Halfpenny and Sexton time out

HADthe French initiative on clocking goalkickers been transferred to New Zealand, the Lions would have been in even more of a...

McGeechan warned of meltdown 24 years ago

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Long before they knighted him for services to the game, Sir Ian McGeechan...

Williams relishing challenge in land of the giants

SCOTT Williams believes his PRO12 final midfield duel with Francis Saili was the ideal way to prepare for Wales’ summer tour...

Townsend tenure off to a flier as Italy self-destruct

By ALEXANDER McLEMAN SCOTLAND opened their summer tour in style with a dominant performance over Italy in Singapore. Tries from Ali...

Japan 33 Romania 21

■JAPAN’S pace got the better of Romania’s brawn at a packed Egao Kenko Stadium. With Michael Leitch and Fumiaki Tanaka showing...

New-look Springboks consign horrible year to history

By GEORGE LAWRENCE SPRINGBOKS coach Allister Coetzee was pleased to take the first of the three- Test series but warned his...

Denny darts over to grab famous win for new breed

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER A BEST-EVER performance from George Ford in an England shirt and a sensational last minute try by debutant...

Hunt stars on debut as slick Wallabies run in five

Australia 37 Fiji 14 KARMICHAEL Hunt impressed on his first outing to help the Wallabies cruise to an easy victory in...

ROOM 101

ROTHERHAM’S NEW LOCK TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND. ROB LOUW 1. Internet buffering Losing...

Bath lose Fruean but Irish keep building

TRANSFER WRAP ROBBIE Fruean will leave Bath this summer after agreeing a two-year deal with Edinburgh. As revealed in Blindside on...

Tigers set to dump JP and four more

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler ■WALES autumn international campaign is set to cost the Principality Stadium the chance of...

Chiefs eye Wallaby Simmons

EXETER CHIEFS have been linked with a move for Queenland Reds forward Rob Simmons who is being released by the Super...

Houston back on French trail

FORMER Bath forward Leroy Houston will return to France next season after signing a two-year contract with Bordeaux-Begles. Wallaby Houston has...

DREAM TEAM

JOE MUNRO, THE EALING AND FORMER NOTTINGHAM CENTRE, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1. Max Lahiff...

Still one Italian team too many in Euro Cup

COLIN BOAG The Lions tour has somewhat overshadowed what is usually one of the highlights of the early part of the...

Mistake to dismiss Exiles so hastily

COLIN Boag’s article on the June 4 was in my opinion a little hasty in summing up London Irish’s potential in...

Maynard’s view on salary cap is insult to many great clubs

I TAKE issue with Coventry MD, Phil Maynard’s contention that salary cap proposals are splitting the game. As he says, wealthy...

Botham star quality clear from the start

PETER Jackson’s piece on James Botham as well as his grandfather Ian and Dad Liam sparked a few memories for me...

PRL still far from finding a sponsor

PREMIERSHIP Rugby Ltd appear no nearer to finding a title sponsor for the Premiership next season according to an email sent...

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Scarlets ‘baffled’ by Wales snub for ‘Cubby’

THE Scarlets admit they are ‘baffled’ by Wales’ decision to exclude Olympic Sevens silver medallist James Davies from their two-Test South...

Champions Cup kicks off with re-run of final

By SAM JACKSON EUROPEAN champions Saracens will resume battle with Top 14 winners Clermont Auvergne in next season’s Champions Cup pool...

All Time Maori XV

1. Billy Bush William Kingita Te Pohe to give the Napier and Canterbury prop his full name. Wild looking, heavily bearded...

Play hard and party hard… the Maori way is so exciting!

Brendan Gallagher traces the history of the great Maori team the British Lions will face on Saturday. New Zealand Maori take...

Cruden ‘likely to be fit’ after medial strain

By SAM JACKSON Aaron Cruden in action against Hurricanes AARON Cruden will likely be available for the All Blacks Tests against...

I’m restless as ever to achieve says Haskell. I’m not here to drink coffee

Nick Cain talks to James Haskell abut his ambition that burns so intensely to succeed for the Lions. Nick Cain JAMES...

