The Rugby Paper Magazine - March 23, 2025

In this issue

March 23, 2025

It's France, not the Lions, for Edwards

SHAUN Edwards will be tackling a ‘unique challenge’ in the Southern Hemisphere this summer instead of making a long overdue comeback with the Lions.

2 mins

Halliday's blast: The RFU keeps ignoring us

SIMON Halliday has slammed the proposed loan bail-out for Newcastle Falcons, the Premiership's basement club, and the continued lockdown on promotion-relegation.

2 mins

Recruitment freeze as Falcons look for £5m

NEWCASTLE have frozen recruitment until their finances are sorted out with other clubs considering a £5m loan to make sure the Falcons are in business next season.

3 mins

Slade: We want to finish with a flourish

HENRY Slade aims to use the frustrations of missing England’s final two Six Nations matches as fuel for the remainder of the year.

3 mins

Du Toit's ready for Fasogbon challenge

THOMAS Du Toit has taken a keen interest in the development of another player who'll be wearing No.3 today, Gloucester’s 6ft 4ins 130kg tighthead Afolabi Fasogbon.

1 min

Marcus will come back bouncing, says Wilson

DANNY Wilson insists Marcus Smith will “come bouncing back” into The Stoop ready to light up the Premiership and Europe after giving him time off to soak up the Florida sunshine.

2 mins

Dingwall glad to make an impact

FRASER Dingwall waited more than a year for his third England cap and admits there were times when he wondered if he would pull on the white jersey again.

3 mins

Mauvaka banned

FRANCE hooker Peato Mauvaka has been banned for three games for a head-butt on Scotland scrum-half Ben White during the Six Nations match in Paris.

1 min

Lam: My focus is on Bears

PAT Lam insists he remains focused on his “massive job” at Bristol Bears after emerging as the bookies’ favourite to become Wales head coach.

1 min

Vickery: Genge has been a real beauty

ELLIS Genge has been praised for his leading role in helping lay the foundations for En- gland’s Six Nations re- surgence.

2 mins

Take care of Tom, England are urged

ALEX Sanderson believes England will need to manage Tom Curry’s minutes if the flanker is to reach 100 caps.

3 mins

Huge cuts tell their own story

IF the RFU finances are so robust why have 40 people been made redundant at Twickenham and why has funding for Championship clubs been cut from approx £600k to approx £150k as well as meaning-ful cuts to clubs below the championship?

1 min

Sir Bill's desperate attempts in defence

I READ Sir Bill Beaumont's contribution to last week's Rugby Paper with astonishment as he appears to be engaged in a desperate attempt to keep the RFU current administration in place. Apparent-ly it's not the governance of the RFU that is at fault, it is just that the message from Twickenham has not been communicated very well. However, there is no point in spending more money on a review of communication if the message being delivered is not the one many clubs want to hear.

1 min

As a Welsh fan, I hide in my shed

AT the moment it’s not a good time to be Welsh, but living in England.

1 min

The future looks bright for versatile players-Care

SUPER sub Danny Care built a 100-cap England career off the back of impacts from the bench but says that in the modern game, Swiss Army knife-like backs are now more important than ever.

2 mins

That was all too easy for England

DID Wales make England look good, or are England good..? Yes, and yes to my way of thinking.

1 min

Itoje has the respect to captain my Lions XV

THIS Lions selection is based on players who are in form and have stated their case based on the Six Nations, or those with pedigree coming back from injury, who will cause Australia the greatest problems this summer.

5 mins

Wilson: Resting our stars worked

HARLEQUINS head coach Danny Wilson was delighted his decision to rest three returning England squad members paid dividends.

1 min

Benson keeps nerve to kill off Saracens

JAMIE Benson whose chances have been limited behind Marcus Smith and Jarrod Evans this season came off the bench to spark a superb Harlequins comeback with a victory that keeps them well in the Premiership mix.

2 mins

Baxter planning for next season

ROB Baxter said Exeter’s second coaching shake-up of the season had nothing to do with the heavy Premiership Cup final defeat to Bath last Sunday.

1 min

Hat-trick for Bates but little to savour

A GAME of 14 tries and 90 points suggests another Premiership thriller, but it was more pantomime with both sides bungling restarts in the first half in tit-for-tat scoring.

