Archer shines as Tigers maul Blues

By LEE SIMS Sheffield T……10 Macclesfield…0 SHEFFIELD Tigers claimed their first victory of the new year at the expense of Macclesfield,...

Dale clinch vital away victory

By JOHN BRENNAN Blaydon ……14 Wharfedale …30 THREE tries helped Wharfedale secure a much-needed victory away to Blaydon. Wharfedale took a...

Soane back for Bedford?

FORMER fans’ favourite Soane Tonga’uiha could be on his way back to Bedford, 12 years after he left the Blues to...

Pirates face fine for cup cancellation

CORNISH Pirates could face an RFU fine after cancelling the original British & Irish Cup clash with Hartpury on January 20....

Stedman signs on at Trailfinders

NEWS EXTRA EALINGTrailfinders have signed Yorkshire Carnegie No.8 Ollie Stedman on a long-term deal. The back-rower represented England at U20 level,...

Home comforts as Albion battle to key win

By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A …21 Caldy ……16 PLYMOUTH Albion got their season back on track with a hard-earned win over...

Frampton delivers knock-out blow

By WARREN MUGGLETON Rosslyn Park …10 Cambridge ……7 ADAM Frampton’s second-half try sealed victory for Rosslyn Park in a bitterly-fought match...

Cullen sinks Hull with perfect pens

By MALLY KNOWLES Hull Ionians…14 Bishop’s St’d …21 HULL Ionians may have made a rapid start but in the end there...

Coventry turn on the style as Fylde collapse

By JOHN WILKINSON Coventry ……47 Fylde ………3 LEAGUE leaders Coventry cut loose in the final quarter to pull away to an...

Tarrant scores twice as Blacks stroll past OAs

By BRIAN QUINN Old Alban’s …6 Blackheath …32 A THIN squad once again haunted Old Albanians as they fell to a...

Boatman’s late kick ends Esher’s misery on road

By DAVID LAWRENCE First blood: Cairan Moore scores Moseley’s opening try PICTURES: Christophe Lowe Gripping: Moseley skipper Buster Lawrence stops Esher...

Students strike to salvage late draw

By WARREN KAY Ampthill ……17 Loughb’o S ……17 OWEN Waters nailed a late conversion to see Loughborough Lightening snatch a draw...

Seventh heaven for Mowden Park

By JON EDWARDS Old Eltham’s …14 Darlingt’n MP 19 DARLINGTON Mowden Park weathered a secondhalf fightback to secure their seventh straight...

Pirates into last eight with Hartpury victory

By ANDREW BEACHAM Hartpury 0 Cornish P 41 FACED with an unexpected 400-mile round trip, caused by a waterlogged pitch in...

Eddie hasn’t forgotten me insists Harrison

By NEALE HARVEY NORTHAMPTON back rower Teimana Harrison has explained how regular pep talks from England boss Eddie Jones are firing...

My Azzurri still have a few tricks warns Mac

By JON NEWCOMBE LUKE McLEAN looks back at the way Italy bamboozled England last season with a wry smile. The Azzurri’s...

Georgia have Euro Cup on their mind

BRENDAN GALLAGHER previews the upcoming REC by talking to Georgia coach Milton Haig Lethal Lelos: Georgia beat Russia 28-14 last year...

Rhodes lad Clive played for and against England

EVEN at a time when the boundaries of nationality have been blurred almost beyond recognition, Clive van Ryneveld achieved a double...

Edwards knows how to win at Twickers

THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW PETER JACKSON Shaun Edwards has been in the habit of cleaning up at Twickenham ever...

Test cap Maunder prepared to be patient at Chiefs

EXETER scrum-half Jack Maunder believes a season in the shadows will stand him in good stead as he plots a pathway...

Hurricane Boyd is heading for Saints

NORTHAMPTON Saints have appointed Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd as their new director of rugby on a three-year contract, starting in...

Big Ben still hunting for an England return

By NEALE HARVEY Challenge: Ben Morgan is fit again PICTURES: Getty Images Star of season: Ruan Ackermann FIT-AGAIN No.8 Ben Morgan...

Los Teros edge out Canucks for place in Japan

WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF By JON NEWCOMBE Uruguay …32 Canada …31 URUGUAY qualified for RWC 2019 by beating Canada 32-31 in the...

I’ve got FIVE world class players now says Eddie

NICK CAIN TALKS TO EDDIE JONES ABOUT ENGLAND’S CHALLENGE IN ROME TODAY DAMNED if you do, damned if you don’t. That’s...

