Top 14

Letters

/ 1 year ago

Paul Sheehan

French show how it’s done AFTER five successive defeats, should England get rid of its overseas player rule? While they’re about...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

DREAMTEAM

ALFIE PETCH, THE GLOUCESTER AND FORMER ENGLAND U20, EXETER, CORNISH PIRATES, BIARRITZ AND NORTHAMPTON PROP, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

It’s not looking good for Lions from Wales

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW ONLY once in the last 100 years have the Lions chosen to play...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Plummer cashes in on five minutes of fame

HARRY Plummer’s imminent transfer from the Blues in Auckland to the Michelin Men of Clermont Auvergne may well leave him with...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Brendan Gallagher

/ 1 year ago

Time to recognise Etzebeth’s talents

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S THE World Rugby annual awards tonight, held...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Sadourny gets nod to replace Davidson

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Hat-trick man: Toulon wing Gael Drean runs in to score against Bayonne PICTURE: Getty Images IN April...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Nick Cain

/ 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

English Championship

/ 1 year ago

Simon Gillham must get justice for the Championship

Simon Gillham’s arrival as chair of the Championship/Tier 2 Board should be good news for English club rugby. Gillham, below, who...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Club Rugby

/ 1 year ago

Roll up, roll up: Crowds are rising to record levels

CROWD numbers in French rugby’s top two professional leagues have risen to record levels, according to figures released from the Ligue...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Club Rugby

/ 1 year ago

Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has – so far – been...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Autumn Internationals

/ 1 year ago

School time is over, says Will Rowlands

By Rob Cole Will Rowlands says “school time is over” for Warren Gatland’s Welsh squad and it is now time to...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Strong scrums must be rewarded – Adam Jones

By Paul Rees Adam Jones has called on the lawmakers to ensure sides with a strong scrum are rewarded amid rising...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

France have talent to spare

ON the face of it – and, indeed, at the heart of it – a back row combination of Charles Ollivon...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Galthie turns his sights to the future

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Not wanted: Charles Ollivon has been omitted from the France squad by coach Fabien Galthie PICTURES Getty...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Tuipulotu steps up for Scotland

GREGOR Townsend has named centre Sione Tuipulotu as captain for the autumn Tests against South Africa, Australia, Fiji and Portugal, while...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Autumn Internationals

/ 1 year ago

Joseph Sua’ali’i out to prove he’s worth the money

Australia coach Joe Schmidt has selected rugby league convert Joseph Sua’ali’i in his 34-man squad for the autumn internationals. The 21-year-old...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Maverick Jalibert makes his case

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN HOW do you solve a problem like Matthieu Jalibert? The 25-year-old Bordeaux fly-half is, undoubtedly, one of...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Antoine Dupont headlines our five key talking points from the weekend

By Charlie Elliott From Antoine Dupont’s ridiculous try-assist to newcomers announcing themselves and familiar faces returning in South Africa, this weekend has...

By Charlie Elliott

English Gallagher Premiership

/ 1 year ago

Titi Lamositele’s happy to do his talking on the pitch

By Jon Newcombe Titi Lamositele is happy at being the quiet achiever at Harlequins having moved to a club full of...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Diamond still has faith as Falcons battle on

THE Premiership’s bottom two sides, Newcastle and Exeter, faced each other at Kingston Park on Friday night – a match which...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Gustard needs to get Stade rocking

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE November break cannot come quickly enough for Stade Francais, no matter what happens against Clermont in...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Five Key Things to Look Out for in the Premiership this weekend

By Charlie Elliott The Premiership goes into the fifth round with fixtures as varied as they come, with the top two teams facing...

By Charlie Elliott

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

France Rugby strongly oppose the implementation of the 20-minute red card

Following World Rugby’s announcement to propose the global trial of new laws that will be reviewed by the Council, FFR (French...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

French lessons inspire Joe El-Abd

By Adam Hathaway Joe El-Abd, England’s new defence coach, revealed his time with Toulon’s Galacticos helped him realise you need more...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

10k run to training pays off for Temo Mayanavanua

By Jon Newcombe Every time Temo Mayanavanua sits down to watch the children’s TV show Cocomelon with his young son Elnathan,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 1 year ago

Manu Tuilagi makes mark for Bayonne

French Column, by James Harrington While the focus of French rugby attention is on Stade Ernest Wallon and the return to...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Brendan Gallagher

