Nick Cain - Page 2 of 27 - News, interviews, analysis and opinion

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Guy Pepper: England’s Next Back-Row Star?

Henry Pollock has set the rugby world alight this season. The young flanker has been sensational and has rapidly become one of...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Steve Borthwick will want young guns to fire on Argentina Tour

The idea being touted that England’s two-Test tour of Argentina at the beginning of July will be the unearthing of a...

By Nick Cain

British and Irish Lions

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Argentina selection’s bad news for British & Irish Lions

The devaluing of fixtures throughout the professional game is becoming a blight, and an understrength Argentina facing the Lions on Friday...

By Nick Cain

Features

/ 6 months ago

Ben Curry: Eight years on from first Argentina tout, I am raring to go…

Paul Eddison talks to Ben Curry, the Sale flanker who is aiming to be a big hit on England’s summer tour...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Paul Turner – Don’t let the Championship turn into ‘zombie league’

Nick Cain talks to Paul Turner as he says his goodbyes to Ampthill after 14 years in charge Paul Turner’s record...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Jeff Probyn: See how big Jonah Lomu changed the game

Nick Cain’s article in last week’s Rugby Paper was a real eye opener by simplifying something that many others have thought...

By Jeff Probyn

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Nick Easter prepares to help USA take on England

Former England No.8 Nick Easter is preparing to face his fellow countrymen from the other side of the touchline this summer,...

By Ben Jaycock

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Brute forces which could do the game great harm

Rugby Union has reached a critical crossroads in which the future of our sport is in the balance, particularly in England,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: At last! Bath vs Bristol lived up to all the Premiership hype

The Premiership finally lived up to the overblown hype pumped out about it when Bath and Bristol produced a genuinely competitive...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Wallabies need to find some form – and sharpish

Australia's whole will have to be much greater than the sum of its parts to win the imminent Lions series if...

By Nick Cain

Chris Hewett

/ 6 months ago

Chris Hewett: Without jeopardy, the game is nothing

The journey time between the sublime and the ridiculous can be speed-of-sound short: Clement Poitrenaud, the quintessence of French rugby cool...

By Chris Hewett

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Rivalry with Kieran Hardy is pushing Reuben Morgan-Williams on

Reuben Morgan-Williams says the competition with fellow Ospreys scrum-half Kieran Hardy has driven the two of them on – a fact...

By Simon Thomas

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Henry Pollock needs to wise up – old pros will be keen to take him out

Henry Pollock’s upward trajectory has been so stellar that there was always going to be a queue of gnarled old pros...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: This American dream will only end in tears

The Premiership/ RFU’s stampede for money, and the pitfalls that come with it, is reflected in the franchise fix proposed by...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Charlie Elliott: My England XV for the Summer Tour to Argentina

England’s summer tour to Argentina will provide a lot of new faces with some experience of Test rugby. A large contingent of England...

By Charlie Elliott

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Bath pair Finn Russell and Thomas du Toit lead Premiership awards shortlist

Bath duo Finn Russell and Thomas du Toit are among five nominations for this season’s Premiership player of the season award....

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Time for Steve Borthwick to ignore the easy options

The main challenge facing Steve Borthwick this summer is to maintain England’s momentum by winning a two-Test tour of Argentina with...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Nick Cain: Ben Spencer steps up to prove his worth for Bath

It's been a long time between drinks for Bath’s faithful fans when it comes to winning worthwhile silverware, so no one...

By Nick Cain

Brendan Gallagher

/ 6 months ago

Brendan Gallagher: The flowering of Johann van Graan’s plan at Bath

Surely the most encouraging, or ominous, aspect of Bath’s commanding win over a lacklustre Lyon on Friday night was that it...

By Brendan Gallagher

Latest News

/ 6 months ago

Matt Sherratt backs experience for Wales’ Summer Tour of Japan

Wales coach Matt Sherratt has revealed how the absence of recent captains Jac Morgan and Dafydd Jenkins has had a significant...

By Simon Thomas

Letters

/ 7 months ago

Modern day warriors deserve far better

IT IS high time rugby union realised ignoring the past is the preserve of the ignorant, shown by the fact today...

By The Rugby Paper Team

British and Irish Lions

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: British and Irish Lions must get tough by delivering an ultimatum

The longer the Lions Board continues to be as soft-toy cuddly as the mascot that tour youngster Henry Pollock will have...

By Nick Cain

Columnists

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: Championship rebrand can be a real game-changer

The rebranding this week of England’s second professional league as Champ Rugby could be a game-changer in English club rugby, and...

