Eddie Jones recently explained that Owen Farrell is not the kind of player to be wrapped in cotton wool. He may want to think again. If this victory, ultimately comprehensive but anything but comfortable, told us anything it is that England’s reliance on Farrell remains almost total; going into next year’s World Cup without him…
Category: Rugby
Wales will hit emotional peak for England game, says Ken Owens
Click:minimalist fashion Wales’s experienced players will ensure Warren Gatland’s Six Nations pacesetters reach their emotional peak at the start of Saturday’s crunch match against England in Cardiff, not days before, says their 60-cap, veteran hooker, Ken Owens. Wales are looking for a record 12th consecutive victory but they have not beaten England in the Six…
Premiership will not move play-off final to accommodate Lions’ training
Premiership Rugby will not bring its play-off final in 2021 forward to allow the British & Irish Lions to train for a week before flying out to South Africa, but its chief executive, Mark McCafferty, says English clubs were not trying to squeeze the tourists out of the fixture schedule. Future Lions tours will be…
Sports quiz of the week: a birthday present, a record and a whiskey cup
People listened to the radio instead as Barack Obama was doing guest commentary Fans boycotted because a dubious refereeing decision ruled out their team Only 98.2 million people watched the Super Bowl, the smallest TV audience in a decade. Donald Trump was in the city so people were out protesting The main broadcast company mistakenly…
Warren Gatland full of confidence while Brunel tries to engineer French revival
As Warren Gatland was using the Six Nations launch to make a case for Wales winning the title, France’s head coach shrugged his shoulders when asked what his side’s prospects were for a first title since 2010. When the two sides open the tournament at the Stade de France on Friday night, in one corner…
Doddie Weir Cup gives Scotland extra incentive, says Gregor Townsend
The social media storm generated this week by the decision of the Welsh and Scottish unions not to make a direct donation to the motor neurone disease charity set up by Doddie Weir ensured maximum publicity for a match that would otherwise have generated little attention outside the two countries. Warren Gatland’s Wales in no…
Ireland’s 113-year wait over as O’Mahony and Marmion make magic
In the minutes before kick-off, the All Blacks’ Steve Hansen handed over a wodge of notes to Ireland’s coach, Joe Schmidt. What was it Steve? A card? A letter? A contract? No, Hansen explained later, it was €760. He had needed a few extra tickets for the game and the only way to do it…
Dylan Hartley will miss remainder of Six Nations due to upcoming knee surgery
Dylan Hartley will play no part in England’s Six Nations campaign after it emerged he will undergo knee surgery on Tuesday. The England co-captain has not appeared in the tournament so far and will be out of action for at least a month. Hartley has not played since 21 December because of what Eddie Jones…
Eddie Jones hand grenades will not faze us, says Wales’s Neil Jenkins
Wales are ready for a war of words in the buildup to their match against England in Cardiff a week on Saturday, with Eddie Jones making an early start on Sunday by declaring he does not see the Principality Stadium as a fortress. The Welsh coaching setup believe the salvos will count for little once…
Black Ferns’ dominance of Wallaroos continues with second Test rout
The Wallaroos played second-fiddle to the world champion Black Ferns for a second straight week, losing their women’s rugby Test 45-17 in Auckland. A well-drilled New Zealand scored seven tries to three at Eden Park and pulled away in the second spell, having led 19-10 at halftime. As with last week’s 31-11 loss in Sydney,…