The All Blacks may be top of the rankings but according to their head coach, Steve Hansen, Ireland have overtaken them and become the best team in the world. After Ireland’s 16-9 win in Dublin, Hansen explained: “What it does do is this: I said this at the beginning of the week that these are…
Category: Rugby
European Champions Cup news: Maro Itoje returns for Saracens
Pool One Bath welcome the four-times winners Toulouse to the Recreation Ground but do so without their 20-year-old winger Joe Cokanasiga who has presented symptoms of delayed concussion this week, in more bad news for England. Taulupe Faletau is also absent, after breaking his arm in last Friday’s defeat by Exeter, so Zach Mercer is…
Eddie Jones addresses England breakdown with head of referees
Eddie Jones has held talks with the Rugby Football Union’s head of referees in an effort to solve England’s breakdown woes after a run of five defeats in six Test matches. Jones met Tony Spreadbury earlier this month to request the way the breakdown is refereed in the Premiership is brought closer into line with…
David Pocock to start against England but Kurtley Beale out of Australia squad
David Pocock has been named in Australia’s starting XV against England after recovering from a neck problem – just as their opponents’ head coach, Eddie Jones, predicted. Dylan Hartley loses out to Jamie George in England XV for Australia Pocock sat out training on Monday and did only light non-contact work on Tuesday, putting a…
Tackle laws make red cards likely in every game, says Shaun Edwards
Wales’s defence coach Shaun Edwards is encouraging his players to tackle lower to ensure they are not caught by the clampdown on tackles above shoulder height and sent off. Wales win over Australia would not be monkey off back, says Warren Gatland Edwards, who will become Wigan’s head coach after next year’s World Cup when…
Danny Cipriani waits on Eddie Jones’s response after player admits assault
Click:laser cutter service near me Eddie Jones is set to have the final say regarding Danny Cipriani’s England future after it emerged that the Rugby Football Union is not planning disciplinary action against the fly-half. Cipriani’s England career was placed in doubt on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest following…
England’s Michael Rhodes: do not doubt my commitment against South Africa
Not for many years has England’s pack required so much emergency rebuilding work. When South Africa scan their hosts’ team-sheet on Thursday they will find no sign of the Vunipola brothers, Joe Launchbury, Chris Robshaw, Nathan Hughes, Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Sam Simmonds nor, potentially, Courtney Lawes. In the back row, in particular, there is…
England kick off against Australia one home win short of a decent autumn
England will probably never encounter a Wallabies side surrounded by such low expectations. Not only have Saturday’s Twickenham visitors omitted the gifted Kurtley Beale and his old mate Adam Ashley-Cooper for breaching the team’s disciplinary code, but their key breakdown threat David Pocock has failed to recover from a neck injury. Michael Cheika has never…
Guzzler Retallick makes up for All Blacks’ lack of razzle-dazzle
They came to see Beaudy’s black magic – they left in awe of Brodie’s mastery of the dark arts. This will inevitably be remembered as the one New Zealand got away with but it would be an injustice to Brodie Retallick’s towering performance to say the TMO was the most influential figure at Twickenham. For…
Joe Marler has no regrets over England absence despite pull of Wales tussle
Joe Marler has admitted he would love to be playing for England against Wales on Saturday but insists he has no regrets over his international retirement despite Mako Vunipola’s injury-enforced absence. England head to Cardiff light on experience at loosehead prop after Vunipola was ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations with an…