By Nick Cain

British and Irish Lions

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: Andy Farrell still at 6s and 7s in his British and Irish Lions back row conundrum

While Henry Pollock is the talk of the town, and deservedly so following his meteoric rise and selection for the 2025...

By Nick Cain

Champions Cup

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: At last! Welcome words reinforce value of jeopardy

One of the few signs of clear-thinking rugby union sanity this week came from Simon Gillham, the chairman of the Tier...

By Nick Cain

British and Irish Lions

/ 7 months ago

Henry Pollock’s energy could give British and Irish Lions that extra boost

By Nick Cain The likelihood of any uncapped young “bolters”, who were a feature of Lions squad announcements in the amateur...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Champions Cup

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: Backing of franchise rugby is myopic, hypocritical and self-serving …

The parallel universe which some of the main movers and shakers in the RFU/ Premiership currently inhabit has revealed itself in...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 7 months ago

Bath owner, Bruce Craig, backs franchise system

Bath owner Bruce Craig argues that scrapping relegation and relaunching the Premiership as a collection of centrally licensed franchises would bring...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Miscellaneous

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: Invest in the Championship – as well as women’s game

The money cut from the funding to Championship clubs in the last five years is believed to be very close to...

By Nick Cain

Columnists

/ 7 months ago

Nick Cain: Bruce Craig’s protectionism is not what we want

The decision by Bath owner Bruce Craig to break cover by jumping on the franchise bandwagon this week is no revelation,...

By Nick Cain

Columnists

/ 8 months ago

Nick Cain: Blueprint for the future lacks rational thinking with franchise idea

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week We are coming to the franchise crunch. Finally, after five years...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 8 months ago

Nick Cain: Payments may not be swift for Worcester Warriors

The spin over substance element in the administration of the game in England has been highlighted by fears that Worcester’s undertaking...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 8 months ago

Leinster are good … but they would not beat France

By Nick Cain The hype was in full flood after Leinster’s two-match 142-0 European Cup haul against Harlequins and Glasgow, when...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 8 months ago

Nick Cain: Premiership clubs need to set higher standards

The most concerning aspect of the Harlequins no-show against Leinster at Croke Park last weekend, which finished in a 62-0 European...

By Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 8 months ago

Nick Cain: Time to dismantle the ivory towers

TV adverts are a mixed bag, but at their best they paint a picture that nails an irksome aspect of modern...

By Nick Cain

English Championship

/ 8 months ago

Worcester Warriors return – RFU Board should tell us what it thinks

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week The first act of the new Tier 2 Board, which has...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 8 months ago

RFU must prioritise return of promotion to Premiership

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week In defeat, defiance. For supporters of the incumbent RFU administration who...

By The Rugby Paper Team

English Championship

/ 9 months ago

Simon Halliday’s blast: The RFU keeps ignoring the Championship

By Nick Cain Simon Halliday has slammed the proposed loan bail-out for Newcastle Falcons, the Premiership’s basement club, and the continued...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 9 months ago

Tom Curry wins my Six Nations True Grit award

By Nick Cain The “True Grit” award for the 2025 Six Nations has to go to Tom Curry. I will...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 9 months ago

This Premiership cartel is strangling our game

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Welcome to gridlock. Everything that is wrong with the English club...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 9 months ago

Six Nations: Rampant England find new ways to impress against Wales

By Nick Cain Wales ..................................14pts Tries: B Thomas 31, 77 Conversions: Anscombe 32, J Evans 77 Tries: Itoje 3, Roebuck 10,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 9 months ago

The 7-1 bench split must be given the boot

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week The reality of the 7:1 bench split is unmasked. The development...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Podcast

/ 9 months ago

PODCAST (S4, E26): France target Six Nations title and Wales target England scalp with Alex Cuthbert

After a cracking weekend of rugby in which the championship tilted in French favour following their stunning win in Dublin, Ollie...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 9 months ago

Francis Baron: It’s time for the entire RFU Board to go

By Nick Cain Francis Baron has called for the replacement of the entire RFU Board, adding a radical dimension to the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 9 months ago

Six Nations: France get back their va va voom to end Ireland’s Grand Slam hopes

By Nick Cain Ireland............................... 27pts Tries: Sheehan 43, Healy 77, Conan 81 Conversions: Prendergast 44, 78, 81 Penalties: Prendergast 35, 43...

By The Rugby Paper Team