/ 1 year ago

Antoine Dupont & Co need to take on the very best

Rugby Matters By Brendan Gallagher - A weekly look at the game's other talking points I think we established long ago...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Brendan Gallagher

/ 1 year ago

Los Pumas have worked hard to forge own identity

Brendan Gallagher reports on how one country has built a rugby stronghold down in South America There was a time back...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Features

/ 1 year ago

I’ll play for Wales again, says Francis

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Strong man: Tomas Francis scoring for Wales against Georgia at last year’s World...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Stade get back into winning routine

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN WHEN does a bad start become a crisis? For Stade Francais it was the morning after last...

By The Rugby Paper Team

International Rugby

/ 1 year ago

Joe El-Abd steps up to replace Felix Jones as England defence coach

By Sam Jackson Oyonnax head coach Joe El-Abd has been appointed England’s defence coach, replacing Irishman Felix Jones. Former Bristol flanker...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Magnificent Sam Marques deserves place at the top table

The splendid Samuel Marques – 35 but still going strong and mulling coming out of international retirement – has been declared...

By The Rugby Paper Team

English Gallagher Premiership

/ 1 year ago

It’ll be tough for Steve Diamond to get Newcastle Falcons up the table

By Jeff Probyn, A front row view of the game The start of the Premiership season last week threw up, as...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Features

/ 1 year ago

Ten years on and a handful still stand

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Veteran: George Ford playing against Australia in November 2014 PICTURE: Getty Images NOVEMBER...

By The Rugby Paper Team

/ 1 year ago

Galthie’s plans will need a re-think

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FOUR weeks into the Top 14 season and six weeks out from France’s opening Autumn Nations Series...

By The Rugby Paper Team

International Rugby

/ 1 year ago

Joe El-Abd named England’s new defence coach

Former Bristol and Toulon flanker Joe El-Abd will replace Felix Jones as England defence coach. The Rugby Football Union confirmed 44-year-old...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Top 14

/ 1 year ago

Frisch in mood to impress Galthie

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Ambitious: Antoine Frisch is keen to make a mark in the international setup PICTURE: Getty Images ONE-TIME...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Zach Mercer focused on job at Kingsholm

By Bryn Palmer Zach Mercer has brushed aside speculation over his future and insists Gloucester can hit the ground running when...

By The Rugby Paper Team

English Championship

/ 1 year ago

Richard Barrington ready to power up Ampthill

By Jon Newcombe Richard Barrington has signed up to the Ampthill “Mob” and reassured that he’ll still have a target on...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Bordeaux enjoy a 10-try feast

BORDEAUX-Begles finished last season at the end of June on the receiving end of the most one-sided of all French finals,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

James Harrington

/ 1 year ago

Henry Chavancy notches No. 400 for Racing 92

French Column - By James Harrington Racing 92’s veteran centre Henry Chavancy reached a remarkable career milestone on Saturday when he...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Stuart Lancaster: Owen Farrell will be key to Racing 92 Success

Racing 92 head coach Stuart Lancaster believes that Owen Farrell’s development over the last decade will be key to the Parisians’...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Scarlets sign Australia A prop Archer Holz

Scarlets have signed Australia A and former Brumbies, Waratahs, and La Rochelle tighthead prop Archer Holz.

By The Rugby Paper Team

Top 14

/ 1 year ago

Castres steal it in dramatic late show

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The big kick-off: Henry Arundell scored Racing’s first try of the season but it was not a...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Bayonne centre Manu Tuilagi to miss start of season

Manu Tuilagi will miss the start of the upcoming Top 14 season for new club Bayonne after breaking his hand.

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Maro Itoje the new Saracens captain

England lock Maro Itoje has been named as the new captain of Saracens for the upcoming English Premiership season.

By The Rugby Paper Team

Brendan Gallagher

/ 1 year ago

Catch this team of nations on camera

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER FLY on the wall sporting documentaries seem to...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Tykes out to get it right this time

National 2 North BY BEN JAYCOCK LEEDS Tykes are embracing their big club mentality and heavy favourites tag ahead of the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 year ago

Brive get one over title rivals Oyonnax

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN PICTURES: Getty Images Impressive debut: Courtney Lawes playing for Brive against Oyonnax. Inset, Jonny May COURTNEY Lawes...

By The Rugby Paper Team