James Haskell was too busy honing his deejaying skills to worry about regaining his England place over the summer after missing out on the series defeat by South Africa. Haskell, who returned to the England party for last week’s training camp, was left at home as Brad Shields and Tom Curry were given chances to…
Category: Rugby
Saracens front an American gold rush still seeking the nugget of success
The American gold rush is showing no signs of slowing down. Last week the Champions Cup organisers were the latest to announce plans to plant a flag on American soil, the Pro14 is casting a covetous eye Stateside, the Six Nations and the British & Irish Lions too. Ireland return to Chicago this autumn, having…
Manu Tuilagi: ‘I always expect to be good and that is the pressure’
Manu Tuilagi is reflecting on a run of injuries that have plagued his career at the very point the Leicester centre should have been in his prime. “Life is never a straight road,” he says, unless, that is, he has the ball under an arm and a hapless defender in his sights. It was not…
England’s Mako Vunipola ruled out of Six Nations with ankle injury
Mako Vunipola has been ruled out of England’s final three Six Nations matches. The Saracens prop, who missed the autumn campaign because of injury, suffered ankle ligament damage against France on Sunday and will be out of action for an expected 10 weeks. Vunipola has been instrumental in England’s winning start to the tournament. He…
Chris Boyd’s influence could extend beyond shaking up the Saints
There have been some eye-catching additions to the Premiership this summer, even if the clubs have generally avoided splurging as they grapple with mounting debts. Bristol have recruited the league’s first £1m-a-year player, Charles Piutau, and invested in what is left in the legs of the Wallabies flanker George Smith. Gloucester have fortified themselves with…
Woeful Wallabies stunned as Argentina win in Australia for first time since 1983
Australia slumped to their first home loss to Argentina in 35 years, falling 23-19 in Saturday night’s Rugby Championship Test. The Wallabies were once again left wanting in key departments as an energetic Los Pumas outfit continued their stunning rise under new coach Mario Ledesma. Not since 1983, in the first Test meeting between the…
Danny Cipriani makes an instant impact as Gloucester take flight against Saints
There was never any danger of what happened in Jersey cowing Danny Cipriani. The England fly-half marked his competitive debut for Gloucester by showing typical virtuosity, influencing the match not through the quantity of his output but its quality. He was the catalyst for Gloucester’s two first-half tries, often standing at second receiver to give…
Worcester’s Alan Solomons: ‘It is a different-level Premiership this year’
It is not yet Christmas and already this is a Premiership season like no other. Even Alan Solomons, Worcester’s much-travelled and vastly experienced director of rugby, cannot recall anything like it. Nine clubs, ranging from fourth-placed Wasps to bottom-placed Newcastle, being separated by a mere nine points is not conducive to a relaxing festive period….
Ireland’s Joe Schmidt prepares to host England in ‘brutal’ Six Nations opener
The 2019 Six Nations championship will not conclude until mid-March but rarely has the grand old tournament’s opening weekend been so pivotal. Even Ireland’s usually understated head coach, Joe Schmidt, is warning his players to brace themselves for a “brutal” first-round collision with England, with the visitors intent on easing the hurt of their fifth-placed…
Joe Marler rocks England’s World Cup plans with international retirement
Joe Marler has dropped a bombshell by retiring from England duty less than 12 months before the World Cup. The Harlequins prop has cited spending time with his young family as a key reason, stating he is unable to give all of himself to the England cause. The 28-year-old, who has won 59 caps, informed…