In recent times rugby’s version of the Goode life has all been about Alex, not Andy. While Saracens star Alex is being talked about as […]
Latest Posts
Gloucester do the job in France but Andy Hazell faces lengthy ban
Fourteen-men Gloucester earned an ugly 11-6 win at Mont-de-Marsan in the opening game of the Amlin Challenge Cup. Ian Clark’s first half try was enough […]
My Life in Rugby: Duncan Bell – Lydney player/coach and former Bath and England prop
I have never been the best of losers and was always a bit sulky after a defeat but I don’t think my depression was ever […]
Brilliant Brian O’Driscoll is early charger for Lions place
Selecting a Lions team from the ranks of the Aviva Premiership and the RaboDirect Pro12 is a fraught business at this stage of the season. […]
Dragons also want WRU help to keep Lydiate
Newport Gwent Dragons say if Cardiff Blues and the Welsh Rugby Union struck a deal to keep Wales centre Jamie Roberts in Wales, they would […]
A former Saracen to referee England
Former Saracens fly-half Glen Jackson will referee England’s clash with Fiji at Twickenham next month continuing his meteoric rise as an international match official. Jackson, […]
Edinburgh rejects Cape Town switch with Saracens
Edinburgh have rejected a proposal by Saracens to play their Heineken Cup clash in South Africa. Saracens planned to move their Round 5 fixture with […]
Peter Jackson: Survivor Tony back on case for Dragons
Tony Brown has been through a lot since he rescued Newport from oblivion and spent millions on a galaxy of Southern Hemisphere imports. No Englishman […]
“It’s a privilege to play with Owen Farrell,” says Saracens Steve Borthwick
Saracens captain Steve Borthwick has backed Owen Farrell to hit top form ahead of England’s autumn international campaign. The 21-year-old fly-half endured a tough start […]
Dream Team: Ross Samson – London Scottish and former London Irish scrum-half
1. Alan Jacobsen – ‘Chunk’ is the Godfather of Scottish rugby. Nobody messes with him and he knows all the dark arts of scrummaging. He’s […]
Jeff Probyn: It will be tougher now Welsh have shown their abilities
London Welsh got their first away win of the Premiership last week seven days after winning their first ever Premiership game – but have they […]
“We need Olympic formula” – Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson says it is time for England to put wins on the board during their forthcoming autumn internationals against Australia, South Africa and New […]
Wales and Cardiff in bid to keep Lion king Jamie Roberts out of France
British Lion Jamie Roberts is at the centre of a groundbreaking deal being hatched to prevent him falling into French hands. Cardiff Blues and the […]
Welford Road not shortlisted as RWC venue
England Rugby 2015, the organiser of the next Rugby World Cup, has announced the long list of 17 potential match venues and, in a shock […]
Premiership round 6 review
Bath (Lost 10-16 to Gloucester) With Olly Barkley gone, you’d think Bath struggle and, despite his status, Stephen Donald hadn’t made the impact you would […]
Peter Jackson: Such a loss as Nevin joins pantheon of lives cut short
The Spence family farm catastrophe brought a small Ulster town to a standstill on Wednesday, a triple tragedy marked with bare-headed sorrow all over the […]
Room 101: Andre Bester – Rotherham coach
1. Queues I simply don’t do queues. I would rather drive 10 miles around the houses than sit in a long, stationary line of traffic. […]
Lions greatest XV: Roger Utley (1974) – blindside
When the going gets tough, blindside flankers get going – and in Peter Dixon and Derek Quinnell (1971), Roger Uttley (1974), Mike Teague (1989), Ben […]
Nick Cain talks to the multi-talented Alex Goode about his ability to play full-back and fly-half
Alex Goode has shown that he can carve out time and space in the crash-bang mayhem of international rugby, and that priceless asset makes him […]
Young Gun: Jack Gadd – Bristol centre
Bristol centre Jack Gadd required two operations last summer to correct a hip condition he has had since birth but after a year of recovery […]
Jeremy Guscott: Barkley proved his worth in that pivotal role of No.10
Olly Barkley’s move to Racing Metro is a bolt from the blue for Bath supporters, and the real issue is that the club know what […]
George Ford’s boots earn Leicester Tigers a win over sorry Sale Sharks
George Ford kicked 15 points from the tee to help Leicester claim a convincing 20-8 win over Sale in Salford. It is the sixth consecutive […]
20 Questions: Jonny Golding – Newcastle prop
Three wins from three and 15 points… perfect start for Newcastle? Ideal start? Yes. Perfect? No. We’re not totally satisfied and while there have been […]
“We’re not used to it but we deserve it,” says Worcester Richard Hill
After the first five rounds, a clear transformation can be seen in how the Worcester Warriors play the game and for the first time ever, […]
Nick Cain: Not pausing for a second, the scrum is still a mess
The scrum is under sustained attack in the modern game with barely a match at elite level where the referee does not penalise half the […]
