Eddie Jones has returned fire in an escalating row over the number of injuries sustained at England training camps, insisting the Premiership clubs have “no right” to tell him how to coach his side following criticism from the Bath owner, Bruce Craig. Craig described the toll of England camps on his club as “totally unacceptable”,…
Category: Rugby
Finn Russell remains Scotland’s creative hub despite patchy form
Anyone surprised by the selection of Finn Russell for the Calcutta Cup match on Saturday failed to take into account two factors. One is the calm, forgiving nature of Gregor Townsend, the Scotland coach who, as a former stand-off, arguably has a keener insight than anyone else into Russell’s complex make-up. The other is the…
Australia end Ireland’s unbeaten run as David Pocock returns in style
From Surfers Paradise to total wipeout. Ireland’s 12-match winning run hit the rocks against a fired up Australia as David Pocock’s late try sank the Six Nations champions in Brisbane. Bernard Foley chipped in with 13 points but it was fitting that the back-rower, in his first international appearance since 2016, had the final say…
Sydney Convicts’ Bingham Cup win promises legacy to tackle homophobia
The Sydney Convicts have won both men’s divisions at the Bingham Cup – the world championships of LGBT rugby – in Amsterdam. A record 72 teams and about 2,500 players competed in the ninth edition of the tournament, which included a women’s trophy for the first time, won by locals the Amsterdam Lowlanders. The Sydney…
Warren Gatland has World Cup in mind as Wales face struggling Argentina
Warren Gatland is approaching the final year of his contract with Wales but is not slipping gently into his goodbye. The longest-serving head coach of a tier-one nation has assembled the strongest squad in his 11-year reign as he aims to go out at the top in Japan. Wales’s 2015 World Cup tilt was ultimately…
Hugo Bonneval settles France’s nerves with vital try against Italy
Hugo Bonneval’s second-half try proved pivotal as France ended their nine-match winless run and left Italy facing another Six Nations wooden spoon after a tense battle in Marseille. France’s 34-17 victory – their first since March – came despite an error-strewn display, with the hosts relying on the boot of the scrum-half Maxime Machenaud to…
Israel Folau escapes Rugby Australia sanction after revealing he offered to quit
Israel Folau has escaped sanction by Rugby Australia in the wake of his controversial comments on homosexuality after he said he offered to walk away from his contract and revealed that tension remains with the game’s administration over the issue. The Wallabies fullback wrote a lengthy piece on sports website Players Voice on Monday night,…
Ten questions to be answered at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
Who will win the inaugural women’s rugby sevens event? In a big win for gender equity in sport, women will participate in the Commonwealth Games in sevens for the first time. Australia is favourite for gold after securing the inaugural women’s Olympic gold at Rio, while they also currently sit 10 points clear of their…
Cape crusader Danny Cipriani on a mission in first England start since 2008
High on the list of things the 30-year-old Danny Cipriani would tell his younger self with the benefit of hindsight would be to keep believing. Over the past decade his high-profile career has taken more twists and turns than that of anyone else in modern English rugby but, finally, the white No 10 jersey is back…
Dazzling Danny Cipriani steers Wasps past Newcastle into third place
Quite where Danny Cipriani will be playing his rugby next season remains unclear but this was the latest glimpse of his rare talents as he prepares for the next chapter of his career. The enigmatic fly-half, who is leaving Wasps at the end of the campaign and is expected to move to France to join…