Not even Jonny Wilkinson started a championship match at fly-half while still a teenager. Few players ever have, and almost as few people will ever have heard of them, so long ago did they do it. Only Neil Jenkins, for Wales in 1991, has managed it since one Billy McCombe, for Ireland in 1968. Exactly….
Category: Rugby
Injured Chris Farrell set to miss Ireland’s Six Nations title charge
Chris Farrell is unlikely to feature in the final two rounds of the Six Nations after the Ireland centre twisted a knee in training on Tuesday. Ireland’s head coach, Joe Schmidt, initially laughed off the incident saying the other players had dubbed Farrell, a starter against Wales last weekend in place of Robbie Henshaw who…
Leigh Halfpenny gives Wales illness scare before England clash
Wales have suffered a scare before their Six Nations showdown with England on Saturday with Leigh Halfpenny sitting out Friday’s captain’s run due to illness. Wales will continue to monitor the fullback and there was a degree of confidence within the camp that Halfpenny will recover but it has left Warren Gatland sweating on one…
Scotland’s Ryan Wilson avoids ban as teams escape action over tunnel scuffle
The Scotland No 8 Ryan Wilson has escaped a ban for making contact with the eye area of his opposite number Nathan Hughes during the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield last weekend despite a disciplinary panel finding that he had committed an act of foul play. Wilson was cited two days after the match and charged…
Former Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip retires from rugby union at 34
The former Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 34. The 95-cap international made his debut in 2006 and went on to lead the side 13 times as well as winning five Test caps for the British and Irish Lions. Jacob Stockdale surges past Wales to keep…
England’s bid for Six Nations hat-trick serves as motivation to rivals
So here is a question: does history have any bearing on the outcome of a modern Six Nations championship? Eddie Jones is unconvinced and wants his England players to jettison any preconceptions before the 2018 edition. Doing so, he argues, will dynamite the annual mountain of psychological baggage and remove one of the bigger obstacles…
Ben Youngs set to miss Wales match after suffering knee injury
Ben Youngs could be ruled out of the rest of the Six Nations after the England head coach Eddie Jones confirmed the scrum-half has suffered what appeared to be a serious knee ligament injury in the victory over Italy. England’s 46-15 triumph was marred by the first-half injury sustained by Youngs which prompted a lengthy…
Ben Te’o ousts Jonathan Joseph to start for England against Italy in Six Nations
Ben Te’o has been handed only his second start for England after he was named at outside-centre to face Italy on Sunday. Te’o has not played at all since October due to an ankle injury but Eddie Jones has put him straight into his starting XV for England’s Six Nations opener. Te’o also started 12…
Ireland’s CJ Stander wary of France debutant Matthieu Jalibert
CJ Stander has warned Ireland to beware of the teenage France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert’s attacking craft when the two sides meet on Saturday. The 19-year-old Jalibert has made only 15 league appearances for Bordeaux Bègles but has been thrust into Les Bleus’ starting lineup for Jacques Brunel’s first game in charge. Ireland’s back row of…
Sports quiz of the week: Winter Olympics, Six Nations and bowls
Winter Olympics 2018 – full schedule