England are bracing themselves for a bittersweet evening in Coventry on Friday. For while Sarah Hunter’s side should overcome an Ireland team smarting from a home defeat by Scotland, it is likely they will learn after the match at the Ricoh Arena that France have secured their fifth grand slam. France’s 18-17 win over England…
Category: Rugby
England 15-24 Ireland: how the Six Nations players at Twickenham rated
England Anthony Watson 5 A miserable two weeks, that yellow card in Paris followed by an unlucky part in Ringrose’s try before he was carried off. Jonny May 6 Came more into the game after the break with some straight running into the heart of the Irish defence and scored a well-taken late consolation try….
Wasps’ James Haskell ready to take pay cut to extend England career
Click:Glass candle container James Haskell said he will happily take a pay cut to extend his England career as far as the 2019 World Cup, insisting that he considers the reward on offer in Japan a more lucrative proposition than a bumper contract overseas. Haskell will leave Wasps after 12 years across two spells in…
World Rugby ditches match official after ‘oversight’ of attending England training
Marius van der Westhuizen has been replaced as an assistant referee for England’s Six Nations finale against Ireland on Saturday with World Rugby accepting it made “an oversight” by allowing the South African to join an England training session this week. Van der Westhuizen, who has been replaced by Nigel Owens, attended England’s base on…
Garry Ringrose the centre of attention as Ireland name side to face Scotland
Garry Ringrose will become the third player to wear Ireland’s No 13 shirt in this season’s Six Nations after being named for Saturday’s meeting with Scotland at the Aviva Stadium. The 23-year-old has shaken off ankle trouble suffered in January, and his return helps ease the losses of Robbie Henshaw, Chris Farrell and Jared Payne. Henshaw…
Brad Shields asks for New Zealand release in order to play for England
Brad Shields has made an official request to be released by New Zealand Rugby for England’s tour of South Africa in an attempt to smooth a path towards making his debut for Eddie Jones’s side in June. The NZR chief executive, Steve Tew, confirmed that Shields had made the request and that the union is…
Dylan Hartley and Elliot Daly given 24 hours to prove England fitness
Dylan Hartley and Elliot Daly have been given an extra 24 hours in their efforts to prove their fitness to face Ireland on Saturday after England named a bloated squad for their final Six Nations match. Hartley and Daly are progressing from calf and foot injuries respectively but face a race against time as England…
Exeter should not be underestimated despite big names of Saracens
Scanning the Exeter team list on grand final day is to be reminded of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid being pursued on horseback by a mysterious posse who never take a wrong turn. “They’re beginning to get on my nerves,” mutters Butch. “Who are those guys?” Jonny Hill, Alec Hepburn and Joe Simmonds are…
Russia handed World Cup place as Romania penalised for ineligible player
Russia will appear at the World Cup next year after Romania, Spain and Belgium were all sanctioned for fielding ineligible players in the Rugby Europe Championship, which acts as the qualification tournament. Joy of Six Nations overshadows Spain’s pain and fears for the game | Robert Kitson Romania have said they will appeal against the…
Tom Prydie: ‘I have fought for a long time to get back into the Wales side’
Even at the start of the year, Tom Prydie’s international career look to have dissolved into a quiz question. When the wing won his first cap at the end of the 2010 Six Nations, less than a month after his 18th birthday, he was the youngest player to have been capped by his country, and…