Slimani’s coming back on again – and again

COLIN BOAG Controversy: Rabah Slimani, third from left, comes back on as Wales protest Cast your mind back a few weeks...

Lions legend was just Sir to all of us

I SAW a piece in your paper about John Dawes and the Lions, but to a lot of people he was...

Franchising is not the way forward for English rugby

THE article last week regarding Mick Hogan’s concerns about rugby in the North is no doubt founded on genuine concern, but...

Now it’s Newcastle’s turn to head abroad

NEWCASTLE are to play a Premiership ‘home’ game in Philadelphia next September which again shows how Premiership clubs care little about,...

O’Connor confident Tuilagi will recapture match-winning best

MANU Tuilagi is nearing a return from injury and should complete a full preseason according to Tigers boss Matt O’Connor. Tuilagi...

I can’t wait to get back to Leicester says Ford

By NICK VERDIER Homecoming king: fly-half George Ford GEORGE Ford is focused on another succesful summer in white before returning to...

Destination Argentina for much-improved Harry

Names in frame: Will Collier and Paul Hill SELF-CONFESSED former fat boy Harry Williams reckons physical improvements and working with the...

Genge eyes overtime as stars near game limit

By NEALE HARVEY Wrecking ball: Ellis Genge PICTURES: Getty Images LEICESTER prop Ellis Genge is committed to going the extra mile...

Simpson sold on Wasps potential

By NEALE HARVEY SEEING Saracens become top dogs in Europe has only heightened Wasps’ ambition to supersede them, according to scrum-half...

Angry Maggs takes swipe at Moseley

KEVIN Maggs remains disappointed by the ‘shocking’ manner of his exit from Moseley but is relishing his new role as a...

Leo: Islanders need a professional pathway

By GRAHAM JENKINS FORMER Samoa lock Dan Leo has urged World Rugby to dig deep to stem the flow of talent...

Women’s Lions team on agenda

A WOMEN’S version of the British and Irish Lions could be launched some time after 2019, according to Lions chief operating...

England kick off against Italy in 2018

RUGBY SHORTS ENGLAND will begin their quest to win a third consecutive Six Nations title in Italy on Sunday, February 4....

Halfpenny puts boss Cockerill in semis

Leigh Halfpenny has one more showpiece event to take his shiftworker boss Richard Cockerill to the cusp of a glorious farewell...

CHAMP PLAY-OFF PREVIEW… Trebanos v Kidwely Thursday May 25

TREBANOS will be hoping to give their youth team coach Justin Tipuric a pre-Lions tour boost by backing up their firstleg...

TIER I FINAL PREVIEW… Aberavon v Merthyr Today. Kick-off 2pm

THERE will be a new name on the Premiership trophy today as the two most consistent sides in the Premiership this...

TIER 2 FINAL:Neath 14 Newport 32

By ROB COLE GERAINT O’Driscoll stepped in to fill the Newport No.10 jersey and guided the Black & Ambers to the...

Billy can take No.8 play to a new level!

Lawrence Dallaglio tells NEALE HARVEY how Billy Vunipola can usurp Kieran Read as world leading No.8 Lawrence Dallaglio Blockbuster: Billy Vunipola...

Counties’ June tours set to be scrapped

By NEALE HARVEY NEWS EXTRA OPPORTUNITIES for aspiring National League players to represent England Counties are to be dramatically scaled back...

Hartpury’s history boys take top billing after finishing the term with honours

Star quality: Hartpury College’s former Italy U20 back row Jake Polledri HARTPURY College became the first team in history to win...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

JIMMY RICHARDS THE FORMER BEDFORD, WORCESTER, LEICESTER & HARLEQUINS HOOKER. Growing up in a small fishing village in North Pembrokeshire, it...

Saracens are great but can they keep going?

Triumph: Saracens lift the Champions Cup after beating Clermont PICTURE: Getty Images Congratulations to Sarries on the totally expected win in...

Bath figures swell with move to HQ

PETER JACKSON consults his stats book to reveal a big climb in Europe’s attendance numbers PETER JACKSON Thriller: Bath’s Anthony Watson...

YOUNG GUNS

ALI CROSSDALE ENGLAND U20s FULL-BACK Ali Cossdale is living the dream by training with the best team in Europe every day...

20 QUESTIONS

MAX CLARK BATH CENTRE Enjoying the off-season? It came a bit earlier than we were expecting as we missed out on...

Bucks denied top spot by Oxford walkover

Division Three Round-up By TRP REPORTER A LAST-MINUTE try for Buckinghamshire fly-half Alex Shearer earned them a narrow 22-17 victory over...

