Young Gun: James Lasis – Loughborough Students lock

James Lasis started the season as a loosehead but it is at lock that he is looking to turn professional next...

Jeff Probyn: Will double-chasing Sarries’ Test stars remain focused?

I love this time of the season, with all the phoney wars over and teams now settled on just one thing:...

Peter Jackson: Whitcombe dynasty now propping up England

When he left Cardiff before the Second World War, Frank Whitcombe could have had no idea he would be creating a...

Only way to beat the All Blacks is all out attack – Robbie Fruean

As a proud Kiwi, Robbie Fruean would never bet against the All Blacks, but he reckons their downfall against the Lions...

Room 101: Robin Hislop – Doncaster prop

1. Foreign meat I grew up on a farm in the Scottish Borders rearing sheep and cattle so it pains me...

Shane Williams: It pains me but Scarlets will shade my Ospreys

It’s business time in the PRO12 as the season reaches the run-in and I think Wayne Pivac‘s Scarlets are in the...

Nathan Earle speaks out after his surprise England call-up

Nathan Earle says he is glad he was horizontal in bed when he got the news of his selection for the...

Tigers No.1 legacy safe with Genge says Ayerza

Leicester prop legend Marcos Ayerza has revealed how the joy of entrusting his beloved No.1 jersey to tyro loosehead Ellis Genge...

20 Questions: Nick Selway – Jersey hooker

What did you make of the Championship season? It was disappointing to miss out on the play-offs but we’ve got to...

Sale sign tighthead prop

Sale Sharks have secured the signing of tighthead WillGriff John from Doncaster Knights. Born in Plymouth, John, 24, started his playing...

Northampton prop off to Gloucester

Gloucester have confirmed that prop Gareth Denman will join the club in the summer from Northampton Saints. The 26-year-old Rotherham-born front...

Nick Cain: McCafferty cannot be allowed to cage Lions

Mark McCafferty is making a serious mistake in trying to push the Lions into a five-week cage while, at the same...

Jeremy Guscott: Mallinder must make sure he is not this year’s Devoto

Eddie Jones has gone left field by announcing a next-generation squad to tour Argentina. In many ways what Jones is doing...

Hartley’s Lions hopes ‘were stifled by Saints’

Dylan Hartley‘s failure to win a Lions call had its roots in Northampton‘s restricted game plan, according to former England and...

Four highly-rated youngsters sign for Bristol

Bristol Rugby have added four highly-rated young players to their ranks as plans for next season continue. Samoa international lock Chris...

My Life in Rugby: Andrew Turnbull – former Scotland Sevens and Rotherham wing

When I turned up for my first World Rugby Sevens Series tournament in Hong Kong in 2004, I couldn’t believe my...

Rugby Continues Seeing an Increase in Popularity Worldwide

AN increase in popularity was seen after the announcement of rugby getting a place in the 2016 Olympic Games, the first...

Falcons bring in Fijian lock

Tevita Cavubati will bolster Newcastle Falcons‘ pack next season having agreed terms to join from Worcester Warriors in the summer. The...

Rob Buchanan commits Harlequins

Hooker Rob Buchanan has re-signed for Harlequins. The Harlequins Academy graduate has made 116 appearances for the Club since making his...

Dream Team: Teimana Harrison – Northampton flanker

1. Mako Vunipola – The guy is a ridiculous carrier. He is good at the scrum like any prop should but...

O’Connor: No-one wants to play us

MATT O’Connor was in upbeat mood after Leicester’s five try victory and insisted no-one would be relishing tangling with the Tigers...

Burns hits 19 points but how Tigers miss Ayerza grunt

By NICK CAIN FREDDIE Burns is headed for Bath this summer, but he probably put paid to his new club’s chances...

Big guns back for Saints’ Euro bid

NORTHAMPTON boss Jim Mallinder is hoping to have big guns George North, Louis Piccamoles and Courtney Lawes fit for Saturday’s winner-takes-all...

Nowell’s spirit lights way for the Chiefs

By MIKE SINCLAIR EXETER coach Ali Hepher believes Jack Nowell’s selection for the Lions tour has given the England winger and...

Mallinder must make sure he is not this year’s Devoto

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE…EVERY WEEK EDDIE Jones has gone left field by announcing a next-generation squad to tour Argentina. In...

DREAM TEAM

SHAUN KNIGHT, THE BATH AND FORMER GLOUCESTER TIGHTHEAD, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1. Marcos Ayerza...

