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Offiah Jnr ready to make mark at Bath

14 April 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By ROSS HEPPENSTALL Tyler Offiah is setting himself up for life on and off the field as the England U18s winger prepares […]

Green seizes day for dazzling Quins

14 April 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES Bordeaux-Begles ………..41pts Tries: Lucu 19, Buros 24, Depoortere 42, Bielle-Biarrey 59, Tambwe 64, 75 Conversions: Lucu 25, 43, 60, 65 Penalties: Lucu […]

Sparkling Leinster get it right this time

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Leinster……………………….. 40pts Tries: Lowe 16, 60; Gibson-Park 37, Baird 42, Sheehan 56 Conversions: Byrne 18, 38, 43 Penalties: Byrne 7, 27, 31 […]

Murphy promises new focus after Ulster are demolished by Clermont

14 April 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Clermont………..53pts Tries: Yato 18, 68, Sowakula 36, 60, Newsome 44, Simmons 64, Jurand 80 Conversions: Belleau 19, 37, 45, 61, 65, Bezy […]

Ukraine go close against Sweden

14 April 2024 0 comments

STEVE HILL Ukraine pushed Sweden all the way but fell just short against the Rugby Europe Trophy table toppers in Trelleborg, the southernmost port of […]

Care set to stay at Quins

7 April 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Veteran scrum-half Danny Care is set to snub lucrative offers from France and sign a contract extension at Harlequins. Care has received […]

Dowson brings in Ludlam & Graham

7 April 2024 0 comments

IT will be the first time Saints have hosted a home knock-out clash in Northampton in the competition since 2000 with previous matches being hosted […]

England fall behind France after opening day

1 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON FRANCE ended the first day of matches in the U18 Women’s Six Nations festival being held in north Wales as the only […]

Slade: I’m happy to stay a Chief

31 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By MARK STEVENS Henry Slade is set to reject the advances of clubs on the other side of the English Channel and […]

Bath will have to go full metal jacket all the way

31 March 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK BATH have got a very good shout of winning the Premiership for the first time in almost 30 […]

Monaghan returns to lead Ireland

31 March 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Ireland v Italy Today. Kick-off 3pm SECOND row Sam Monaghan returns from injury to captain Ireland as one of four changes […]

What’s in The Rugby Paper: 31/03/24

29 March 2024 0 comments

Time is running out for the RFU’s new Professional Game Partnership (PGP) to be agreed, and you can find the latest progress after a meeting […]

Wallaby star Izaia signs for Tigers

24 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE LEICESTER have signed Australia centre Izaia Perese for the 2024-25 season on a ‘multi-year’ deal from Sydney-based Waratahs. The 26-yearold former rugby […]

Georgian challenge

24 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE RUGBY Europe champions Georgia have challenged Wales to a match this autumn in what would be dubbed a ‘Six Nations playoff ‘. […]

Cardiff hope to win Grady tug-of-war

24 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By SIMON THOMAS The future location of Mason Grady is one of the biggest talking points in Welsh rugby – in more […]

Munster move in for Ulster ace Burns

24 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BILLY Burns will swap Ulster for Munster in the summer to replace Joey Carbery who is off to France. The 29-yearold, above, […]

Jantjies to give back

24 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE FORMER Springboks fly-half Elton Jantjies, below, has taken up a coaching role with youth rugby programme Rugga Schools in Johannesburg as he […]

England on their way to being a real force again

24 March 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK IT’S been a chalk and cheese Six Nations for England, with the first three games going from not […]

Ireland’s finest take control

24 March 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees picks his Six Nations team of the tournament with the men in green providing six of the best THIS year’s Six Nations […]

Ten Italian tyros who will hit the headlines

24 March 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS IT’S BECOME almost a mantra or article of faith recently that reinforcements, in the form of a squadron of hungry young guns, are […]

England must not drop this standard

17 March 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK ONE of the hardest aspects of sport is to get grounded again to repeat what you have done […]

Sorry end for North as Italy hand wooden spoon to Wales

17 March 2024 0 comments

SIX NATIONS 2024 By PETER JACKSON Wales……………………………. 21pts Tries: Dee 64, Rowlands 79, Grady 80+2 Conversions: Costelow 64, Lloyd 80, 80+2 Italy……………………………… 24pts Tries: Ioane […]

We need to make most of this team

17 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN The England U20s won their first Six Nations title since 2021 with a tremendous second-half effort in which they scored 33 points to […]

Double for Sheahan but Ireland miss out on claiming third title in a row

17 March 2024 0 comments

By NICK JACOBS Ireland…………………………… 36pts Tries: McLaughlin 19, O’Connell 59, Sheahan 70, 80+2; Edogbo 76 Conversions: Murphy 21, 71, 77, 83 Penalties: Murphy 49 Scotland […]

