England’s players and coaches have warned the Springboks to beware a fully fit and firing Manu Tuilagi in the opening Test of the autumn series at Twickenham on Saturday. The Leicester centre has not started a Test for England since June 2014 but his teammates believe he is finally ready to make up for lost…
Dylan Hartley’s knee injury troubles continue as Six Nations looms
Dylan Hartley has been ruled out for Northampton with a knee injury for the second consecutive week, less than a month before England begin their Six Nations campaign. Paul Gustard: all I wish for England is for them to win the World Cup The England co-captain has been omitted from the 23-man squad to face…
Stuart Hooper to replace Todd Blackadder at Bath in 2020
The former Bath captain Stuart Hooper has been earmarked to replace Todd Blackadder as their director of rugby but not until 2020 at the earliest after the club confirmed the New Zealander’s contract extension. Bath moved to end speculation over Blackadder’s future by announcing in an open letter to supporters that he will remain as…
Danny Cipriani faces ban after RFU ignores calls to drop charges against him
The escalating club versus country row over Danny Cipriani took a new twist on Tuesday when the Rugby Football Union ignored calls by the players’ union to drop its case against the England fly-half, revealing he will learn his fate on Wednesday. Cipriani is in the dock for the third time in a week after…
Premiership rugby clubs set to reject CVC offer in quest for better deal
A £275m offer tabled by the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners to buy 50% of Premiership Rugby is set to be rejected at Tuesday’s scheduled meeting of the leading club owners. A unanimous vote is required for the bid to succeed but it is understood a significant minority of owners are firmly against the…
England hopes hit by injuries to Anthony Watson and Jonathan Joseph
England have been dealt a double injury setback before the new season with Anthony Watson a serious doubt for the start of next year’s Six Nations and Jonathan Joseph ruled out of November’s autumn internationals. Watson was forced to undergo surgery on his torn achilles for the second time last month after the first operation…
Ronan O’Gara: ‘There’s no secret to the All Blacks but no one believes that’
Those who attended this week’s World Rugby Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Rugby, across the road from William Webb Ellis’s old playing fields, were fortunate indeed. To listen to the former All Black great Bryan Williams, France’s masterful Pierre Villepreux and Wales’s long-serving lock Liza Burgess was a pleasure; to eavesdrop on casually brilliant…
Neath’s sad decline laid bare as they face judgment day in court
Back in the day spectators used to clamber up the floodlight pylons at the Gnoll to get a better view because the terraces were so packed. Now, as Neath faces a winding-up order on Thursday for failing to repay a £30,000 loan taken out to cover wages, the lights may go out for good on…
Rachael Burford expecting bigger things for Harlequins and Premier 15s
The feeling of a new season approaching must be intense, with the knowledge that something so demanding of your physical and mental resources is just around the corner. When that season comes in a fledgling competition, the feeling must be also be cut with a sense of trepidation. Or, as Rachael Burford describes the return…
Sam Underhill eager to make up for lost time after torrid start for Bath
On the face of it Sam Underhill endured a torrid first season at Bath. He managed only eight matches for the club, two starts for England and each time he found his form and fitness another injury setback arrived. As he had been identified, perhaps a little hastily, as the solution to all England’s openside…