McGeechan: Lions have quality to win

Guy Williams finds the most successful of all Lions coaches in bullish mood before the tour No one speaks with more...

Injuries begin to mount for Munster

Treviso 14 Munster 34 MUNSTER coach Rassie Erasmus said he is pleased to have a home semi-final wrapped up with a...

Carbery hits late winner to end Gregor’s playoff hopes

By DECLAN ROONEY GLASGOW’S comeback fell just short at the RDS with Joey Carbery’s late penalty ending Gregor Townsend’s hopes of...

Punchy Italians make Blues work for the points

By ROGER PANTING GARETH Anscombe provided just enough of a cushion for Blues to hold off a determined second half rally...

Now for a derby day showdown at Scarlets

By ALEX BYWATER OSPREYS ensured they head into the final week of the regular season with destiny in their own hands...

Dragons are hit hard by late double sin-binning

By GARY HEATLY EDINBURGH coach Duncan Hodge hailed his side’s stunning late comeback on Friday night which halted their run of...

Evans at double to seal home semi-final

Connacht 8 Scarlets 30 STEFF Evans touched down twice and Scarlets secured a home semi-final with a bonus point victory over...

Bristol will be back – McCafferty

PROMOTION and relegation between the top tiers will continue for the foreseeable future, says Premiership Rugby boss Mark McCafferty. There were...

Wilson: No arguments, I must prove my dominance to Eddie

By JON NEWCOMBE CONSIDERED by many to be unlucky not to make England’s Argentina tour in June, Newcastle back-row Mark Wilson...

Derby day can inspire us says Matson

BATH’S European ambitions came crashing down last Sunday in Paris but they have to bounce back quickly if they are to...

Trinder targetting big season finale

By NEALE HARVEY BATH’S decision to drop Jonathan Joseph has denied Henry Trinder the chance to pit his wits against the...

PREVIEW… Bath v Gloucester

Today. Kick-off 3pm. The Rec THIS West Country derby promises to be particularly feisty with both teams’ season potentially riding on...

Gold: We paid for penalties

WORCESTER director of rugby Gary Gold was left ruing poor discipline as his side were denied at the death by Newcastle....

Sonatane’s late snipe steals win for Falcons

By SAM JACKSON IT WAS the Sonatane Takulua show at Kingston Park on Friday night with the Tongan star scoring all...

Young: Big stars need to step up

DAI Young has called on his “big players” to deliver the goods next week and beat Saracens to secure a home...

Evans is Harlequins’ hero again in Stoop swansong

By NICK VERDIER NICK Evans, playing his last game at the Twickenham Stoop, guided Harlequins to yet another famous win as...

Living legends ensure Cambridge will thrive

THE club with more Lions than any, Cambridge University RUFC, held their ‘Red Lion Legends’ dinner on Wednesday. In the process...

Evans masterclass sends Wasps wobbling into season showdown

NICK Evans rolled back the years to give a command performance in his farewell match at the Stoop as Harlequins overwhelmed...

McCafferty cannot be allowed to cage Lions

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK MARK McCafferty is making a serious mistake in trying to push the Lions...

De Koch, Brown take their final bow

RETIRING Saracens scrum-half Neil De Kock and flanker Kelly Brown were given rousing sendoffs after their final home appearances. De Kock...

Sarries awake from siesta in nick of time

By NEALE HARVEY SARACENS spent the early part of the week sunning themselves in Barcelona and it took a full 45...

Carter set to face England for last time

By PETER JACKSON Home play-off here we come: Sam Hill, right, celebrates Chiefs’ fourth try in their defeat of Northampton PICTURE:...

Hartley’s Lions hopes ‘were stifled by Saints’

By NEALE HARVEY DYLAN Hartley’s failure to win a Lions call had its roots in Northampton’s restricted game plan, according to...

Young Gun: Rory McMichael – Scotland U18s centre

The journey to professional rugby can be a treacherous one for youngsters trying to break through, but Rory McMichael will take...

England to tour Argentina in June

England have played well in recent international tournaments, but as everyone knows, it’s easy to get the team ‘up for it’...

