Owen Farrell is a man of many talents according to his teammate Mako Vunipola. In addition to leading England and being a world-class goal-kicker it now emerges he is good at barbecues. “He loves them,” Vunipola said. “He’s got a very nice one with a lot of compartments and you can control the temperature via…
Burden of expectation the only obvious banana skin for England in Le Crunch
As Eddie Jones plots the second instalment of his side’s Six Nations programme against France at Twickenham on Sunday, he has deleted a recording of the victory against Ireland, which was probably his greatest triumph since he took over at the end of 2015. As they say in the head coach’s native Australia, “a rooster…
Johnny Sexton set to end career in Ireland after signing contract extension
Johnny Sexton has signed a contract extension with the Irish Rugby Football Union until the end of the 2020-21 season which is likely to see him end his playing career in Dublin. The Leinster and Ireland fly-half has enjoyed a stellar 2018 for his province and country and was crowned World Rugby Player of the…
Danny Cipriani to return for Gloucester in Champions Cup against Munster
Danny Cipriani has made a timely return from injury and will start at fly-half for Gloucester on Friday night against Munster in a must-win European Champions Cup tie at Kingsholm. Gloucester will start the match at the bottom of the most closely contested of the five groups but they will finish it at the top…
Ireland can repeat Chicago win over New Zealand, says Rory Best
Rory Best is confident Ireland can repeat their history-making efforts in Chicago by claiming a maiden win over New Zealand on home soil despite suffering more late injury dramas. Already without the Lions flanker Sean O’Brien, who broke his arm against Argentina last week, Ireland suffered another major setback on the eve of the match…
Local rugby clubs face losing ticket allocations in Six Nations resale row
Six Nations tickets that appeared on the resale website Viagogo for inflated prices were leaked via local rugby clubs, it has emerged, prompting warnings that unfettered resale poses a threat to the game’s grassroots. The Rugby Football Union told the Guardian that it sanctioned 57 clubs over ticket resale in 2018 alone and it is…
Concentration of Ireland rugby talent leaves English trailing in Europe
The Premiership goes into the final round of the European Champions Cup group stage this weekend hunting a first victory over an Irish province in this season’s tournament. Its clubs have three opportunities: Ulster travel to Leicester, Leinster are away to Wasps and, in the one contest that has an outcome for both teams, Exeter…
‘We are nowhere near our best’: Eddie Jones says England can get better
Eddie Jones says England’s stunning bonus-point victory in Dublin is merely a start in a year that culminates with the World Cup in Japan. England became the first team to win here in the Six Nations since 2013 in ending Ireland’s 12-match winning run at home and their 32 points was the fourth highest they…
George North: ‘I had to get back to my best. That meant being in Wales’
There are few more stirring sights in the game than George North in full stride, head back, with the ball tucked under his outside arm as spectators rise from their seats to watch a wing as fast as he is powerful leave a scattering of defenders sprawled behind him. There were fears last season that…
Eddie Jones steps up preparations for Japan by having a sushi night
Eddie Jones has stepped up his efforts to help his squad acclimatise to playing next year’s World Cup in Japan by arranging a sushi night as part of a week designed to prepare England for their first two fixtures of the 2019 tournament. While New Zealand have played two Test matches in Japan this autumn…