform over second ‘marquee’ player

By NEALE HARVEY SOARING wage bills allied to a slump in the sponsorship market contributed to Premiership clubs reporting record losses...

Little big man Teddy holds the key to block Leinster

Brains trust: Stuart Lancaster WHO is Teddy Iribaren? What is for sure is that if Leinster do not know the answer...

Shingler is my player of the year, he’s nailed on at No.6

THERE are still some big games to come, but we’re nearing the end of the season and that means most clubs...

Captaincy could take Tipuric to next level

SHANE WILLIAMS Standard bearer: Justin Tipuric is man to lead Wales PICTURE: Getty Images WARREN Gatland faces a tough job this...

Scarlets show teeth to savage Cheetahs

By STEFFAN THOMAS Coasting home: Leigh Halfpenny races in to score for Scarlets PICTURE: Huw Evans THE Scarlets kept their hopes...

Zebo magic sets up big date with Leinster

By DECLAN ROONEY MUNSTER coach Johann van Graan paid tribute to Simon Zebo as he lit up Thomond Park on his...

Quins look at Kennedy and Ryan

HARLEQUINS appear to be making progress towards revealing their new coaching set up after holding interviews for a general manager and...

ON THE BLING SIDE

Bath set to confirm Cokanasiga deal BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Bath-bound: Irish wing Joe Cokanasiga BATH are...

Tigers opt for Samoan powerhouse

LEICESTER TIGERS are continuing to make changes to their squad for next season by signing Samoan international prop Nephi Leatigaga. Blindside...

Dickens: Still a lot of belief at Saints

WITH two wins and a narrow loss at Wasps to finish the season, Saints interim coach Alan Dickens said: “Ninth is...

Early yellow card can’t derail Foden farewell

By NEALE HARVEY Fans’ favourite: Ben Foden scores on his last appearance for Northampton PICTURES: Getty Images BEN Foden rolled back...