Manu Tuilagi’s hopes of making his England return on the summer tour of South Africa have been dealt a significant blow after he sustained the latest in a long line of injuries during Leicester’s nail-biting win against Wasps. To compound matters for England, Elliot Daly and Jonny May both came off with injuries in the…
Month: March 2019
Eddie Jones allowed to pick Brad Shields for England’s South Africa tour
Eddie Jones will have the green light to select Brad Shields for England’s summer tour of South Africa despite the fact that the New Zealand-born flanker could play up to six Super Rugby matches for the Hurricanes after the three-Test series against the Springboks. Shields, who joins Wasps next season, has been in excellent form in…
England fitness concern over Joe Launchbury before South Africa Test
Joe Launchbury is a doubt to start England’s opening Test against South Africa in Johannesburg due to a calf problem. I wouldn’t read too much into England’s Six Nations, says Stuart Lancaster The Wasps captain sustained the injury in training last week and was unable to join the squad for their first significant practice session…
Matt Toomua’s try turns game Leicester’s way against Harlequins
It was the 20th anniversary of the sacking of Bob Dwyer as Leicester’s director of rugby and there was a point in the second half when it seemed his compatriot Matt O’Connor was in danger of suffering the same fate. The Tigers were heading for their 11th defeat in 12 league and European Cup matches…
England’s coach Eddie Jones labels Bath owner ‘Donald Trump of rugby’
Eddie Jones has labelled Bruce Craig the “Donald Trump of rugby” as England’s head coach escalated his feud with the Bath owner. Craig ignited hostilities last week by criticising Jones’s methods after Beno Obano became the 15th player, five of them from the Recreation Ground, to sustain a training ground injury since the Australian took…
Exeter crush Newcastle and prove folly of England tour selection
Two potentially gripping semi-finals, two painfully one-sided outcomes. If Saracens were runaway winners in north London, the rumbling Exeter juggernaut proved even harder to stop beside the M5 on a gorgeous afternoon in Devon. Newcastle had made the long trip south with high hopes of troubling the champions; had their outside backs known in advance…
England’s Mike Brown says abusive fan had no right to accuse him of not trying
England’s Mike Brown has hit back at the fan who abused him and Joe Marler following the second Test defeat in Bloemfontein and says no one should ever accuse him or any other professional of showing a lack of effort. Brown and Marler were approached after the game by an irate England supporter loudly bemoaning…
Scotland seek way to win away in a Six Nations lacking consistent refereeing
Finding a way to win away. It was a conundrum that ensured Gregor Townsend did not get carried away last Saturday by Scotland’s first victory over England in 10 years. The head coach was already thinking about their next match against Ireland in Dublin and how to end years of failure on the road in…
Gregor Townsend seeks Scotland atonement against Argentina
Scotland’s players received a rocket after failing to achieve lift-off in Houston last weekend and their head coach, Gregor Townsend, expects atonement against an Argentina side who have forgotten what victory tastes like. USA beat Scotland in Houston for first win over major rugby nation Townsend has made eight changes for Saturday’s match in Resistencia from…
Saracens in play-offs with win over Bath as Joseph suffers ankle injury
Another desperate afternoon for Bath, and not a great one for England with Jonathan Joseph hobbling off with an ankle injury that may jeopardise his place on the summer tour of South Africa. For Saracens it was an emphatic bonus-point victory, confirming their place in the play-offs for the ninth season in a row, but the…