Rhys Patchell makes his first start for Wales since his uncomfortable evening at Twickenham in February when the swagger he had shown against Scotland the week before melted into uncertainty after the fly-half had been verbally targeted by the England head coach, Eddie Jones. Dan Biggar and Gareth Anscombe have each twice worn the No…
Wales’ new defeat of Argentina prompts Warren Gatland to scorn England
Warren Gatland rubbed salt into England’s wounds by claiming they and Wales are “poles apart” after his side jumped above Eddie Jones’s team into third place in World Rugby’s rankings. England under Jones have lost their past six matches and are in disarray both on and off the field with only 15 months before next…
Northampton deal a big blow to Leicester’s top-four hopes
Northampton’s coaching consultant, Alan Gaffney, wondered before the match whether some of his players had switched off early: as early as last October, it could be argued, given their wretched form since then. But the sight of their oldest rivals, together with the incentive of only a second Premiership double over the Tigers, enlivened a…
South Africa call up Schalk Brits from retirement to add to England’s concerns
With England having just slipped to a disappointing first Test loss and in danger of sliding further down the World Rugby rankings, the news that a snake handler was invited into camp to help boost squad morale following their 42-39 defeat felt more than a little ironic. The deadly mambas, cobras and tarantulas proved a…
Wallabies’ tactical kicking game goes missing in loss to Ireland
The look of disgust on Kurtley Beale’s face said it all. Beale was hooked in the 63rd minute of the Wallabies’ 26-21 loss to Ireland in the second Test in Melbourne on Saturday night. It wasn’t in the script. Beale, the team’s star playmaker, would usually be one of the last players Wallabies coach Michael…
John Kingston to leave Harlequins as London Irish defeat proves final straw
John Kingston has become the fourth Premiership director of rugby to leave his job this season – just three months after signing a contract extension at Harlequins – following their disastrous home defeat by London Irish on Saturday. Kingston’s departure at the end of the season will mean that at least a third of the…
Wales get boost with Liam Williams and George North fit to face Ireland
Wales, who need to beat Ireland in Dublin on Saturday to remain in contention for the Six Nations title, have been bolstered by the return to fitness of five of their Lions in New Zealand last summer who missed the defeat by England in the last round. The wings Liam Williams and George North were…
John Hardie back in Scotland squad to face Ireland after three-month ban
As Scotland look to end a wretched sequence of results outside Murrayfield in the Six Nations, they have called up the flanker John Hardie for the first time since he completed a three-month ban for allegedly taking cocaine. The 29-year old, whose last international appearance was against Fiji in June, is one of 10 players…
Ryan Elias’s late try earns Wales win over South Africa in Washington
This was the match barely anyone in the American capital knew was happening, the Washington Post failing to carry a single word to preview Wales’s clash against South Africa. With both sides fielding youthful teams, critics had slammed the encounter pre-match as a money-spinning PR stunt which devalued international rugby. But there are always two…
Newcastle face Wasps in sell-out decider for Premiership third spot
Newcastle were the first winners of the Premiership in 1998 but since then they have largely floundered in the nether reaches, spending a season in the Championship five years ago. Under Dean Richards the Falcons have taken to the air again, qualifying for the play-offs for the first time and enjoying their highest finish in…