Todd Blackadder has urged Freddie Burns to “get back on the horse” on Saturday after his calamitous errors, insisting he has no problem throwing the Bath fly-half into the line of fire against Wasps. Burns’s clangers – celebrating a try too early and being caught unawares before dotting the ball down soon after missing a…
Month: March 2019
Team of the autumn internationals: from Cokanasiga to Leitch
Backs 15) Damian McKenzie (New Zealand) Will always keep opponents interested but no one on the planet has better footwork. Israel Folau runs him close although his old testament attitudes hardly help his case to be included in a world team. 14) Joe Cokanasiga (England) Early days but has already made a serious impression at…
Edinburgh have firm grip on Pool Five after victory at Newcastle
Much has rightly been made of Newcastle’s rise under Dean Richards but this match underlined the excellent work being done by another former Leicester legend as Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh claimed a famous and deserved victory. Both men enjoyed glittering careers during their spells at Welford Road and both ended up being sacked. While Richards went…
European Champions Cup 2018-19: pool-by-pool guide
Pool 1 A pool featuring four former winners and 11 titles but it is hard to see anything other than Leinster topping it with ease. Indeed, few would bet against them claiming a fifth title in May and becoming Europe’s most successful side, having pulled level with Toulouse last season. Back-to-back fixtures against Bath will…
Eddie Jones tells Danny Cipriani ‘your World Cup dream is on the line’
Eddie Jones has warned Danny Cipriani that any further off-field transgressions will end his chances of playing in next year’s World Cup. Jones travelled to Gloucester this week for a one-on-one meeting with the fly-half and the England coach has made clear he will not pick players who regularly attract adverse publicity. Speaking in Newcastle,…
Gloucester accuse RFU of witch-hunt against Danny Cipriani after charge
Gloucester have accused the Rugby Football Union of a witch-hunt against Danny Cipriani, whose England future is in serious doubt after the governing body charged the fly-half following his conviction for common assault and resisting arrest. In a considerable U-turn from the RFU, Cipriani was on Friday charged with “conduct prejudicial to the interests of…
Josh Beaumont and AJ MacGinty steer Sale to nervy win over Worcester
For those busily trying to work out how many millions the Premiership might currently be worth, this was not the Super Sunday fixture to dazzle would-be private equity suitors. A grey, slightly damp afternoon in Eccles is not the most reliably irresistible of televisual backdrops and comparisons with Manchester’s round-ball theatre of dreams up the…
Springboks hold on to inflict shock home defeat on the All Blacks
Winger Aphiwe Dyantyi scored two tries as the Springboks upset the form book to record a 36-34 victory over New Zealand in their Rugby Championship clash in Wellington on Saturday. It was the first loss by the All Blacks to the Springboks in New Zealand since 2009 and kept the southern hemisphere championship alive until…
Chris Ashton could face Premiership ban for Sale after red card in friendly
Chris Ashton is facing the prospect of being banned for the start of the new Premiership season after he was sent-off for fighting during Sale’s pre-season victory over Castres last Friday. Premiership elite players to be limited to 30 games a season Ashton has a nervous wait to discover if he is cited by the…
England call up Jonathan Joseph to Six Nations squad for Portugal trip
Jonathan Joseph has been added to England’s Six Nations squad despite making only one appearance in the past nine months. Eddie Jones has opted against any fly-half cover for the injured Owen Farrell, dashing Danny Cipriani’s hopes of a recall. Joseph’s addition is the only change to the squad to travel to Portugal on Wednesday,…