The England wing Joe Cokanasiga is set to be out of action until the new year and faces a battle to prove his fitness for the Six Nations after Bath confirmed he has suffered a torn medial knee ligament. Joe Cokanasiga has power and pace to add to England’s strength in depth Cokanasiga, who made…
Author: THEJOHNANTONIOBLOG
A Peter Brackley tribute, premature celebrations and Ironman triathlon
1) RIP Peter Brackley. He worked for Sky and ITV but for many, he was the voice of the 1990s as Serie A was beamed into our living rooms with Football Italia – it is a testament to his skill that the programme never felt poorer for a lack of co-commentator and there are few…
French rugby authorities call for lower tackle height after players’ deaths
French rugby authorities have called for a major change to reduce tackles to waist height after the death of the Stade Francais academy player Nicolas Chauvin this month. Chauvin, 19, died after breaking his neck in a match in Bordeaux and his funeral was held in Paris this week. He was the third young player…
Jonny May’s two tries against his old club take Leicester past Gloucester
At this time of year, fresh starts can quickly become false dawns, so Leicester’s bonus point win must be treated with caution, but we saw the Tigers at least bare their teeth. It was their second win in 11 matches and was fully deserved, with two tries from Jonny May against his former club proving…
Eddie Jones calls on England to ‘physically smash cheeky Japan’
Eddie Jones said England will look to “physically smash” his former side Japan at Twickenham on Saturday and advised them to “go to the temple and pray”. Jones declared England have got their mojo back after an agonising one-point defeat by New Zealand and vowed to prove it against Japan. In an effort to mimic…
Blair Kinghorn hat-trick sparks Scotland’s Six Nations victory over Italy
BLAIR Kinghorn scored Scotland’s first Championship hat-trick in 30 years as the home team got their Six Nations campaign off to a competent start against a limited Italian side. Stuart Hogg and Chris Harris also touched down as Gregor Townsend’s team had the bonus point wrapped up with 25 minutes to play, but some chaos…
Warren Gatland quick to look past Italy and towards England
The countdown now begins in earnest. Wales against England in Cardiff a week on Saturday will be some encounter. Warren Gatland insists the visitors will be the ones under pressure. A second-string Wales featuring 10 changes produced a disjointed display to edge past Italy in Rome. The result was predictable, the performance less so. Wales…
Women’s Six Nations: England’s Emily Scarratt warns of tough test in Ireland
England’s revolution begins in Dublin on Friday night, when the Women’s Six Nations kicks off in Dublin. Sarah Hunter, the England captain, will be anxious to show their Twickenham paymasters that awarding her and 27 other players full-time contracts will have the instant dividend of taking the grand slam title back from France. Ireland Women…
England pick Jack Nowell and Ben Moon to start against Wales
Jack Nowell and Ben Moon have been named to start for England against Wales on Saturday as Eddie Jones makes two changes to his side. Joe Cokanasiga, the 21-year-old winger who scored two tries in his first two England matches during the autumn, is also in line for a first Six Nations appearance having been…
The recipe for success – eating your way to Six Nations glory
If Eddie Jones is responsible for making sure England take the field for their first Six Nations fixture against Ireland with fire in their belly, a great deal of thought, science and dedication from a hidden team of experts goes into deciding what else ends up in there. Maro Itoje: England beating Ireland won’t be…