Premiership round 6: preview and predictions
Exeter v Harlequins Wallaby lock Dean Mumm will make his Chiefs debut tomorrow as Exeter seek to return to winning ways after their 30-8 defeat […]
RaboDirect Pro12 round 6: preview and predictions
Cardiff v Glasgow Leigh Halfpenny makes his return from injury for Cardiff as the Blues seek to make amends from the 48-19 thumping they received […]
Top14 round 8: preview and predictions
Jonny Wilkinson return at fly-half for Toulon as the French giants try to get back to winning ways when they travel to Biarritz a week […]
Stuart Lancaster’s likely to turn to youngsters to fill Ben Foden’s gap
England head coach Stuart Lancaster is likely to put youth ahead of experience as he sifts through wing replacement options for the injured Ben Foden. […]
My Life in Rugby: Kris Chesney – Esher player/coach
No trophies from my 14 seasons with Saracens is a pretty meagre return and it was hugely frustrating because we often had the right ingredients […]
Peter Jackson: Jones heads lost legion of forgotten Welsh stars
There is a whole team of them to be found out there – the Welsh internationals whose meteoric streak in some cases hardly lasted much […]
“Leicester Tigers exit paying off for me,” says Billy Twelvetrees
Leaving Leicester can be considered to be either brave or stupid but, after starting Gloucester’s first four games this season, Billy Twelvetrees believes his decision […]
Rugby Championship round 6: preview and predictions
Argentina v Australia Santiago Phelan has once again named the same starting XV as the Pumas seek their first ever win in the Rugby Championship. […]
Dream Team: Carlo del Fava – Newcastle and Italy lock
1. Tendai Mtawarira – He’s called the ‘Beast’ because he’s an animal on the pitch, capable of making 22 tackles a game but off it […]
Jeff Probyn: Let Premiership go it alone and free up RFU cash for all
I can’t help thinking that there is something strange in the way that the Premiership chose to announce their potential new TV deal with BT […]
Payne and Brady suspended, Powell fined
Tim Payne celebrated his 250th game for London Wasps by getting a two-week ban. The former England prop pleaded guilty to striking Northampton’s Vasily Artemyev […]
Watch out, Saints Courtney Lawes is back and bigger than ever
It was Andy Goode’s misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time last Saturday afternoon. With 60 minutes of Worcester’s match against […]
George Ford may be forced to quit Leicester Tigers says Austin Healey
Austin Healey says Welford Road is not big enough to accommodate both Toby Flood and George Ford. Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has opted […]
Premiership round 5 review
Bath (beat Sale 31-10) The West Country side were bidding farewell to Olly Barkley who is off to Racing Metro today and they did it […]
Room 101: Lee Mears – Bath hooker
1. Planners and Planning applications I want to build a kitchen in the basement of a semi-detached house in Bath and then extend it out […]
Farrell and Saracens give Harlequins first taste of defeat
Champions Harlequins suffered their first defeat of the season to the hands of Saracens in a 18-16 thriller at The Stoop. After two games where […]
Lions greatest XV: Willie John Mcbride (1974) and Martin Johnson (1997) – locks
When it comes to the big second row turbines which drive the pack The Lions have been able to call on some of the most […]
Nick Cain talks to Exeter blindside Tom Johnson about his remarkable rise from grass roots to Test level
Tom Johnson is not so much a late bloomer as a one-man Indian summer. The Exeter Chiefs blindside flanker was a 5ft 10ins, 13 stone […]
Young Gun: Mike Haywood – Northampton hooker
Mike Haywood is not lacking for mentors when it comes to learning the ropes as a hooker at Northampton with the vast experience of both Dylan […]
Jeremy Guscott: At last, some skills are returning to club rugby
Is it a coincidence that Premiership teams appear to be playing a more expansive game this season, or that the same is true of the […]
Dean Mumm, an Aussie ‘old-timer’ who became a young Chief
Dean Mumm, at 28, should be reaching his peak as a second row, but in Australian terms he has already been thrown onto the international […]
Saints’ scrum put Wasps to the sword
Northampton remains unbeaten and go top of the table with a convincing 24-6 win over London Wasps at Franklin’s Gardens. The Saints’ pack put on […]
20 Questions: Anthony Allen – Leicester centre
Good start for Tigers and yourself? Yes. We lost five out of six this time last year so we’ve bettered that, and I’m on a […]
“I’ll have to bring my A-game to beat Sarries,” says Harlequins Mike Brown
Harlequins full-back Mike Brown is adamant he will have to be a the top of his game to deal with Saracens areal attack if the […]
Nick Cain: Sort out this mess or risk destroying the 2012 vibe
Mark McCafferty has come under withering fire after negotiating a unilateral £152m television rights deal for English club rugby with BT Vision, and the Premiership […]
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