Nick Cain

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

England 16-15 Scotland: Fin Smith has diamonds on the soles of his shoes

By Nick Cain at Twickenham England ..............................16pts Try: Freeman 9 Conversion: M Smith 9 Penalties: M Smith 56, 67; F Smith...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Cut bench in half to make a game of it

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week The bench is damaging rugby union, and this Six Nations should...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Podcast

/ 10 months ago

PODCAST (S4, E23): Calcutta Cup and Six Nations R3 Preview with Scotland Great Craig Chalmers

It’s almost time for the third round of the 2025 Six Nations, and the headline fixture of the weekend takes place...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Ex-Navy chief aims broadside at ‘one-way’ RFU Roadshow

By NICK CAIN PADDY McAlpine, the chairman of Chichester RFC – a level six community club – has slammed the RFU...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Six Nations – England need to be more consistent

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Driving force: Tom Willis has the power to make headway up...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Come in No.10! – Jarrod Evans, ninth time the charm?

By Nick Cain Should Marcus Smith’s understudy at Harlequins find himself back on Six Nations duty this weekend at long last,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Podcast

/ 10 months ago

PODCAST (S4, E22): Warren Gatland goes and England sink France with Jamie Noon

A weekend full of statement wins and in the aftermath, a mid-tournament coaching departure. Join the guys to review how England...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Six Nations

/ 10 months ago

Six Nations: England ecstasy as Fin Smith seizes the day against France

By Nick Cain at Twickenham England ............................. 26pts Tries: Lawrence 36, Freeman 58, Baxter 70, Daly 79 Conversions: M Smith 36,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Freddie Steward, take a tip from the best…

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Freddie Steward was not England’s worst performer against Ireland. However, the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Six Nations Predictions League: Round Two with Brett Igoe and The Rugby Analyst

Ahead of round two, the boys from the podcast, alongside this week’s guest, Irish analyst Brett Igoe and YouTube’s Rich Isaac...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Six Nations – England wilt in Dublin’s red hot furnace

By Nick Cain Ireland............................... 27pts Tries: Gibson-Park 35, Aki 52, Beirne 64, Sheehan 72 Conversions: Crowley 65, 73 Penalty: Prendergast 56...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Miscellaneous

/ 10 months ago

Stop giving No.9s so much protection

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Welcome to the 2025 Six Nations, and, unfortunately, a new abomination...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Six Nations Predictions League: Round One with Jeremy Guscott and The Rugby Analyst

Ahead of the 2025 Six Nations opener in Paris tonight the boys from the podcast, alongside this week’s guests, England legend...

By Jeremy Guscott

Podcast

/ 10 months ago

PODCAST: (S4, E20) – Six Nations Championship Preview with Jeremy Guscott and the Rugby Analyst

Here. We. Go. The Six Nations is just two sleeps away and we can’t wait! Join host Ollie Little and a...

By Jeremy Guscott

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Time to be brave and start with Henry Pollock at flanker for England

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Are England fit for purpose going into the Six Nations? Steve...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 10 months ago

Do the right thing, Bill Beaumont, and tell Bill Sweeney to be on his way

By Nick Cain Bill Beaumont has a duty to advise Bill Sweeney that his tenure as RFU chief executive is...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Podcast

/ 11 months ago

S4, E19: England & Scotland hit by injuries, French clubs fire and South Africans slump

What to make of that Champions Cup weekend? On one hand we saw a classic in Northampton’s victory over Munster, however...

By The Rugby Paper Team

International Rugby

/ 11 months ago

Good news on Maro Itoje, but England’s problems persist

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Having been a long-time advocate of Maro Itoje as England captain,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 11 months ago

Sorry, Nick, but it’s different in France

NICK Cain has spent several issues arguing the case for promotion from the Championship and made an unfavourable comparison with French...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Club Rugby

/ 11 months ago

Ollie Lawrence’s play-acting was shameful to watch

Ollie Lawrence’s sham injury in the closing minutes of a knife-edge finish between Northampton and Bath at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 11 months ago

2025 Predictions: More Antoine Dupont dominance + The British & Irish Lions to win down under

2025 has begun and a year of rugby excitement awaits. With it being a World Cup year for the Women’s game...

