CLOSE-UP

JOSH BEAUMONT TEIMANA HARRISON Sale No.8 Northampton No.8 Beaumont did not play badly and was a presence in the loose, but...

Myler magic keeps Saints marching on

By COLIN NEWBOULT Barreling over: Northampton hooker Mikey Haywood powers his way over to score. PICTURES: Getty Images JUDGED on this...

Baxter: Now we want to win title

EXETER Chiefs coach Rob Baxter said: “We are still a relatively new Premiership club but if you finish second as we...

CLOSE-UP

TOM CROFT Leicester blindside DON ARMAND Exeter blindside While it was great to see Croft making only his second Premiership start...

Tigers’ revival hope is scalped by the Chiefs

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER EXETER Chiefs’ march to the play-offs – possibly even topping the table – continued apace with this comprehensive...

Anger over 8 minutes of chaos

GLOUCESTER director of rugby David Humphreys slammed his side after their late capitulation. “It’s almost impossible to sum up that last...

CLOSE-UP

MATT SCOTT Gloucester outside-centre JOE MARCHANT Quins outside-centre Marchant showed his England potential with an excellent first half in which his...

Lang puts boot in to complete Gloucester collapse

By NEALE HARVEY HARLEQUINS supremo John Kingston saluted his side’s character after James Lang’s last gasp penalty completed a remarkable late...

Young: We want Kurtley to stay

WASPS two-try hero Kurtley Beale paid tribute to his teammates after their emphatic win at the Rec. “Full credit to our...

CLOSE-UP

ANTHONY WATSON CHRISTIAN WADE Wasps wing Wasps wing Watson was released from England camp to get much-needed match practice but it...

Brilliant Beale keeps Wasps buzzing on top

By NICK CAIN Bamboozled: Wasps’ star man Kurtley Beale terrorises the Bath defence PICTURE: Getty Images KURTLEY Beale may have cost...

Fisher hints at exit after Gloucester capitulate.

By NEALE HARVEY GLOUCESTER’S fast disintegrating campaign was thrown into chaos late last night when head coach Laurie Fisher apparently gave...

Top clubs vie to lure Brown from Harlequins

By MATTHEW EMERY HARLEQUINS face the prospect of losing star full-back Mike Brown in the summer. And Brown’s fellow England international,...

Jeff Probyn: Too high a price for ‘fame’ but it’s not the game’s fault

Writing this article every week often makes me think and reflect over my time playing, coaching, administrating and also watching the...

Young Gun: Ben Loader – England U18s full-back

Breaking into senior rugby ranks is high on Ben Loader’s agenda but for now his focus is on ending his schoolboy...

Six Nations star helps autistic kids dream come true

England and Saracens stars Jamie George and Will Fraser handed out team shirts to a group of children with autism. England...

Peter Jackson: Kieran Read leads fight against rise of the machines

Kieran Read stands out in a land of giants for a reason other than his status as leader of the best...

Nick Cain: Vickerman tragedy is a warning to all of rugby

Dan Vickerman’s death at the age of 37 is a reminder that being an admired and highly successful professional rugby player...

Dai Young on coaching his son at Wasps

The raw emotion Olly Robinson expressed when his father Andy was sacked as Bristol director of rugby earlier this season revealed...

Lions watch: full-backs and loosehead

Stuart Hogg is the name on everybody’s lips as the candidates for full-back in the 2017 Lions tour party showcase their...

Room 101: Ricky Aley – South Leicester fly-half

1. Noisy eaters It really gets me when people eat loudly and slurp. Apparently, this makes me misophonic – yes, the...

Curry twins sign long-term Sale contracts

Sale Sharks have announced that England U20s Internationals Ben and Tom Curry have both signed five-year contracts at the club. The...

Young and Solomona top of the list outside bets for Lions

Is there any chance of Warren Gatland coming up with a genuine bolter for the 2017 Lions? Probably not. All four...

Brendan Gallagher on the famous Lions bolters

As far as I can determine the term “bolter” was originally an Australian equine expression used to describe a horse that...

Another trio pen new Exeter deals

Kai Horstmann, Julian Salvi and Ollie Atkins have all agreed new contracts with Exeter Chiefs. Experienced back-rowers Horstmann and Salvi have...

