England outsider Goode focused on Saracens trophies

ALEX Goode insists he will see out the remaining three years of his contract with Saracens and has rubbished talk he...

International snub powering Chiefs’ charge for title

FLANKER Don Armand reckons Exeter’s players can prove their Test credentials by claiming the Premiership title after using this season’s England...

Safety first? No, it’s now about who dares wins

By NEALE HARVEY EXETER backs coach Ali Hepher believes English players deserve more credit for their skills following a sharp increase...

Rowntree reprises Lions role to assist Borthwick

By SAM JACKSON GRAHAM Rowntree and Neil Jenkins have been appointed assistant coaches for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour...

Isn’t player welfare still a hot topic?

PREMIERSHIP clubs want 50 per cent of the takings to secure the release of their players for the proposed out-of-window Test...

Keep your hands to yourself, Jonathan!

THE immediate aftermath of Ireland’s disallowed try against Wales provided further depressingly graphic evidence of how rugby is trashing one of...

Laidlaw deserved some respect

ITV introduced Greig Laidlaw to their team of Calcutta Cup pundits with a caption of shameless Anglo-centricity: “Lost each of five...

Unthinkable demise after Mad Max’s razzmatazz

When Max Guazzini bowed out six years ago, Stade Francais had good reason to feel as safe as the Central European...

Atkins: It’s Exeter’s chance to shine

By SAM JACKSON OLLIE Atkins believes he and his Exeter Chiefs teammates have been given the perfect stage on which to...

Mauger excited at chance of revenge over in-form Chiefs

By JON NEWCOMBE LEICESTER will have to beat “the form team in Europe” if they want to win the Anglo-Welsh Cup...

This Tiger is on your tail, Genge tells England rivals

Neale Harvey finds an impressive young Tiger in fighting mood ahead of the final Determined Leicester prop Ellis Genge has outlined...

Nick Cain’s player ratings

ENGLAND 1-MAKO VUNIPOLA 7.5 Trailblazing front row playmaker. The best handling prop around, and scrummaging stronger 2-DYLAN HARTLEY (capt) 6 Weird...

England have game to beat the All Blacks – but not yet!

THE England team rescued and brought back to rude health by Eddie Jones is in danger of being sold down the...

Can we find the new Barry John?

THE Six Nations provides Warren Gatland with the most exacting series of trials that any Lions chief selector could wish for....

NZ wing winning battle to be fit for Lions tour

By SAM JACKSON NEHE Milner-Skudder has been ruled for six weeks with a foot injury and faces a race against time...

It’s not mind games insist New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND coach Steve Hansen says he is not playing media mind games, after Eddie Jones reacted suspiciously to the Kiwi’s...

Wray fights RFU bid to cash in on All Blacks

By NEALE HARVEY Opposed: Nigel Wray RAGING Saracens chairman Nigel Wray insists Premiership bosses must put player welfare ahead of money...

DREAM TEAM

TOPSY OJO, LONDON IRISH AND FORMER ENGLAND WING, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1. Clarke Dermody...

Anglo-Welsh Cup needs to rethink playing rules

COLIN BOAG I’ve made no secret of the fact I don’t much like the Anglo-Welsh Cup in its present form, and...

Gap between top tiers getting wider

SO this year’s Premiership relegation battle is between Bristol and Worcester – its two most recent recruits. Barring a play-off disaster,...

I thought RFU were there to grow the game at all levels

I READwith dismay that the RFU are seriously considering cutting the England Counties side and the County Championship deeming them ‘an...

Grandparents play big role in identity

ALTHOUGHI disagree with the three-year residency qualification, I believe that where you are born should not be the only qualification to...

Mallinder misses out to Wasps flier Howe

WASPS’ wing Tom Howe has won the Anglo-Welsh Cup breakthrough player award. Howe won a public vote from a ten-strong shortlist...

Beale determined to deliver the goods before departing

By NEALE HARVEY KURTLEY Beale reckons the addition of Springbok superstar Willie Le Roux to an already electrifying backline has given...