By Charlie Elliott

Letters

/ 11 months ago

We need return to the County game

In Rugby Paper December 29, Paul Rees refers to Exeter’s Rob Baxter, whose club were bottom of the Premiership after eight...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 11 months ago

Hybrid Hash will tie Steve Borthwick in knots

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week The description ‘Hybrid Central Contracts’ does not inspire confidence. Hybrid usually...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 11 months ago

Steve Diamond adjusts the cap to fit

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week The season of good cheer got a kick-start last week with...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 11 months ago

No surprise as France show how it’s done

By Nick Cain Vannes versus Bordeaux is one of my highlights of the 2024-25 season so far, because if you want...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 12 months ago

Call to axe Sweeney ‘as soon as possible’

By NICK CAIN BILL Sweeney’s tenure as RFU chief executive is in a precarious position after Bill Beaumont’s announcement as an...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 12 months ago

Bill Beaumont needs to show clear thinking

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week Bill Beaumont is stepping into a saloon in which the tables...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 12 months ago

Beaumont needs to show clear thinking

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BILL Beaumont is stepping into a saloon in which the tables and chairs...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 12 months ago

Beaumont needs to show clear thinking

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BILL Beaumont is stepping into a saloon in which the tables and chairs...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Podcast

/ 12 months ago

S4, E16: Rugby Paper Podcast 2024 Awards and Champions Cup debate

In our last episode of 2024, the gang is back together in full force. Host Ollie Little and columnists Nick Cain,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 12 months ago

Hundreds of voices cannot be ignored

FOLLOWING Nick Cain’s TRP articles and others in the national press, and the calls from the three former RFU chairmen for...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Champions Cup

/ 12 months ago

Ring fence has made English rugby go soft

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week The most positive aspect to come out of the opening round...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Podcast

/ 12 months ago

S4, E15: Jack Kenningham talks Champions Cup, Ilona Maher, England prospects and Harlequins Big Game 16

Join us for this week’s episode of the Rugby Paper Podcast as Harlequins flanker Jack Kenningham joins host Ollie Little and...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 12 months ago

Calls for RFU chiefs to quit at fever pitch

Mounting calls for RFU chiefs to quit By Nick Cain Calls for Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive, and Tom Ilube,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

British and Irish Lions

/ 12 months ago

My British & Irish Lions team are ready for take-off

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week... There is a view that picking a Lions Test team almost...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Pressure builds on RFU chief to resign

By Nick Cain Tom Ilube’s tenure as RFU Board Chairman, and his financial credentials, will come under increased scrutiny with the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 1 year ago

Tough for clubs to get permission for 10,001

I HAVE every sympathy with my old friend Simon Halliday, the outgoing Chairman of the Championship Board, and the Championship clubs...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

It’s time for a root and branch clearout at RFU

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week In what sort of world does the wage packet of one...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Autumn Internationals

/ 1 year ago

We’ll reject changes to promotion, vow Championship clubs

By Nick Cain Championship clubs are refusing to accept late changes to promotion-relegation regulations. They assert it contravenes the RFU Council’s...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Autumn Internationals

/ 1 year ago

Steve Borthwick can’t afford another run of failure

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week When it comes to “jam tomorrow” England teams have produced more...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Autumn Internationals

/ 1 year ago

Cheslin Kolbe’s double piles the pain on England

By Nick Cain England...............................20pts Tries: Sleightholme 4, Underhill 26 Conversions: Smith 5, 27 Penalties: Smith 16, 52 South Africa..................... 29pts Tries:...

By The Rugby Paper Team

/ 1 year ago

Mega-league plan will have to overcome huge hurdles

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week If 200 of the world’s highest-paid players are about to join...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Autumn Internationals

/ 1 year ago

More heartache for England as Aussies steal it at the death

By Nick Cain at Twickenham England ............................. 37pts Tries: Cunningham-South 5, 12; Sleightholme 57, 68, Itoje 78 Conversions: Smith 13, 68,...

By The Rugby Paper Team