Vaughan: Altrad veto was so short-sighted

COLIN BOAG Gloucester chief executive Stephen Vaughan this week broke his silence over the aborted takeover bid of the club by...

Eddie’s driving his men ever forwards

WARREN Gatland could not have asked or a better motivational speech for the Lions from Eddie Jones. To tell his England...

Give A game players a proper platform to show their skills

I WAS delighted to see so many youngsters included in the England squad to tour Argentina but it might be worth...

What more does Wade have to do?

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk CHRISTIAN Wade…if you are...

Dickson mystified over Eddie’s decision to dump Robson

By NEALE HARVEY DAN ROBSON must show England boss Eddie Jones why he was wrong to leave him out of the...

Play-off contenders dominate Dream XV

Flier: Yorkshire Carnegie wing Jonah Holmes CHAMPIONSHIP play-off semi-finalists London Irish, Yorkshire Carnegie and Doncaster Knights are all well represented in...

Reds regain Babcock trophy

By MATT DAVIDSON Army 29 Navy 20 IT WAS a 100th Army vs Navy match to savour for the boys in...

Dusautoir will end his career at Twickenham

DAVID BARNES FRENCH COLUMN Thierry Dusautoir will bring the curtain down on a phenomenal career with his first-ever match for the...

Students rally to condemn Dunvant drop outs

By ROB COLE SWALEC round-up CARDIFF Metgave Dunvanta humiliating goodbye from the National Championship with a thumping 80-14 victory at Cyncoed....

Howley’s leveller is crucial in fight for play-offs

By JAMES LLOYD Swansea 32 Neath 32 NEATH remain on course for a Tier Two play-off place after Ed Howley’s last-gasp...

Black & Ambers downed to suffer a rare defeat

By SEBASTIAN CLAYTON Newport 9 Llanelli 26 NEWPORT lost for the first time since the Premiership split as Llanelli dented their...

Double trouble as Tomlinson scores a timely pair of tries

By BEN JAMES Cross Keys 10 Cardiff 33 A BRACE of tries for hooker Joe Tomlinson helped Cardiff notch up their...

Ravens dominate and give play-off hopes a boost

By ELGAN ALDERMAN Bargoed 26 Bridgend 42 BRIDGEND gave their play-off hopes a boost as they left Bargoed with a four-try...

Hughes is the star of the show as the Quins are flattened

RGC 1404 38 Carmarthen Q20 By ROB COLE RGC 1404 38 Carmarthen Q20 RGC 1404 stayed on course for a possible...

Ironmen forced to dig deep but secure their spot

By JAMES CANDY Merthyr 34 Aberavon 23 MERTHYR secured their place in the play-offs with a bonus-point victory. A Gary Powell...

Steelmen suffer a real blow in quest for Premiership title

By TIM LEWIS Llandovery 21 Ebbw Vale 15 EBBW VALE’S defence of their Principality Premiership title took a hammer blow. Llandovery...

Bedwas cement position with key victory

By JOE THOMAS Bedwas 30 Pontypridd 27 BEDWAS turned the tables on Pontypridd to claim a 30-27 triumph and cement their...

Only way to beat the All Blacks is all out attack

By NICK VERDIER Targets: Robbie Fruean insists Fruean AS A proud Kiwi, Robbie Fruean would never bet against the All Blacks,...

Experienced core is vital for success says Youngs

By NEALE HARVEY WARREN Gatland’s decision to retain a battle-hardened core of seasoned campaigners from the victorious tour of Australia in...

Davies: Lions can win if we learn from last year

JONATHAN Davies believes the British & Irish Lions can win in New Zealand – as long as they learn from Wales’...

Kaino will be fit for Lions despite surgery

By SAM JACKSON JEROMEKaino will undergo knee surgery this week but All Blacks fans have been reassured he should be fit...

Read suffers thumb injury and is doubt to face Lions

By LUKE JARMYN ALL BLACKS captain Kieran Read was in hospital last night after suffering a susprected broken thumb in the...

Protheroe magic sets up Randall for winner

Gloucester…40 Wasps…29 FLY-HALF Lloyd Evans was instrumental as Gloucester United overturned a 21-10 deficit against Wasps to book their place in...

Six-try Saints storm into Franklin’s finale

Northampton 49 Saracens 39 NORTHAMPTON Wanderers ran in six tries to see off Saracens in an 11-try thriller and set up...