Scarlets ‘baffled’ by Wales snub for ‘Cubby’

THE Scarlets admit they are ‘baffled’ by Wales’ decision to exclude Olympic Sevens silver medallist James Davies from their two-Test South...

Champions Cup kicks off with re-run of final

By SAM JACKSON EUROPEAN champions Saracens will resume battle with Top 14 winners Clermont Auvergne in next season’s Champions Cup pool...

All Time Maori XV

1. Billy Bush William Kingita Te Pohe to give the Napier and Canterbury prop his full name. Wild looking, heavily bearded...

Play hard and party hard… the Maori way is so exciting!

Brendan Gallagher traces the history of the great Maori team the British Lions will face on Saturday. New Zealand Maori take...

Cruden ‘likely to be fit’ after medial strain

By SAM JACKSON Aaron Cruden in action against Hurricanes AARON Cruden will likely be available for the All Blacks Tests against...

I’m restless as ever to achieve says Haskell. I’m not here to drink coffee

Nick Cain talks to James Haskell abut his ambition that burns so intensely to succeed for the Lions. Nick Cain JAMES...

’Punch in the face’ can be blessing in disguise

CJ STANDER believes the loss to the Blues could be the “punch in the face” the tourists need to kick start...

Sloppy Lions must learn their lessons – and quickly

From NICK CAIN in Auckland THE Lions snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their second outing against an eminently...

Furlong: I’ve dreamt of this since nappies

HAVING had to wait until the third game of the tour to get the ball rolling, Ireland tighthead Tadgh Furlong was...

Liam bounced back in champion style

SHANE WILLIAMS Up and down week: Liam Williams PICTURES: Getty Images LIAM WILLIAMS’ week summed up life as a professional rugby...

PUB TALK

Breakfast in the local… a light-hearted look at how the Lions unite the country It was Wander Woman, not Gal Gadot,...

Love him, loathe him, Sonny Bill is deadly

John Taylor, one of the 1971 Lions heroes, looks at the way Sonny Bill Williams divides NZ New Zealanders are still...

Eddie’s young cubs put bite on Pumas

By WILL SAMPSON DENNY Solomona scored a sensational solo try to land England a stunning 38-34 first Test victory over Argentina...

Lions will be brutal, Kruis warns the All Blacks

From NICK CAIN in Christchurch Friendly rivals: Owen Farrell, left, and Jonathan Sexton celebrate the Lions victory PICTURE: Getty Images GEORGE...

Wonderkid Sam ready for big Test to prove solution at No7

Sam Underhill, the most talked about player yet to be capped by England, is determined to prove he has substance to...

Young Gun: Josh Bayliss – Bath flanker

Making his first team debut seemed an unachievable goal for fresh-out-of-school Josh Bayliss at the start of the season, but his...

Championship FIXTURES confirmed

Bristol will resume life in the Championship with a clash against National One champions Hartpury College on the first weekend of...

Sale youngster to make England history in Argentina

Tom Curry will become the youngster player to make his England debut since Jonny Wilkinson in 1998 on Saturday after being...

WATCH: SENSATIONAL finish from England U20s wing at JWC

England U20s booked their place in the World Rugby U20 Championship with a last-gasp 20-19 win over Australia. They trailed 16-3...

Room 101: Billy Johnson – Old Albanians lock

1.The maul ‘tackle’ This is the main thing that really winds me up on the pitch. The attacking player takes the...

Saracens and Clermont in Champions Cup pool of DEATH

The pool stages of next season’s Champions Cup will feature a remake of the last final with holders Saracens and Clermont...

Injured Coles and Read in All Blacks squad

Injured All Blacks hooker Dane Coles was named alongside three Barrett brothers in Steve Hansen’s All Blacks squad for the three-Test...

Jones captain and Farrell at fly-half for Lions

Alun Wyn Jones will lead the British & Irish Lions into their third Tour match against the Crusaders at on Saturday....

Nine All Blacks in Crusaders team to face Lions

The Crusaders have picked nine All Blacks in their matchday 23 to face the Lions in Christchurch on Saturday. The Super...

20 Questions: Harry Randall – England U20s scrum-half

How’s preparation going for the Junior World Cup in Georgia? Very well. We had a tough camp in Guildford last week...

England U20s side named for last JWC pool game

England U20s have named their side for the final pool game of the 2017 World Rugby U20 Championship against Australia in...

HIGHLIGHTS: Blues v British & Irish Lions

The Lions suffered their first defeat of their tour of New Zealand as a late Ihaia West try handed the Blues...

REPORT: Lions suffer 22-16 defeat against the Blues at Eden Park

The Lions suffered their first defeat of their tour of New Zealand as a late Ihaia West try handed the Blues...

 My Life in Rugby: Steve Ravenscroft – former England centre

Looking back on my playing days I feel incredibly fortunate to have been at a club like Saracens, at such a...

Vermeulen meets with specialist ahead of series opener against France

South Africa number 8 Duane Vermeulen will not play a part in the three-Test home series against France this month. Vermeulen...

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...