’Punch in the face’ can be blessing in disguise

CJ STANDER believes the loss to the Blues could be the “punch in the face” the tourists need to kick start...

Sloppy Lions must learn their lessons – and quickly

From NICK CAIN in Auckland THE Lions snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their second outing against an eminently...

Furlong: I’ve dreamt of this since nappies

HAVING had to wait until the third game of the tour to get the ball rolling, Ireland tighthead Tadgh Furlong was...

Liam bounced back in champion style

SHANE WILLIAMS Up and down week: Liam Williams PICTURES: Getty Images LIAM WILLIAMS’ week summed up life as a professional rugby...

PUB TALK

Breakfast in the local… a light-hearted look at how the Lions unite the country It was Wander Woman, not Gal Gadot,...

Love him, loathe him, Sonny Bill is deadly

John Taylor, one of the 1971 Lions heroes, looks at the way Sonny Bill Williams divides NZ New Zealanders are still...

Eddie’s young cubs put bite on Pumas

By WILL SAMPSON DENNY Solomona scored a sensational solo try to land England a stunning 38-34 first Test victory over Argentina...

Lions will be brutal, Kruis warns the All Blacks

From NICK CAIN in Christchurch Friendly rivals: Owen Farrell, left, and Jonathan Sexton celebrate the Lions victory PICTURE: Getty Images GEORGE...

Wonderkid Sam ready for big Test to prove solution at No7

Sam Underhill, the most talked about player yet to be capped by England, is determined to prove he has substance to...

Young Gun: Josh Bayliss – Bath flanker

Making his first team debut seemed an unachievable goal for fresh-out-of-school Josh Bayliss at the start of the season, but his...

Championship FIXTURES confirmed

Bristol will resume life in the Championship with a clash against National One champions Hartpury College on the first weekend of...

Sale youngster to make England history in Argentina

Tom Curry will become the youngster player to make his England debut since Jonny Wilkinson in 1998 on Saturday after being...

WATCH: SENSATIONAL finish from England U20s wing at JWC

England U20s booked their place in the World Rugby U20 Championship with a last-gasp 20-19 win over Australia. They trailed 16-3...

Room 101: Billy Johnson – Old Albanians lock

1.The maul ‘tackle’ This is the main thing that really winds me up on the pitch. The attacking player takes the...

Saracens and Clermont in Champions Cup pool of DEATH

The pool stages of next season’s Champions Cup will feature a remake of the last final with holders Saracens and Clermont...

Injured Coles and Read in All Blacks squad

Injured All Blacks hooker Dane Coles was named alongside three Barrett brothers in Steve Hansen’s All Blacks squad for the three-Test...

Jones captain and Farrell at fly-half for Lions

Alun Wyn Jones will lead the British & Irish Lions into their third Tour match against the Crusaders at on Saturday....

Nine All Blacks in Crusaders team to face Lions

The Crusaders have picked nine All Blacks in their matchday 23 to face the Lions in Christchurch on Saturday. The Super...

20 Questions: Harry Randall – England U20s scrum-half

How’s preparation going for the Junior World Cup in Georgia? Very well. We had a tough camp in Guildford last week...

England U20s side named for last JWC pool game

England U20s have named their side for the final pool game of the 2017 World Rugby U20 Championship against Australia in...

HIGHLIGHTS: Blues v British & Irish Lions

The Lions suffered their first defeat of their tour of New Zealand as a late Ihaia West try handed the Blues...

REPORT: Lions suffer 22-16 defeat against the Blues at Eden Park

The Lions suffered their first defeat of their tour of New Zealand as a late Ihaia West try handed the Blues...

 My Life in Rugby: Steve Ravenscroft – former England centre

Looking back on my playing days I feel incredibly fortunate to have been at a club like Saracens, at such a...

Vermeulen meets with specialist ahead of series opener against France

South Africa number 8 Duane Vermeulen will not play a part in the three-Test home series against France this month. Vermeulen...