Eddie Jones has been told there is no absolute guarantee he will remain as England’s head coach until the 2019 Rugby World Cup despite his team’s victory in the third Test against South Africa. Rugby Football Union officials have stressed, however, that Jones retains their support after a season during which England finished fifth in…
Author: THEJOHNANTONIOBLOG
The stats don’t lie – the breakdown has cost England the Six Nations
Click:kimi api One statistic highlights why Ireland have taken over from England as the Six Nations champions and explains why Eddie Jones invited the South African referee Marius van der Westhuizen to training this week before the match against their successors on Saturday. No team have created more rucks in this year’s Six Nations than…
Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding remain in rugby wilderness after acquittals
On Monday it will be 40 days and nights since Paddy Jackson’s solicitor was asked what the future held for his client and his fellow Ulster team-mate Stuart Olding. The pair had just been acquitted of rape charges after a high-profile court case at Belfast’s high court and, according to his legal representative, Jackson simply…
Saracens champions again as Chris Wyles leads conquest of Exeter
It was apt that Chris Wyles signed off his Saracens career with two tries after another final in which the team that had finished first came second. Exeter lacked the wiles of their opponents, sticking to the possession formula that has brought them so much reward this season without taking ownership of the game after…
George North the star of the show as Wales coast past Italy
If Northampton want George North to play for them again, they should arrange a fixture against Italy. The Lions wing, who was accused by the Saints the previous week of an unwillingness to appear against Sale, scored two tries as Wales climbed to second in the table to take his total against the Azzurri to…
Christian Wade double helps Wasps to win over struggling Worcester
The pitches are firming up, the clouds are clearing and Wasps are coming into their own. They barely moved out of third gear, certainly in the second half, but, such is the torque of their sports cars on the wide outside, third gear was quite enough. Worcester can play a bit, as two late consolation…
Wayne Pivac’s thrilling Scarlets put heart and soul back into Welsh rugby
After the Scarlets had beaten La Rochelle last month to reach their first European Cup semi-final for 11 years, Phil Bennett closed his eyes and was transported back to Stradey Park, the ramshackle, resonant ground where he had made his name as a fly-half from the end of the 1960s when Carwyn James coached Llanelli,…
Precedent is everything in the murky, confused world of TMO decisions
Warren Gatland decried a “terrible mistake” by the TMO after Wales’s defeat to England last weekend and prompted an admission from World Rugby that the law had not been properly applied when Gareth Anscombe beat Anthony Watson to the ball over England’s line at Twickenham. The television match official Glenn Newman ruled that Anscombe had…
England’s Billy Vunipola feeling fit for South Africa after Aussie Rules injury
If there was any doubt as to whether Billy Vunipola’s luck with injuries has been out for the past 18 months, his explanation of an aggravated hamstring injury should end all debate. Eddie Jones is not yet convinced Vunipola is ready for the first Test against South Africa on 9 June but the player is,…
Maro Itoje’s agent banned for 22 months after breach of betting regulations
Maro Itoje’s agent has been suspended for 22 months by the Rugby Football Union after being found guilty of breaching betting regulations. Matt Hart of the Stellar Group, which also represents Gareth Bale and Taulupe Faletau, was found guilty of two breaches – betting on rugby matches and receiving proceeds, as well as non-cooperation with…