Easterby next on Kingsholm wanted list

Wanted: Ackermann GLOUCESTER have got a list of alternatives for their head coach job if they are turned down by South...

Falcons looking to lure Flood home

Heading home? Toby Flood TOBY FLOOD could this summer be heading back to Newcastle Falcons where he started his career when...

Irish step up recruitment for assault on top-flight

LONDON IRISH have been busy recruiting players ahead of their impending return to the Premiership next season. But I understand that...

ON THE BLIND SIDE

BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler ■GARY GOLD looks like staying on at Worcester Warriors next season after being...

ROOM 101

PAUL SPIVEY THE ROSSLYN PARK LOCK TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Economy class...

‘It’s taken 5 years for Joseph to get recognition for defence’

By NEALE HARVEY MIDFIELD maestro Jonathan Joseph has “no limits” to what he can achieve in rugby now that people have...

Surely the French capital can house two top teams?

THE troubled attempts to merge traditional archrivals Stade Francais and Racing 92 is fast developing into a farce that tarnishes the...

Europe’s finest being sold down the river

WELCOME to Northern Hemisphere rugby’s endless road. An 11 month season which purports to be all things to all men, but...

My team of the tournament…

15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland): One of few modern players with genuine x-factor. A try scorer and provider. Rob Kearney was in...

The Six Nations that was…

Player of the tournament: Owen Farrell. Last year’s winner Stuart Hogg again provided the moments that remain seared in the brain...

High quality moments could not mask increasing shortage of classic matches

Brendan Gallagher looks back at the defining moments of the Six Nations and how the introduction of bonus points effected things...

Wales denied despite Evans’ salvo

France W 39 Wales W 19 FRANCE made it three from three over Wales in this last weekend of the Six...

Skeldon holds nerve to earn Scots victory

Scotland W 14 Italy W 12 SCOTLAND claimed a second win in Six Nations for the first time since 2006 by...

It’s Grand for Scarratt as England sweep in

By SAM JACKSON Ireland W 7pts Try: Lyons 66 Conversion: Tyrrell 66 England W 34pts Tries: Wilson Hardy 16, Keates 53,...

France overpower Wales in the generation game

A DOMINANT second-half in Montauban on Friday night helped France and their famous sons hit Wales for six in the last...

Defensive shift earns Slam for Zach’s boys

By SAM JACKSON Ireland U20 10pts Try: Coombes 64 Conversion: Johnston 64 Penalty: Johnston 40 England U20 14pts Tries: Nay 18,...

Cards fall in favour of five-try Scotland

Scotland U20 38 Italy U20 17 DARCY Graham scored two tries as Scotland dominated an ill-disciplined Italian side to claim their...

‘Fantastic culture created by Vern’

SCOTLAND captain John Barclay was lavish in his praise of departing coach Vern Cotter. “It is hard to put into words...

Hogg brings the fizz to Cotter’s leaving do

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Scotland 29pts Tries: Russell 28, Scott 38, Visser 62, Seymour 73 Conversions: Russell 28, 62, 73 Penalty: Hogg...

Sorry, France, but this was not in spirit of the game!

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND What an effort by Wales. What a sham by France! Some might call it cheating,...

Maestri blasts Barnes for failing to award penalty try

YOANN Maestri was in a foul mood following France’s farcical win over Wales, claiming refereee Wayne Barnes treated them like a...

The party’s over

Battling Irish end Eddie’s double Grand Slam dream By ADAM HATHAWAY Better to lose in Dublin now than in Japan in...

Young Gun: Will Jones – Wales U20s captain

Enjoying the student life while trying to become a professional rugby player is not easy but Wales U20s captain Will Jones...

Lions watch: centres

The ebb and flow of Lions selection at centre during this Six Nations turned decisively in England‘s direction when Jonathan Joseph...

Room 101: Gareth Steenson – Exeter fly-half

1. Traffic I’m lucky that I don’t have too far to travel to get to work because I live close to...

Young Gun: Nick Haining – Jersey No.8

Big win against Yorkshire Carnegie last week? It was a great home win for us and it raised the confidence levels...