Jeff Probyn: New batch can be Eddie’s game changers for RWC

Well that’s it, speculation over finally and a squad picked that really didn’t surprise anybody other than the odd few omissions....

Shane Williams: This can be when North becomes a true great

We could see some of the best rugby ever to be played on this Lions tour. That might sound as if...

Billy and I can mix it up in back row says Faletau

Taulupe Faletau insists he will have no qualms switching to flanker for the Lions if it means starting alongside his cousin...

Room 101: Isaac Green – Hull Ionians scrum-half

1. Slow walkers This kills me. There’s nothing worse than being stuck behind slow walkers in town, taking up the whole...

2013 Lion retires

Ian Evans has been forced to retire from professional rugby on medical advice following a knee injury. In a career that...

Brendan Gallagher: Scots unlucky that Twickenham defeat was not considered a blip

My heart sunk a little for the Scots on Wednesday when John Spencer read out the 41- strong Lions squad and...

Peter Jackson: Sorry Scots, but Gatland has gone for power again

Scotland now has exactly as many Lions as the sum total of Conservative and Labour Members of Parliament – two. Even...

Lozowski is ready to state case for England

Alex Lozowski has declared himself ready to stake a claim for England‘s coveted No.10 jersey on the back of a stellar...

20 Questions: Steve Hill – Richmond DoR

How about that for a first season in the Championship? The boys were desperate to prove they deserved to be in...

Gary Gold to become Warriors’ permanent DoR

Gary Gold will become the Worcester’s permanent director of rugby after signing a new contract to remain at Sixways until at...

Ellis Genge agrees new Tigers contract

Genge, 22, arrived at Tigers during the closing months of 2015/16, initially on loan before making the move from Bristol permanent...

Quins scrum-half to retire

Harlequins scrum-half Karl Dickson will retire from rugby at the end of the current season. Joining Harlequins in 2009 from Bedford...

Northampton announces new chief executive appointment

Northampton Saints have appointed Mark Darbon as the club’s new chief executive. Darbon arrives at Franklin’s Gardens in late July with...

O’Callaghan signs new Worcester deal

Worcester have announced that British & Irish Lion Donncha O’Callaghan has signed a new deal with the club. O’Callaghan, who made...

Jeremy Guscott: Lions have the talent, do they have the time?

It was always going to be a very competitive 2017 Lions squad, and I like the look of the 41 players...

Nick Cain: Hansen’s barbs hide All Blacks’ insecurity

Steve Hansen didn’t hang around when it came to giving the 2017 Lions the voodoo doll treatment. No sooner had the...

EXCLUSIVE: Wage bills will push clubs to the brink

By NEALE HARVEY Leicester Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen warns Premiership finances could “fall off a cliff” unless a handbrake is...

My Life in Rugby: Gary Powell – former Gloucester prop

After countless hours playing Jonah Lomu Rugby on the PlayStation at Llandovery College it was surreal to suddenly find myself sat...

Dream Team: Alex Crockett – former Bath centre

1. David Flatman – He would get you six or nine points per game just by talking to the referee and...

We are only going to get better says coach McCall

Pleased: Mark McCall SARACENS recorded their 17th Champions Cup win on the bounce to book their place in the final once...

Saracens show ruthless streak to stem tide of Foley’s red army

By NICK CAIN Powering over: Mako Vunipola charges through Keith Earls for the opening try PICTURES: Getty Images OWEN Farrell was...

Gold fears more stars will follow Serfontein out of SA

By NEALE HARVEY GARY Gold predicts more South African stars will follow Jan Serfontein’s example by quitting the country because of...

Eddie on mission to bring back the grunt up front

WHATEVER happened to England’s forward power – the rock-like scrum, and unstoppable driving mauls that used to be meat-and-drink to red...

Hansen’s barbs hide All Blacks’ insecurity

READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK NICK CAIN Steve Hansen didn’t hang around when it came to giving the 2017 Lions...

DREAM TEAM

TEIMANA HARRISON, THE NORTHAMPTON AND ENGLAND FLANKER, PICKS THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1. Mako Vunipola -...