Warren Gatland saw Wales given a real scare by Italy and then warned his team of potential embarrassment if they repeat a similar performance against England. There are both positives and negatives for Gatland to consider; he made 10 changes here and afterwards alluded to the fact that may have been a mistake. Still, Rome…
Month: March 2019
Conor Murray ruled out of Ireland autumn Test against New Zealand
Conor Murray will not play for Ireland against New Zealand in Dublin on Saturday in an encounter between the leading two teams in the world rankings. The Lions scrum-half, who has not played since the summer because of a neck injury, has resumed training but will make his comeback for Munster in the coming weeks….
All Blacks fearing autumn fall after Rassie Erasmus’s surprise lesson
New Zealand have looked down on the rest from the top of the world rankings for more than 10 years, but their position appears a little less secure after a Rugby Championship campaign during which they lost at home against a resurgent South Africa and avoided being doubled on Saturday only by fashioning two late…
‘I was buzzing when I heard’ – George starts in England XV to face Australia
England’s final teamsheet of the year marks a new beginning. For the first time in a major Twickenham Test against a leading nation, Jamie George has been picked at hooker in preference to a fit Dylan Hartley, while Manu Tuilagi is finally ready to rejoin the international fray off the bench for the first time…
Heady mix of fight and flight recalls Eddie Jones’ vision of Englishness
Beneath all the mud and muck, you can just about make out the faded “England 2015” branding the RFU put up around Twickenham for the last World Cup. No doubt they have tried to scrub it out, along with almost everything else that happened in that tournament, but the shadows of the letters are still…
Even Leicester are not free from the threat of relegation this winter
Premiership clubs are swelled this weekend by the return of their international players, most of whom are thrust straight back into action in a season when the battle to avoid relegation looks like overshadowing the race for the top. Nathan Earle’s double helps Harlequins stun Premiership leaders Exeter Exeter and Saracens have built up such…
Henry Slade scores twice as England stun Ireland in Six Nations
England may have won a grand slam and a Six Nations title under Eddie Jones as well as a series in Australia, but this was their first performance under him when they looked like a team capable of toppling New Zealand at the top of the world rankings. Ireland, the champions who in the past…
Wallabies make four changes as they look to improve Bledisloe Cup set-piece
Props Tom Robertson and Sekope Kepu have paid the price for Australia’s poorly performing scrum by being dropped to the bench for the second Bledisloe Cup-Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday. Regular first-choice loosehead prop Scott Sio, who was injured and missed last week’s 38-13 loss to the All Blacks,…
Target the lineout and slow it down: how England can beat the All Blacks
Kick to back three – if you can contest Steve Hansen’s team selection gives us an idea of where New Zealand’s mindset is. I know they have been wanting to field two playmakers for a while and with Damian McKenzie at full-back it takes a bit of the load off Beauden Barrett. McKenzie is another…
Owen Farrell may be co-captain but Dylan Hartley will be in charge
Will co-captains lead to co-ckups? Eddie Jones was asked the question – though not in so many words – after announcing that Dylan Hartley and Owen Farrell will be England’s joint leaders until the end of the side’s involvement in the World Cup next year. Co-captains have become common in recent seasons: Jones put Chris…