Eastmond’s No to France gives Sale hope of signing

Staying in England: Kyle Eastmond KYLE EASTMOND has turned down a move to France next season where Toulouse were keen to...

ON THE BLIND SIDE

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler ■ WORCESTER Warriors boss Alan Solomons is looking to use his South African contacts...

De Klerk sees red but super Sale still run in six tries

By STEFFAN THOMAS SALE Sharks ran in six tries to comfortably beat the Scarlets despite having scrum-half Faf De Klerk sent...

Bath are in it to win it now Ewels tells competition

By ALEX BYWATER CHARLIE Ewels warned Bath’s rivals his team are out for Anglo-Welsh Cup success after they booked a home...

Chiefs land a date with Falcons thanks to late try

By ROGER PANTING EXETER secured a home Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final with Newcastle but, for most of the afternoon, a long trip...

Kirchner gets Dragons back on track after early shock

By JAMES CANDY DRAGONS coach James Chapron believes Zane Kirchner can be their perfect 10 after he orchestrated a comeback triumph...

Irish build up head of steam ready for relegation battle

By ROGER PANTING OFISA Treviranus scored two tries as Irish secured a fourth consecutive victory before embarking upon fixtures which will...

Brady’s looking for a luckier type of break now

By NEALE HARVEY Preview Wasps v Leicester Today, Kick-off 1pm. Ricoh Arena FRUSTRATED Leicester wing Tom Brady is banking on the...

Galloping George is ready for England

By NEALE HARVEY KEN PISI notched a fine try-double but it was his wing partner George North who will be giving...

Quick double from Cooper fires Falcons into last four

By ALAN HEDLEY NEWCASTLE were left to rue last week’s defeat to Bath after missing out on a home semi-final. The...

Ring-fence ‘would threaten Carnegie’s future’

ENDING promotion and relegation would place a “huge question mark” over Yorkshire Carnegie’s future, according to chief executive Gary Hetherington. After...

Deano will finish job says Falcons boss

By NEALE HARVEY NEWCASTLE chairman Semore Kurdi is confident Dean Richards will finish the job at the resurgent Geordie club. Kurdi,...

Project players may be thing of the past for new-look French

IT’S going to be a rocky, controversial, ride for France one suspects with Bernard Laporte heading up the Federation, but at...

RUGBY MATTERS

Trailfinders are on long trek towards Premiership BRENDAN GALLAGHER A new weekly look at the game’s other talking points COULD Ealing...

Argentina claim most southerly venue

Outpost: Ushuaia stadium DUNEDIN, the last port of call for many Antarctic explorers back in the day before they headed south,...

Pacific is washing in waves of talent

WHILE many T1 nations continue to plunder the South Pacific, it might be timely to highlight France’s increasingly fruitful rugby relationship...

Jamie may stay say Quins as their injury woe starts to ease

By NEALE HARVEY HARLEQUINS supremo John Kingston has refused to rule out the possibility of Wales centre Jamie Roberts remaining at...

Versatile Josh out to prove himself again

By JON NEWCOMBE JOSH Beaumont says he has returned from his latest injury setback stronger than ever as he looks to...

DREAMTEAM

RORY CLEGG, EALING AND FORMER NEWCASTLE, QUINS AND GLASGOW No.10, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST 1....

Dai Lama is wonderful fun, just don’t drink with him!

COLIN BOAG Well, it has started, and for the next seven weeks rugby will feature on terrestrial television on five weekends...

Kennedy speaks out of self-interest

WOULD Nick Kennedy of London Irish have been keen on ring-fencing the Premiership last year? His opinions, given London Irish’s current...

Lower league talent will be missed until the RFU take action

NICK CAIN reports (TRP 28/1) that ‘Premiership ring-fencers are mobilising again for another big push aimed at ending promotion and relegation’....

Here’s how to boost Anglo-Welsh Cup

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk AM I alone in...

Haskell deserved swansong season as thanks for his loyalty

JAMES Haskell’s exit from Wasps is a clear demonstration that loyalty is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity in the professional game....

Give us a real Anglo-WelshCup rather than this pale imposter

WHAT is the Anglo-Welsh Cup good for? Absolutely nothing in terms of a comprehensible competitive format for Premiership clubs and Welsh...

Cattell back for Red Roses’ Italian job

By JAMES BREACH PREVIEW Italy Women v England Women Today. Kick-off 5.30pm SARACENS centre Lauren Cattell will earn her first cap...