Super Sam on form in Glos rout

By TONY FIELDING Gloucs 56 Surrey 12 SAM Goatley scored a hat-trick as Gloucestershire ended their Bill Beaumont Cup on a...

Hat-trick hero Tom inspires fightback

By GRAHAM COX Devon 20 Kent 28 A SUPERB second-half performance, led by skipper and hat-trick hero Tom Stradwick, saw Kent...

White Rose miss final despite big finish

By ANDREW SMITH Yorkshire 61 Eastern Cn 15 YORKSHIRE finished the group stage in grand style with a nine-try haul against...

Cornwall head back to HQ looking for treble

By BILL HOOPER Cornwall 45pts Hertfordshire 28pts Local hero: Tom Notman salutes the crowd after scoring. Right: Sam Lunnon wins a...

East Mids end on a high to seal third

By JEREMY TYRRELL East Mids 36 N’humberland 14 EAST Midlands signed off their Bill Beaumont Cup campaign with a comfortable home...

Brilliant Bingham off to Twickenham

By JAMIE RUSSELL Cheshire 5 Lancashire 29 IT WAS Lancashire’s day as a bonus-point victory over a young Cheshire side secured...

Hants all set for a thrilling final with Leicester

Division Two Round-up By TRP REPORTER HAMPSHIREand Leicestershire will face off at Twickenham for the County Championship Plate next Sunday after...

Schmidt brings in new faces

NEWS EXTRA JOE Schmidt has included eight uncapped players in his Ireland squad for the three-Test tour of the USA and...

Crusaders in the clear for a home semi-final

By NICK VERDIER THE Crusaders maintained their perfect record with a 31-24 win over the Chiefs in Suva on Friday to...

Humphreys focused on set-piece failings

By NEALE HARVEY GLOUCESTER rugby director David Humphreys is banking on the arrival of hard-nosed South African head coach Johan Ackerman...

Harry hoping to follow dad’s lead in Argentina

By JON NEWCOMBE New boy: Northampton’s Harry Mallinder is looking forward to playing for England in Argentina PICTURE: Getty Images HARRY...

Blackadder takes swipe at below-par Bath stars

By NEALE HARVEY BATH rugby director Todd Blackadder has put his star players on notice after admitting standards of professionalism had...

Rebels vote to break old guard’s resistance

BRENDAN GALLAGHER looks back 30 years at how the inaugural Rugby World Cup came to pass Inner circle: Wavell Wakefield It’s...

Low key NZ Baa-baas tour paved the way for ‘87 All Blacks success

Unearthing a gem: All Blacks flanker Michael Jones starred on the NZ Barbarians tour THE most predictable thing about the inaugural...

Champions lie in wait as England target big finale

By NICK VERDIER Proud: Simon Amor LONDON SEVENS ENGLAND are certain to finish second in the World Series and are still...

Rhodri understood the passion of sport in Wales

RHODRI Morgan’s Welsh ancestors left an indelible mark on the sporting life of the USA long before the man himself got...

Boks’ RWC triumph hung on a shirtsleeve

There is an old adage in journalism that news is not necessarily when it happens but when someone digs it out....

Fantastic Franks turns the screw on Carnegie scrum

By NICK VERDIER Y Carnegie 18pts Tries: M. Mayhew 17, Holmes 27 Conversions: Ford 26 Penalties: Ford 3, 64 London Irish...

Paice: Pack must lay proper platform

By NICK VERDIER Sprinting home: Danny Hobbs- Awoyemi breaks clear to score for Irish PICTURE: Getty Images LONDON Irish are 80...

Casson: It’s not game over, we can hurt them

By JON NEWCOMBE Defiant: Tom Casson YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE centre Tom Casson has refused to concede defeat in the battle to win...

Kings of Europe in command position

NICK CAIN PICKS HIS BEST PREMIERSHIP TEAM FROM THE 2016-17 SEASON SARACENS’ exceptional European Cup double explains why they have almost...

Saints battle to keep Picamoles away from France

BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Tug-of-war: Louis Picamoles NORTHAMPTON SAINTS are digging their heals in with Montpellier over...

Out go Aviva, but who will sponsor Premiership?

PREMIER RUGBY are confident of having a new title sponsor in place to replace Aviva who end their sponsorship of the...

Nakarawa demands high price for move

Expensive: Leone Nakarawa RACING 92 lock Leone Nakarawa could end up pricing himself out of a return to the UK unless...