Pau - The Rugby Paper

Tag: Pau

I’m loving every single minute

21 April 2024 0 comments

Mark Stevens finds former Exeter Chiefs playmaker Joe Simmonds enjoying his new life in France In the picturesque town of Pau nestled at the foot […]

Long wait for away win goes on for Dragons

21 April 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Benetton………..36pts Tries: Smith 7, Lucchesi 30, Uren 35, Ratave 45, Iachizzi 71, Lamaro 75 Conversions: Albornoz 8, 36, Umaga 76 Dragons………….19pts Tries: […]

JIFF looks likely to play a vital role

21 April 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON – FRENCH COLUMN It’s logical – as the final stop-start sprint in a hard-fought Top 14 season begins – to think purely in […]

Connacht know they must rise to the occasion

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Benetton v Connacht Today. Kick-off 12.30pm CONNACHT know they will have to go up a gear to see off Benetton today. […]

Bundee’s back to boost Connacht

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Pau v Connacht Today. 5.30pm IRELAND duo Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham come into the starting XV as Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins names […]

‘Immortal’ Whitelock to retire

7 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON NEW Zealand’s mostcapped player Sam Whitelock will retire at the end of the French club season in June. The lock, who played […]

Young Guns: Rams and England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt

7 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK George Makepeace-Cubitt was the only player in England U20s’ victorious Six Nations squad not connected to a Premiership club but the talented […]

Japan rugby full of talent, warns Savea

31 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Ardie Savea has issued a warning to England not to underestimate Japan in the two sides’ first ever meeting in Tokyo this […]

It’s time to consider talent, not geography

24 March 2024 0 comments

If everyone is heading to French club rugby, including the England centurion Courtney Lawes, it makes Courtney Lawes right: rival unions need to rise above […]

Toulon heading in right direction

24 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOULON coach Pierre Mignoni earned something of a reprieve this weekend, as his side’s 54-7 win over Montpellier at Stade Mayol […]

Band of brothers grab the glory

17 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK France………………………….31pts Tries: Ferte 12, Gourgues 24, Carbonneau 26, Castro 45 Conversions: Reus 13, 25, 27, 46 Penalties: Reus 56 England……………………… 45pts Tries: […]

Toulouse and Stade in line for a race to glory

17 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The top two tiers of French domestic rugby have been on hiatus this weekend, giving fans a clear run at the […]

Ireland deny England title in a thriller

10 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK England U20………………. 32pts Tries: Carnduff 3, Spencer 55, James 68, Waghorn 76 Conversions: Kerr 4, 69, 78 Penalties: Kerr 11, 35 Ireland […]

Battling U20s still have a lot to learn

10 March 2024 0 comments

England U20s entertaining 32-32 draw with Ireland in Bath on Friday night was pure curate’s egg. The good part was that they had the scrummaging […]

Oyonnax have to keep on believing

10 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Oyonnax manager Joe El-Abd promised last week that his side would ‘fight to the end’ following their so-near-so-far 35-39 home defeat […]

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. […]

Big two leading charge

3 March 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON STADE Francais and reigning champions Toulouse look set to continue their twohorse race for top spot with both victorious this weekend. Paris-based Stade […]

Still out in front, the rocks of ages

25 February 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW They have been resting in the front row of the Pantheon now for almost half a century, […]

Collazo may risk all to beat the drop

25 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It is a truth universally accepted in French domestic rugby that the side propping up the Top 14 at Christmas is […]

Toulon need to win over the critics

18 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious whether a side is in good shape or not. A simple look at the Top 14 […]

Calvet’s likely to step in at Agen

11 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France Under-20s coach Sebastien Calvet has emerged as favourite to replace Bernard Goutta on the conveyor-belt of managers at ProD2 side […]

Davidson relief as Castres stop rot

4 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The afternoon after the Friday-night chastening Six Nations defeat in Marseille before, a subdued French rugby audience tuned in to the […]

Galthie looking for mix of renewal and continuity

28 January 2024 0 comments

Six Nations team-by-team previews: France James Harrington anticipates an Era of Expectation from the side who stalled at the World Cup Fracncehead coach Fabien Galthie […]

Lyon get it right against Perpignan

28 January 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON In a league featuring the likes of Racing 92 and Toulouse, Toulon and La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Stade Francais, there’s a ‘big match’ […]

Pau ………………..28 Zebre …………….27

21 January 2024 0 comments

JOE Simmonds was the star of the show as he contributed 18 points in Pau’s win over Italian side Zebre. Zebre fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli missed […]

