Big doubts over Dane Coles’ chances of featuring in Lions series

Dane Coles appears unlikely to feature for All Blacks during the British & Irish Lions tour, claims Hurricanes assistant coach John...

Rebels confirm signing of Parling

The Melbourne Rebels have confirmed the signing of Geoff Parling for the 2018 Super Rugby season. As revealed in Blindside on...

Bath hand new deals to three youngsters

Bath Academy prop Beno Obano has been promoted to the senior squad ahead of next season with Darren Atkins and Rory...

Leroy Houston signs with Bordeaux-Begles

Former Bath fan favourite Leroy Houston has signed for Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles after requesting his Reds contract be terminated with...

London Irish sign Toulon prop and two other Test stars

London Irish are continuing to build their squad for their return to the Premiership next season with the signing of Toulon‘s...

Hartley is focused on England not Lions SOS

Captain Dylan Hartley will lead England out against Argentina on Saturday fully focused on the job at hand claiming missing out...

‘If people can’t put it behind them they never will’ says Umaga on 2005 BOD spear tackle

Twelve years on from the spear tackle which ended Brian O’Driscoll’s Lions tour to New Zealand, Blues head coach Tana Umaga...

Lions Tour 2017: The NZ Danger Men

The infrequency of New Zealand tours makes 2017 an exciting chapter in British rugby, but history is firmly on the side...

Dream Team: Tommy Bell – London Irish fly-half

1. Simon McIntyre – A very big lad who can carry hard and knows how to run a line off his...

As dress rehearsels go, this was far better than mob of 1971

BRENDAN GALLAGHER BRENDAN GALLAGHER VERDICT Oustanding condition: Kyle Sinckler The opening matches of Lions tours are hurdles to be cleared not...

How come the back row didn’t suffer jet-lag?

OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE…EVERY WEEK JEREMYGUSCOTT Will and commitment: Ross Moriarty THE post-match interviews from Warren Gatland and his players were just...

Divided camp not Gat’s way

WARREN Gatland got his retaliation in early with a pre-emotive strike aimed at 2001 Lions coach Graham Henry. As New Zealand’s...

Now NZ may rest their stars

HAVING undertaken to play the All Blacks in the early tour matches against the NZ Super Rugby franchises, there are signs...

Hansen feels the strain of building a legacy

The pressure is starting to build on Steve Hansen. Ironically, the tell-tale sign is how often the words “pressure” and “responsibility”...

Faletau’s the clear pick of a sub-standard side

Physical: Alun-Wyn Jones PICTURE: Getty Images NICK CAIN’S LIONS RATINGS 1. JOE MARLER Did not seize the initiative in the scrum...

Gardener Sam makes Lions look weedy in tour opener

From NICK CAIN at Toll Stadium, Whangarei Pick of the pack: Taulupe Faletau charges forward FIRED-UP country boys, home town referees,...

RFU are dividing the game says Maynard

COVENTRY managing director Phil Maynard insists his club will not comply with RFU salary caps for leagues below the Championship, which...

Brits: Champions Cup must be season finale

By NEALE HARVEY SCHALK Brits has blasted the timing of this year’s Champions Cup final and insists bosses of Europe’s three...

Heald’s new head coach

LEICESTER Lions have brought in Jack Heald to replace Andy Key as head coach for next season. After their third place...

Tyro Saints head south

NORTHAMPTON duo Tom Collins and Tom Stephenson will spend their off-season with Sydney-based side, Randwick until late July. Director of rugby...

Cockerill: Prem best would find Top14 tough

Tough talk: Richard Cockerill coaches his Toulon side PICTURE: Getty Images Richard Cockerill, who tonight has a tilt with Toulon at...

Where would we be without Rottweiler?

PETER JACKSON pays his respects to one of rugby’s true visionaries, John Jeavons-Fellows PETER JACKSON They came in their hundreds from...

ROOM 101

ED SIMMONS THE SHEFFIELD TIGERS PROP TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Clueless drivers...

Beaumont: We can match Cueto’s Sale

By NEALE HARVEY JOSH Beaumont reckons Sale’s new breed of Test class youngsters can bring back the glory days and silence...

Solomona on tour but Wood’s out

DENNY Solomona is expected to be fit for England’s tour to Argentina, says head coach Eddie Jones. The 23-year-old Sale winger...