Morris banned for three weeks

Harlequins full-back Aaron Morris has received a three-week ban for a tackle in the air on Leicester‘s Adam Thompstone. The former...

Dom Waldouck weighing up the option of sabbatical

Eco-friendly centre Dominic Waldouck is unsure what role he will play for new-age Newcastle next season, if any, but appearing in...

Paddy Jackson commits to Ulster

Paddy Jackson has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at Ulster until at least the summer of 2019....

20 Questions: Ethan Davies – Wales Sevens

Enjoying the break after thye opening two events in Wellington and Sydney? I’m just about over the jet-lag! We’ve started training...

Josh Strauss to join Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks have announced the signing of Scottish International back rower Josh Strauss on a three-year deal. The South African born...

Alex Rieder re-signs for Wasps

Alex Rieder has signed a new contract with Wasps ahead of next season. Rieder, whose versatility allows him to play anywhere...

Front row duo commit future to Bath

Bath have announced that front row duo Shaun Knight and Michael van Vuuren have both agreed contract extensions with the club....

Peter Jackson: This Scotland team are a serious item

Scotland reaffirmed their status as title contenders yesterday by treating the faithful to something they had not witnessed for a long...

Shane Williams: Missed chances again, now let Giles try and take them

Wales‘ Six Nations title hopes are now over and they have only themselves to blame. The defeat to England was an...

Tom Arscott EXCLUSIVE: I thought it was the end of my career

By JON NECOMBE Yorkshire Carnegie signing Tom Arscott feared he was “damaged” goods and might never play professionally again after his...

My Life in Rugby: Nikki Walker – former Ospreys and Worcester wing

Winning the Celtic League in my first season at Ospreys with a victory at the Border Reivers was a bitter-sweet experience...

Exeter backs agree new deals

Phil Dollman, Olly Woodburn and Michele Campagnaro have all agreed new contracts to remain in Exeter ahead of next season. Italian...

Bookmakers identified a number of favorites for the Stanley Cup in 2017

Bookmakers of North America actively monitor developments in the regular NHL season and try to predict the victors of this season....

Dream Team: Brendon O’Connor – Leicester flanker

1. Tony Woodcock – I played with him at the Blues and he’s a great player. So much so that he...

Murray: Sexton’s in good shape now

STAR man Conor Murray is expecting half-back partner Jonny Sexton to kick on for the remainder of the tournament after returning...

Irish ride out the early storm with half-back pairing back in groove

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER IRELAND, guided by the old firm of Connor Murray and Johnny Sexton at half-back, beat France without undue...

This Scotland team are a serious item

PETER JACKSON VERDICT Scotland reaffirmed their status as title contenders yesterday by treating the faithful to something they had not witnessed...

Missed chances again, now let Giles try and take them

SHANE WILLIAMS Despair: A dejected Sam Warburton and the Welsh team walk off the pitch PICTURES: Getty Images WALES AND LIONS...

Forthcoming fixtures

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 INTERNATIONALS Six Nations England v Italy (15:00) NATIONAL LEAGUES Aviva Premiership Bristol v Bath (13:00) Wasps v Gloucester...

Rougerie’s aiming for record- with a little help

Of all the 95 tries scored by Aurelian Rougerie during his monumental career with Clermont, the most recent evokes human values...

Settled England out to go one better in Vegas

WORLD SEVENS By NICK VERDIER ENGLAND coach Simon Amor has named an unchanged squad for a fifthsuccessive tournament ahead of next...

Park hope fortress will hold firm against Hartpury

NEWS EXTRA RESULTS AND FIXTURES IN-FORMRosslyn Park are set to face unbeaten Hartpury College at home next Saturday and coach Scott...

Brilliant Bridgend battle back for first Parc victory

Llanelli 21 Bridgend 28 By JOHN ARKLESS BRIDGEND snatched their first-ever win at Parc y Scarlets with a comeback victory over...

Third defeat on the spin as Cardiff downed by Newport

Newport 17 Cardiff 8 By ELGAN ALDERMAN NEWPORT consigned Cardiff to their third defeat since the Premiership split at a wet...

Magic Matt on song as Merthyr outclass Bedwas

Bedwas 20 Merthyr 40 By RHYS THOMAS MERTHYR secured a first win in Tier One as they came away from the...