2 mins

We've left ourselves a mountain to climb, admits Dowson

PHIL Dowson vowed champions Northampton would learn from the “harshest of lessons” dished out by Leicester.

1 min

Spirited Leicester too smart for Saints

MICHAEL Cheika has challenged his Leicester Tigers to repeat this outstanding performance when Saracens visit on Sunday.

2 mins

Diamond: That was not good enough

NEWCASTLE chief Steve Diamond had a face like thunder and insisted the off-field issues reported earlier in the week “gave no excuses”.

1 min

Ford leads from the front for sharp Sale

GEORGE Ford may not be England’s first choice but the Sale fly-half showed why he's being champi-oned by some for the British & Irish Lions tour this summer.

2 mins

Injuries to big names won't stop us, says van Graan

JOHANN van Graan has batted away suggestions that Premiership leaders Bath will have to adapt their power-based game plan after losing Ollie Lawrence and Joe Coka nasiga to injury.

2 mins

Atkinson keen to get it right against Bath

SEB Atkinson says Gloucester will look to take inspiration from Bristol’s 36-26 win at The Rec earlier in the season as they attempt to overturn recent derby history.

3 mins

This Premiership cartel is strangling our game

WELCOME to gridlock. Everything that is wrong with the English club game, and the governance of the RFU Board and its executive, was underlined on Tuesday when the joint RFU/Premiership PRB (Professional Rugby Board) succeeded in rebuilding the ring-fence around the top league cartel by denying Ealing Trailfinders - the Championship's leading club, which is odds-on to land a second successive title the right to be promoted.

4 mins

Baxter puts his faith in super 7

ROB Baxter expects the seven Exeter players who were involved in England’s recent Under-20 Six Nations campaign to be pressing for first-team places next season.

3 mins

Ambitious Porter keen to show he deserves to start

WILL Porter is dreaming of following some of his team-mates on the senior international stage. But the scrum-half admits he first needs to twist the arm of head coach Dan- ny Wilson to prove he deserves a regular Harle- quins start.

2 mins

A terrific move that will spread the love

A FEW weeks ago, this column reached the startling conclusion that despite masses of evidence to the contrary, the words “rugby” and “governance” were not quite mutually exclusive. And here’s the proof!

1 min

The giants who are spoiling it for all of us

POOR old Italy came up with plenty of solutions to the problems posed by Ireland in last week-end’s Super Saturday bunfight, but Dan Sheehan turned out to be a question without an answer. The three tries bagged by the Lions’ Test hooker-in-waiting were scored so effortlessly, they may have constituted the easiest slice of hat-trickery since Vladimir Putin’s run of victories in the Russian elections, all of which were free, fair and transparent. (Yeah, right).

3 mins

Stormers too good for gallant Scarlets

A NEAR fullstrength Stormers proved too much for gallant Scarlets as the Welsh region were dealt a huge blow in their quest for a play-off spot.

1 min

Ospreys hold on in 'crazy match'

THE Ospreys held on amid a nail-biting finale to claim a bonus point victory in this 12-try thriller and move up from 13th to 7th in the URC table.

1 min

Super-sub Wilson grabs late winner for Ulster

REPLACEMENT tight-head Scott Wilson found asurprising turn of pace to grab the winning try of abarnstorming clash as Ulster jumped up into the play-off places.

1 min

Slack Edinburgh let it slip

EDINBURGH'S play-off prospects were dealt a major blow by Alessandro Izekor's late breakaway try to move the Italians up to eighth.

1 min

Glasgow have to dig deep

GLASGOW remain on track for a home quarter-final play- off but had to dig deep from 25-14 down with 15 minutes left to earn an important bonus-point victory.

1 min

Kriel hits the target for Bulls

DAVID Krie'’s last gasp penalty ended Leinster's unbeaten URC record as the Bulls edged a tight contest in Pretoria.

1 min

Cheika determined to leave Tigers on a high

MICHAEL Cheika is determined to leave Leicester on a high having decided not to extend his one-year contract with the club.

3 mins

Three in a row makes fine finale for Lynn

ZOE Aldcroft hailed her trailblazers after Gloucester-Hartpury secured an unprecedented 'three-peat' last Sunday to wave legendary head coach Sean Lynn off in style.

2 mins

Laughton signed the best

NEVER in the once troubled conflict between the codes can anyone have made life so uncomfortably hot for the RFU and WRU than a plumbing and heating engineer from Merseyside by the name of Dougie Laughton.