NFL sides look set to take punt on Mallinder

17 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Harry Mallinder’s dream of winning an NFL contract has moved a step closer after the former England U20 captain made it through […]

Vermeulen open to England offer

17 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By GRANT SHUB Jacques Vermeulen, who is eligible for England having been in the UK since 2019, has dreamed of playing for […]

Aussies battling to keep Petaia

17 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Australian utility back Jordan Petaia is being chased by the country’s leading rugby league clubs. Reds flyer Petaia is out of contract […]

Borthwick gets his big selections right

10 March 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES Seldom can a victory plundered with the last kick of the match have been so richly deserved. England, so haphazard and error-riddled in […]

Gatland on a mission to avoid whitewash

10 March 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Wales v France Today. Kick-off 3pm, Principality Stadium WALES are on their worst run in the Six Nations since the year […]

Play with tempo and Wales could steal it

10 March 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK WALES are rebuilding, and most people accept that. There are usually ups and downs with every international team, […]

Wales slump to third defeat as France power proves too much

10 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Wales U20 ……..12pts Tries: Morse 23, Page 62 Conversions: Price 62 France U20 …… 45pts Tries: Mousques 9, Karaba 31, Aouad 35, […]

Baxter turns his attention to top Ealing pair

10 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE – EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE Having already snapped up Coventry’s star centre Will Rigg in a mid-season swoop, Exeter are going back […]

Falcons get new boss Diamond off to flying start

10 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Sale ………………..28pts Tries: Taylor 6, Quirke 13, Reed 32, Bradshaw 77 Conversions: R du Preez 7, 14, 33; Curtis 78 Newcastle……..31pts Tries: […]

Bath get in the mood for restart

10 March 2024 0 comments

By JAMES EVANS Bath ……………………………. 59pts Tries: Reid 10, 35; Coetzee 13, Stewart 22, Wright 40, Richards 55, Gallagher 62, de Glanville 65, Faiva 70 […]

High-flying Pirates wary of Turner’s ‘tricky customers’

10 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Cornish Pirates v Ampthill Today. Kick-off 2.30pm, Mennaye Field CORNISH Pirates have won six out of their last seven to sit […]

Kasolo predicts upfront battle

10 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK @therugb Preview Bristol v Saracens Today. 3pm THE final match in the Premiership before a two-month pause for the Six Nations sees […]

Mapletoft’s tyros hope to continue their Grand Slam quest

8 March 2024 0 comments

England U20s will hope to inflict Ireland’s first loss in the Six Nations since July 2021 and take a giant step towards a Grand Slam. […]

Andre’s heading home

3 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Andre Esterhuizen will leave Harlequins at the end of the 2023/24 season and return to South Africa for family reasons. The Springboks […]

McNicholl on his way

3 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Wales wing Johnny McNicholl has left the Scarlets with immediate effect to take up a playing opportunity in New Zealand. McNicholl, 33, […]

Nowell extends deal to stay at La Rochelle

3 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By MARK STEVENS Jack Nowell’s French connection is set to go on for a few more years yet, after the Cornishman this […]

Tonkin gets the call to join Ealing

3 March 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE By JON NEWCOMBE Ealing Trailfinders have moved quickly to find a new forwards coach following the news that Cornel van Zyl has […]

Borthwick must stop delaying and rebuild

3 March 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK WHEN Steve Borthwick took over from Eddie Jones as England head coach he said that he had […]

Borthwick should put faith in this trio

3 March 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED PETER Winterbottom knows a thing or three about our sport, so you would expect him to make some telling points over […]

Best ever? It has to be NZ’s 1987 masters

3 March 2024 0 comments

ON the subject of six-seven-eight combinations from dreamland, those of us who spent our rugby careers (for want of a better description) pretending to be […]

Houston in control to take Caldy to cleaners

3 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Caldy ……………… 14pts Tries: Penalty 50, Sproston 79 Conversions: Barker 80 Cornish P ……….32pts Tries: Stevens 7, Trewin 22, Johnson 29, Georgiou […]

Smith’s masterclass has Hartpury firing on all cylinders

3 March 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury………… 61pts Tries: Adderly-Jones 4, R Smith 12, 24, 73, Morgan 19, Hillman-Cooper 35, Austin 42, Short 59, JJ Williams 76 Conversions: […]

It’s time for take – off, England

3 March 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees says that, with Ireland at home and France away to come, Borthwick’s men must become relentless IT WAS three years ago last weekend […]

Lethargic France in need of new drive

25 February 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW…France vs Italy (Today. Kick-off 3pm, Decathlon Arena, Lille) IT does not come any more demanding in the Six Nations than visits […]

England’s Plan A is to run at Portugal

25 February 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW…England A vs Portugal (Today. Kick-off 1pm, Welford Road) Steve Borthwick left Edinburgh after England’s clash against Scotland last night and set […]