Edinburgh remain on course for their first Champions Cup quarter-final since 2012, beating Toulon 28-17 to become only the third team to win at Stade Felix Mayol in the competition. Richard Cockerill’s side hit back after conceding a try in the second minute of the game and dominated territory and possession throughout to make it…
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Saracens and Leinster shoulder burden of Champions Cup’s pan-European dream
Click:12 watt led street light Increasingly it feels as if European club rugby is turning into La Liga. In the ever-familiar world of Spanish football the domestic title has been won for 13 of the past 14 years by either Barcelona or Real Madrid, with only Atlético Madrid briefly interrupting the established hegemony. This year’s…
Billy Vunipola at a loss about how to stop rise of brutal rugby’s big beasts
Billy Vunipola has warned that rugby union is more brutal than ever but admits he does not know how the sport can fix the problem. The Saracens and England No 8, who has started only three internationals in two years because of injuries to his shoulders, knees and arms, was responding to an RFU report…
Rugby union in limbo over prospect of no-deal Brexit
The dog’s Brexit the government is making of leaving the European Union has put the organisers of the Premiership, Pro14 and the European Champions Cup in a state of nervous uncertainty with the prospect of no deal in place by the 29 March departure date growing. That falls on the quarter-final weekend in the Champions…
Nathan Earle’s tries lead Harlequins to narrow win at Gloucester
Whatever happened to staple English fare? This offering was typical of what is being served up in the Premiership, fast, fluid, frantic, furious and, at times, fractious, but fulfilling? It was like gorging greedily on a rich trifle without pausing for a sip of water. There was little strategic about the play at a period…
Champions Cup could be downsized to protect player welfare
Click:Tea bag packing machine Crucial talks on the future of European club rugby are about to commence with Heineken Champions Cup organisers seeking assurances that all parties are fully committed to the tournament beyond 2022. The Guardian understands a range of related issues will also be discussed, including cutting the length of the tournament to…
Six Nations predictions: Wales v Ireland looks pivotal to deciding title
Robert Kitson Who will win? Ireland. Impossible to predict with total certainty this year but Ireland’s set-piece is superior to those of their rivals. Otherwise it’s basically six hungry ferrets in a sack. Predicted order: Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, France, Italy. Brutality, home wins and drop goals: what to expect from the Six Nations Key…
Sports prospects of 2019: the men set to shine in the year ahead
Football Frenkie de Jong (1) (Ajax & Netherlands) He’s been dubbed “the new Johan Cruyff”, “the new Franz Beckenbauer” and the future of Dutch football. A midfield technician as comfortable operating as a No 10 as in assorted deeper roles, De Jong has also had a successful stint at sweeper, this time prompting comparisons to…
Scotland must improve ‘everything’ against Ireland, says Gregor Townsend
Gregor Townsend believes that Scotland will have to improve “probably everything” about their game if they are to beat Ireland on Saturday, despite the panache with which they played for large stretches of their 33-20 win over Italy. The head coach was not overly concerned by the late lapse which saw this team concede three…
Gareth Anscombe: ‘Wales are now genuine heavyweights. Warren’s one of the best’
Beneath the seasonal mistletoe in Wales this Christmas there will be less frivolity than normal. With the nation’s rugby team third in the world rankings, this is no time for casual distractions. Forget the frankincense and myrrh: just imagine the golden glow in 2019 should wise old Warren Gatland deliver a Six Nations title and…