Hartley is focused on England not Lions SOS

By GARY FITZGERALD England expects: head coach Eddie Jones greets Dylan Hartley before the match between England and Barbarians last weekend...

Nelson leads his troops to famous Duchy victory

By LUKE~ JARMYN THREE second-half tries saw Lancashire come from behind to end Cornwall’s dreams of getting a historic third consecutive...

Photo finish gives billing after thrilling Bishop’s top season finale

Try bonus points were all that separated champions Bishop’s Stortford and Old Elthamians at the top of National League 2 South...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

JAMES SHANAHAN THE FORMER BEDFORD, PLYMOUTH, EXETER, OLD ALBANIANS AND BARBARIANS FLY-HALF/CENTRE I’ve played over 600 games in my senior career,...

Fine margin between pain and privilege of touring

Now the club season is over let the summer tours begin and by the time you read this, the first of...

Crotty rib injury adds to Hansen concern

By NICK VERDIER SUPER RUGBY RYAN Crotty gave the All Blacks more injury woe yesterday after suffering a rib cartilage injury...

Saints aim to pounce on Gloucester’s Lion

Wanted man: Ross Moriarty NORTHAMPTON have set their sights on buying Wales ace Ross Moriarty out of the last year of...

ON THE BLINDSIDE

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler ■ SALE are showing an interest in South African lock Gerbrandt Grobler whose contract...

Overseas signings set to soar

A CHANGE of regulations regarding overseas players could lead to a flood of new foreign signings. Currently a player who comes...

20 QUESTIONS

ADAM PETERS ROTHERHAM FLANKER How’s the off season going? I was still working at King’s House School in Richmond until half-term...

YOUNG GUNS

CIARAN KNIGHT ENGLAND U20S TIGHTHEAD Teenage powerhouse tighthead Ciaran Knight knows the road to the Premiership will be a long and...

Last-gasp Augustus salvages a draw for Boks

GROUP C ROUND-UP A TRY in the final minute from No.8 Juarno Augustus and a successful conversion by fly-half Curwin Bosch...

Hat-trick for wing king Tima

Scotland U20s…20 New Zealand U20s…42 A HAT-TRICKfrom winger Tima Faingaanuku helped New Zealand beat Scotland on Wednesday and make a winning...

Irish make changes after Italy shocker

PREVIEW… Ireland v Scotland Today. Kick-off 1pm, AIA Arena Kutaisi PETER Malone has urged his Ireland side not to dwell on...

Cioffi breaks Irish hearts

A LATE converted try from Massimo Cioffi helped Italy cause the upset of the Junior World Cup’s opening round on Wednesday...

Perese score denies Wales

Wales U20s …17 Australia U20s…24 WALES’ challenge for Junior World Cup glory took an early tumble as they suffered a last-gasp...

England prepared for Welsh backlash

By NICK VERDIER ENGLAND U20s eased into their World Cup defence against Samoa but fly-half Max Malins is expecting to be...

Champions cut loose to launch title defence in emphatic style

By NICK VERDIER ENGLAND began the defence of their world crown in Georgia by scoring almost a point a minute in...

Homespun Exeter turning sights on Euro domination

By NEALE HARVEY EXETER captain Jack Yeandle reckons a rapidly increasing level of international recognition offers compelling proof of why the...

Schmidt calls up Reidy for Irish tour

ULSTER flanker Sean Reidy has been drafted into Ireland’s squad for the USA and Japan tour after Tommy O’Donnell pulled out...

Care: England young guns can write their names large

By NEALE HARVEY Senior service: Danny Care will be adding his experience to England’s youthful zeal ENGLAND vice-captain Danny Care will...

Underhill hits hardest at Ospreys – Ardron

TYLER ARDRON has backed Sam Underhill to become a mainstay of the England back row for years to come. The Canadian...

Wales rack up cricket score in tour rehearsal

COACH Robin McBryde felt Wales’ 88-19 win over Welsh Premiership side RGC 1404 was a worthwhile exercise ahead of their two-Test...

Wonderkid Sam ready Test for big to prove solution at No7

By NEALE HARVEY SAM UNDERHILL, the most talked about player yet to be capped by England, is determined to prove he...

Wing Tim credits Quins for improving his game

TIM VISSER believes the two years he has spent at Harlequins has improved his game “immensely” – and now he wants...