Ask anyone at Bath to nominate the toughest member of their squad and they all say the same name. “I wouldn’t want to be playing against him,” mutters Todd Blackadder, the former All Blacks captain now in charge at the Recreation Ground. Another colleague, Beno Obano, goes a step further: “If I had to choose…
Month: March 2019
No fizz for Wales despite securing second place in Six Nations
Like all the coaches bar Joe Schmidt, like all the teams bar Ireland, Warren Gatland and Wales finished the Six Nations Championship in subdued mood, pondering where they are and how far off the trailblazing grand slam winners they might be. Gatland wrestled manfully with the warring impulses to offer due respect to the champions…
Scotland 25-13 England: how the players rated in the Six Nations
Scotland Stuart Hogg 6 The full-back did not have the chance to make too many counterattacks but gave a steady display and was a rock in defence. Tommy Seymour 6 Always looked dangerous and made some telling breaks in the first half but worryingly had to be helped off after 64 minutes. Huw Jones 7…
Higher costs may lead to sporting events shunning Britain after Brexit
Major sporting events including rugby and cricket World Cups are less likely to be held in post-Brexit Britain, the House of Lords has been warned. It is feared increased cost of visas for athletes and less availability of staff at stadiums could force up the price of holding events in Britain. This may reduce the…
Scotland’s Finn Russell orchestrates a harsh lesson for England
Every now and again comes a reminder of why the Six Nations still exerts a powerful hold on the imagination. Out of a clear blue Edinburgh sky has also come a scoreline which has transformed this season’s championship and given England a lot to contemplate. It is now entirely possible the visitors’ dreams of a…
Michael Hooper sweats on Wallabies win as Australia face Ireland
Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper has underlined the importance of Australia reversing their recent mid-year fortunes with a season-opening Test victory over Ireland. Australia’s past two years of international rugby have been blighted by poor starts in June, losing 3-0 to England in 2016 and falling to Scotland in a one-off clash last year. They led…
Brad Barritt back from injury in time to lead Saracens against Leinster
Brad Barritt will lead Saracens in their Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster after displaying miraculous powers of recovery from a broken cheekbone, but the defending champions remain concerned about the fitness of Owen Farrell and will be without Billy Vunipola on Sunday. Barritt played on after sustaining the injury against Harlequins last Saturday but the…
Leinster into European Champions Cup final after Sexton smites Scarlets
When the venue for the semi-final was announced there were mutterings of discontent in Wales that Leinster had been given an unfair advantage, playing home and away, but this game could have been staged anywhere in the world and the outcome would have been the same given the pace, precision, purpose and power of the…
Warren Gatland admits James Davies adds to Wales selection predicament
Deep inside San Juan’s Estadio del Bicentenario the Wales head coach could not help but raise a smile. Warren Gatland had just been asked about his plethora of back-row options leading up to the World Cup next year, barely minutes after watching James Davies produce a man-of-the-match display in his team’s 23-10 victory against Argentina…
Sam Simmonds in England squad for Six Nations game against France
Sam Simmonds has been named in England’s squad to prepare for Saturday’s Six Nations match against France. It was initially thought he would not be available until the final weekend of the tournament due to a shoulder injury but he will join the squad on Sunday and will be assessed by England before it is…