1 min

Thorburn calls for a restart ‘at every level

PAUL Thorburn has seen Wales take a few batterings since his touchline goal put them on the World Cup podium for the only time; bronze medallists behind France and the All Black untouchables.

4 mins

Sharpshooter Bourgeois on target to put France on right track

IRELAND rued their misses off the tee as France survived Gabri- elle Vernier’s 20-minute red card to start their campaign with a hard- fought victory.

2 mins

Scotland make it a Wales treble

SCOTLAND made it three wins on the spin against Celtic rivals Wales after a nail-biting encounter.

2 mins

We need to be more precise, says Yeandle

AFTER a season that has fallen short of the lofty standards set in previous campaigns, Exeter Chiefs club captain Jack Yean- dle believes his side must rediscover the ruthless efficiency that once made them the envy of English rugby.

1 min

Ampthill take some time to get into their stride

AMPTHILL secured their first Championship home win since October, edging out high-flying Nottingham in an 11-try thriller in what was an ill-disciplined affair at Dillingham Park.

1 min

Pirates flex muscles to put Scottish on back foot

CORNISH Pirates returned to Championship action with a Friday night feast of tries to see them to their seventh league triumph.

1 min

That was a step back for us, says Conway

HARTPURY University strengthened their case for a top four finish with a narrow victory over Bedford Blues.

1 min

Passman in place to steal it for Chinnor in a thriller

A BREATHLESS and competitive game saw Chinnor squeak the win by a single point.

1 min

Poole at the double as Cov knock off the rust

LED by two tries from skipper Jordon Poole, rusty Coventry got their spring Championship campaign underway with a bonus point win over Cambridge.

2 mins

Cockerill: We deserve a shot at the Six Nations

RICHARD Cockerill feels his Georgia side have earned the right to face Wales in a Six Nations play-off match after winning their eighth successive Rugby Europe Championship.

1 min

Capuzzo’s Bruce Lee impression could catch on

ON the subject of innovative tactics and adaptations to the game did you clock Ange Capuozzo, right, in a couple of games doing his Bruce Lee and Enter the Dragon impression leaping im- probably high and sinuously in an attempt to try and kick potential try scoring passes from the opposition into safety.

1 min

Wallace finally take the top prize

ALL good things come to those who wait.

1 min

Swiss precision too sharp for Germans

AMID the torrent of international rugby last weekend, I caught the highlights of Switzerland’s remarkable, historic, 20-17 win in Germany, their first ever victory in the Rugby Europe Championship.

3 mins

Rosslyn make in second-half

AN impressive sec-ond-half showing by Rosslyn Park saw them get the better of Plymouth Albion in front of a bumper Brickfields crowd.

2 mins

Bishop’s pack lead the way as Esher flounder

BISHOP’S Stortford’s powerful pack proved the difference as they took advantage of some sloppy Esher de- fending to run in eight tries.

1 min

No sympathy as Darlo crushed

WITH their relegation from National One confirmed, it was a depleted Darlington squad that travelled to Birmingham Moseley where they met a home side in no mood to show their guests any sympa thy or favours.

1 min

Sensational Rams down the Titans

A SENSATIONAL Rams’ performance saw the hosts stun second-placed Rotherham Titans in an against-the-odds 30-19 bonus-point victory at Old Bath Road.

1 min

Hamish wants strong finish to put a gloss on a tough year

BISHOP'S Stortford lock Hamish Ferguson is opti- mistic his team can pro- duce a strong finish to a difficult season in Nation- al One.

2 mins

Dale celebrate a magnificent seven

WHARFEDALE scored a magnificent seven tries to beat Lymm in a cracking encounter.

1 min

Ross is top of the Bill with a late try

BILLINGHAM secured a dramatic victory af- ter a tense and thrilling encounter.

1 min

Pack takes the Tykes forward in promotion bid

LEEDS Tykes took a giant step towards their promotion target with a forward-orientated win over a resilient Fylde.

1 min

Archer on target as the Tigers triumph

SHEFFIELD Tigers took the honours in a clash between two teams attempting to move away from the bottom half of the table, thanks to a late try by William Archer.

2 mins

In-form Fisher is the hat-trick hero

SHEFFIELD turned on the style in difficult conditions to grab yet another five-point win at home.

