Sports
The Rugby Paper
Why is captain replaced so early?
SO THE All Blacks keep their home record of wins at Dunedin by just one point against an England side who will be wondering what might have been.
3 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
I played my last game in 38-degree heat...
OMAN, where I have been living with my family for the last two years, is a beautiful country just like Wales with the coastline and the mountains - but with a lot fewer rugby clubs and a better climate. In fact, there is only one rugby club out here, in Muscat, where my son now plays.
5 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Injury and illness can't stop the fun
IT'S time to dip back into the 1974 Lions tour again and 50 years ago today exactly - July 14 a much agitated manager of the Marine Hotel in what used to be called Port Elizabeth was looking for Lions manager Alun Thomas to demand both an explanation and reparation.
4 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
YOUN GUNS HARVEYCUCKSON BATH & ENGLAND U20 SECOND ROW
Harvey Cuckson thought long and hard about whether to represent England or Wales in his age-grade rugby but is certain he made the right call in pulling on the Red Rose.
2 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
European elite keen to exclude outsiders
WHICHEVER way you care to define the i-word, it was an interesting few hours for Canadian sport.
3 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
I still have a lot more to give - McNally
JOSH McNally views his move to Cardiff as the perfect outcome after for a time that his rugby career may be over.
4 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Wales show defiance but the wait goes on
ALL week long the Red Dragon legions had planned their regimental mobilisation with just enough military precision to let them catch the action in Auckland, a bit of R & R before the serious business.
4 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Aussies made to fight all the way
WALES captain Dewi Lake scored two tries from lineout drives but it wasn't enough to prevent his side crashing to their ninth consecutive defeat and give Australia their first win at a rainy Melbourne since 2017.
4 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
High-risk blitz puts England in charge
THERE'S nothing not to like about England's blitz defence. It's bold, gutsy, and good to see because it makes rugby exciting. A blitz defence is all-or-nothing - there's no half-way, no 'just about'.
4 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Underhill so impressed by England's improvement
SAM Underhill is a decent barometer of England's progress in the last 12 months having watched them from in and outside the camp over the last year.
2 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Only our best will do, says Carnduff
FINN Carnduff leads England U20s out to face old rivals Ireland today knowing they must produce their best 80 minutes of the tournament so far to book a place in Friday's World Championship final.
3 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Borthwick approach tempted Strawbridge
ASSISTANT coach Andrew Strawbridge reckons England are a team on the up and that persuaded him to throw in his lot with Steve Borthwick's crew.
3 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
George: I just can't wait for rematch
ENGLAND captain Jamie George is desperate for a rematch with the All reBlacks after another gut-wrenching verse down under.
3 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Ireland stun world champions
SUPER-SUB Ciaran Frawley landed a last second drop-goal to write his name into Ireland legend as Andy Farrell's side clinched a dramatic victory over South Africa in Durban last night to level the series 1-1.
2 min |
July 14, 2024
The Rugby Paper
England know this was a chance missed
AFTER Marcus Smith missed a penalty two minutes into the second half from 30 metres out and just to the left of the posts, the outside-half cursed himself with a two-word phrase that England supporters watching at the ground and at home would have struggled to top in terms of bad language.
4 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
'It's about being the best player you can be'
PAUL REES FINDS OUT WHAT DRIVES NEW TIGERS COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA AND WHAT HE PLANS TO DO AT WELFORD ROAD
8 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Borthwick happy to go back for future
SO IT looks like Steve Borthwick has learned a lesson and decided what many thought was perhaps a step too far for the England coach to make.
4 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Jalibert is top of the 'Wanted' list again
NEVER mind that the words ‘Stade Toulousain’ have only just been meticulously punched into the plaque on the Bouclierde Brennus to mark them forever more as 2023/24 Top 14 champions.
4 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Three hat-tricks for the Baa-Baas was a peak
THE FORMER SCOTLAND, BARBARIANS & GLASGOW WING
5 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
New-look England put Fiji to the sword
DESPITE making 13 changes to their starting XV, England secured a second victory in a row by dismantling Fiji.
3 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Playing high stakes game to stay alive
WE’RE coming off the back of another good win against Fiji this week and one of the key messages was ‘staying alive’ and ‘expecting the unexpected’.
3 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
YOUNG GUNS
CHARLIEMYALL LEICESTER & ENGLAND U20 CENTRE
2 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
The scrum has decided the last two World Cups
Ben Jaycock speaks to Northampton scrum coach Matt Fergurson about their victorious Premiership campaign and the game's issues around the set-piece
6 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
RFU still has urgent questions to answer
THE biggest story of the season in the domestic game in England came three weeks ago when the Championship clubs defeated RFU/ Premiership attempts to enshrine the ring-fencing of the top league.
4 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Towering talent who took Bath to the top
JACK Rowell’s contribution to Bath rugby was immeasurable from the beginning when he arrived at The Rec as coach in 1978 to his departure in 1994, when he took over as England coach, winning a Five Nations Grand Slam in 1995.
5 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
England go close but All Blacks have enough to take honours
ENGLAND may have rattled and rolled New Zealand at times in Dunedin yesterday, but it was still a case of so near, yet so far, for Steve Borthwick’s new-model side in a pulsating opening Test in which both teams scored two tries and the lead changed hands five times.
5 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Smith is enjoying the life of a tourist
MARCUS Smith has been throwing himself into touring life down under as he makes the most of the current trip to Japan and New Zealand.
3 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Halliday calls for clarity on Championship funding issues
CHAMPIONSHIP clubs are calling for the funding issues surrounding next season’s reintroduction of promotion-relegation to be ratified urgently.
1 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
George: Keep the faith
ENGLAND skipper Jamie George told his side to keep the faith after their agonising 16-15 defeat to New Zealand continued their drought down under.
3 min |
July 07, 2024
The Rugby Paper
Terrific Toulouse go on the rampage
WE DIDN'T just lose the arm wrestle - we had our wrists broken under the table,\" Bordeaux boss Yannick Bru admitted, graphically, after watching his side fall to a record 59-3 Top 14 final defeat at the hands of an irrepressible Toulouse in Marseille on Friday evening.
4 min |