Lucu the man to replace Dupont

21 January 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN An email drop and social media flurry confirmed the line-up of France’s 34-player training squad for the Six Nations, which kicks […]

Cheetahs excited for trip to Dam

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Cheetahs v Pau Today. 1pmTHE Cheetahs are gearing up for this historic clash as the South African franchise host a match […]

Farrell’s future the only talk in town…

7 January 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Fabien Galthie will have a reduced training squad for the 2024 Six Nations after a player release agreement was reached between […]

Simmonds is facing a fight for survival

31 December 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE final weekend of 2023 – and we’re almost at the halfway point of the Top 14 season. There’s still a […]

The French out in front? That’s not how it looks

24 December 2023 0 comments

With 12 victories in 16 games, Paul Rees reflects on a promising start by English clubs in the Champions Cup It has been a chastening […]

Derby day double act for regions

24 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Fixtures: Tuesday December 26: Cardiff v Dragons, Kick-off 3pm Scarlets v Ospreys, Kick-off 5.15pm Boxing Day action sees back-to-back Welsh derbies as […]

O’Gara’s problems keep on coming

24 December 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Australian hooker Tolu Latu went straight into La Rochelle’s matchday squad for pre-Christmas trip to Stade Francais, days after completing a […]

Dungeon of obscurity needs to be shut

17 December 2023 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT Barely able to buy a round of drinks, let alone a win – the good men and true of Kingsholm are up against […]

Late drama as Dragons denied at the death

17 December 2023 0 comments

By DAVID JOHN DRAGONS were denied back-to-back Challenge Cup victories in the final play of the game as Pau registered their first win of the […]

Sharks excited for derby tear up

17 December 2023 0 comments

Preview Cheetahs vSharks Today. 1pm By BEN JAYCOCK THE Sharks and Cheetahs both go into today’s Challenge Cup derby in high spirits after opening round […]

Toulouse’s victory over Quins is top of my list

17 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS THE greatest single performance in the Heineken Cup? That’s a tricky one, there have been so many, but when pressed I normally opt […]

Challenge Cup round two Friday and Saturday preview

15 December 2023 0 comments

Having got their campaign underway with victory last week, Gloucester are now back to nearly full strength for a crucial match against Clermont under the […]

Pau no match for powerful Sharks

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Sharks ……….. 45 Pau ………………… 5 LUKHANYO Am and Eben Etzebeth scored two tries apiece as the Sharks launched their maiden Challenge […]

Challenge Cup round one Friday and Saturday preview

8 December 2023 0 comments

Gloucester will be looking to get their season back on track as they face Black Lion, with their opposition becoming the first Georgian team to […]

Georgia happy to be joining the party

3 December 2023 0 comments

The Challenge Cup is being used to widen boundaries. A Georgian side, Black Lion which will play its home matches in Tbilisi, has been included […]

Laporte & Co hit the panic button

3 December 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A week after ripping out their coaching set-up and employing an Etch-a-Sketch style reset to their season, Montpellier officially hit the […]

Cockerill goes out, Collazo comes in

26 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TIME was very firmly called on Richard Cockerill’s brief run as Montpellier manager six days ago, after just five months and […]

Welsh warrior bows out in style

19 November 2023 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Rugby – even thoroughly modern professional rugby – sometimes proves it still has at least a little room for a smidgeon […]

Lions of Europe would be a fine team to watch

5 November 2023 0 comments

A long time ago I concluded that the self-interest of the Six Nations runs so deep, and they are so frightened of rugby advancing elsewhere […]

Exeter’s Simmonds signs for Pau

4 June 2023 0 comments

TOP 14 side Pau have signed Exeter Chiefs fly-half Joe Simmonds on a twoyear deal. The 26-year-old, who captained Exeter to the 2020 European Champions […]

Simmonds: We can take down holders

30 April 2023 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Joe Simmonds is adamant Exeter Chiefs’ collective desire and mental steel can help them overcome the individual flair and brilliance of holders […]

Cardall closing in on move to Falcons

5 February 2023 1 comment

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Wasps lock Tim Cardall is heading back to the Premiership next season after his contract with Super Rugby […]

Six Nations squads in-depth: France

22 January 2023 0 comments

Grand Slam champions France go into this year’s Six Nations without several key players as Fabien Galthie endures an ever growing casualty list. Second row […]

Blair excited to face Castres

15 January 2023 3 comments

Preview Castres v Edinburgh Today. Kick-off 1pm CO-CAPTAINS Grant Gilchrist and Jamie Ritchie return for Edinburgh’s Champions Cup match against Castres at Stade Pierre-Fabre The […]