1 min

Otley right behind my superpower! - Green

NEARING the end of his first season at Otley, Rhys Green says his view of his ADHD has improved, seeing his condition now as a superpower.

2 mins

Heartache for Barnes after late penalty drama

IN a cracking open game played partially in an electrical storm, OAs deservedly won 24-26 although Barnes had a chance to win it with a last-minute penalty.

1 min

Park blitz blows the Oaks down

WESTCOMBE Park enjoyed a compelling victory over Sevenoaks at Knole Paddock after a 20-minute surge from half-time put the visi tors in the box seat to run out 41-28 victors.

1 min

Theo flies in with a brace to seal it for Dorking

THEO WILLIAMSON’S second-half double helped Dorking come from behind to edge out Guernsey.

1 min

Nervous Worthing seal it at the death

IN what was a must-win match for Worthing, with Colchester six points ahead of them in the table, the home side came out fighting and hung on to gain a crucial five points.

1 min

Coach thanks crowd for lifting Havant over line

A BUMPER crowd at the Lane enjoyed a gripping encounter in which Havant came out on top despite late pressure from the visitors.

2 mins

TJs come out on top in 12-try thriller

TJs took maximum points from a high-quali ty game that was only se- cured in the last minute.

1 min

Canterbury cling on in a nail-biter

CANTERBURY triumphed in a nail-biting clash with Henley thanks in part to the boot of Frank Reynolds on his 100th appearance for the side.

1 min

Barnes must gain an edge to take title they crave

PROMOTION chasing Barnes are looking to create history as they arrive full throttle into the final stages of the season.

2 mins

It's important to be clear and inclusive

What is your playing back- ground? I was a professional player for Orrell, Harlequins and England. I won 54 caps for England and made 281 ap- pearances for Quins.

3 mins

Millfield facing stern test in sevens

IT'S showpiece season in schools rugby and the National Schools Cup finals will be followed by a buffet of sevens at this week's Rosslyn Park 7s.

1 min

Crusaders blow away champions

THE Crusaders sent a message to the rest of the competition by destroying the reigning champions Auckland Blues away from home at Eden Park.

2 mins

Brave Lupus rule in battle of the heavyweights

DEFENDING champi- ons Brave Lupus Tokyo seized first place in the standings with a 42-31 victory over the Saitama Wild Knights in their top-of-the-table clash.

1 min

England still need to have a plan B

WELL, what a Six Nations we have just had with a mix of games and results that truly capture the ethos of the competition with everthing coming down to the last day and results of the last three games.

3 mins

I’ve really loved my 15 years as a professional

WHEN I was sat in the stands at Murrayfield watching the players belt out the national anthems before Scotland took on Wales in the Six Nations, I couldn’t help but think that could’ve been me. The fact that I never played Test rugby is only something that has crossed my mind a few times but that was one occasion where it hit home to me just how close I once was.

6 mins

Thomas: I’ll work hard

WALES U20s star Harry Thomas says he and his triumphant team-mates need to be playing rugby week-in, week-out.

2 mins

Merthyr closing in at the top

MERTHYR struck what could be a crucial blow in the Welsh Premier- ship title race after tri- umphing 33-19 at leaders Pontypridd.

1 min

Ntamack: I'd love to take on All Blacks

SO, Romain Ntamack wants to go to New Zealand in July. New Zealand have already made it clear they want Romain Ntamack to go to New Zealand in July.

5 mins

Championship is low on stars, says Carter

AS Chinnor emerge from their 'third pre-season' of the campaign, veteran scrum-half Luke Carter says the Championship lacks the star power it once had.

2 mins

England to help Ireland celebrate

ENGLAND and Ireland U18s will play a special anniversary fixture on Saturday in Cork to mark the 50th anniversary of Ireland Schoolboys and 150 years of the IRFU.

1 min

Read all stories from The Rugby Paper

The Rugby Paper Magazine Description:

The Rugby Paper, the UK's number 1 selling rugby title, brings you exclusive stories, reports and features on your device, published in exceptional clarity. It contains renowned journalists such as Nick Cain and Peter Jackson, and famous former players as columnists including Jeremy Guscott and Jeff Probyn. Published every Sunday, The Rugby Paper covers Rugby Union from national teams and Premiership / Rabo Direct down to grass roots.