Odendaal enjoying his life back in the Prem

BURGER Odendaal was one of the few Premiership players who did not welcome the break for the Six Nations, raring to go rather than flagging after a non-stop 17 weeks.

Double agents out to prove their worth

Ben Nurse talks to two of Portugal’s World Cup stars looking forward to taking on England A

Dunn: I want to finish my time with a trophy

TOM Dunn has spent his senior career at Bath and intends to finish it by emulating the teams he watched as a boy and securing silverware.

Grand Slam was ours, come hell or high water

I WAS privileged to play with a fantastic squad of players at what was largely a successful time for the Scotland team. Like any good team we weren’t reliant on any one individual, there was always someone ready to step up and take the lead. Everyone knew their role in the team and mine, as a winger, was obviously to cross the whitewash at all costs and put points on the board. I managed to score 15 tries in 37 Tests but that’s not to say I didn’t make an arse of things many, many times!

Hunter wants World Cup to build legacy

FORMER England captain Sarah Hunter believes the side can build a legacy beyond its success on the pitch. England, who have won the last five Six Nations titles, will host next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, seeking revenge for their losses in the last two finals.

Top dogs who build teams in own image

A CCORDING to an article on the American website “Psychology Today”, there is scientific evidence to suggest that dogs not only look like their owners, but also share many of their personality traits.

Cockerill out to beef up Georgia

RICHARD Cockerill starts his reign as Georgia head coach in a remote part of Germany today vowing to put the bite back into the Lelos pack.

Pollock puts England on the front foot

HENRY Pollock’s superb hat-trick helped England U20s to victory against Italy away from home for the first time in six years as they got their Six Nations campaign off to a flying start.

France can only watch as Irish put on a show

THIS was meant to be a tight, hard-fought match between the two strongest teams in Europe by some distance.

Why you don't give up on your dreams

IT’S BEEN said before but needs reiterating on a regular basis but there is no sporting tournament quite like the Six Nations and this mad encounter at the Principality Stadium provided the latest compelling evidence.

Scotland hold off amazing Wales revival

ONLY the Six Nations would dare to dig into the Bumper Book Of Sports Cliches and redefine one of the biggest of all: the game of two halves.

At last! Freeman and Borthwick reasons to

THIS was not England winning in style in Rome, and getting the crowd on its feet, but it was a landmark of sorts.

University helps lift Exeter's challenge

WHEN Rob Baxter outlined his vision for the future of Exeter Chiefs, the director of rugby made no secret of the fact that he would be looking at a number of new kids on the block.

Keen demand to host Euro finals weekend

DOMINIC McKay, chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), has revealed that interest in hosting European club rugby’s finals weekend was higher than ever after announcing Cardiff and Bilbao as the venues for 2025 and 2026.

Reynolds delight as Raiders march on

JORDAN Reynolds was a happy man as his Guernsey Raiders team came out on top in a must-win clash with Wimbledon.

Cozens urges Clifton to turn it on for the full 80

PLAYER-COACH Luke Cozens called for Clifton to concentrate for full 80 minutes the after two late Chester tries took some of the gloss off a solid home victory.

Tigers on the prowl as first 40 sets tone

FOR those doubting the motivation and desire of the two sides at Dore More, there was the strongest of rebuttals, the Yorkshire rivals – separated by nine league points – dishing up a ‘no quarter asked, no quarter given’ type of fare.

Prodigal son needs to pull the right strings

GREGOR Townsend, the longest serving head coach in the Six Nations, has been in charge of Scotland since 2017.

Why France are my favourites for the title

PETER O’Mahony’s appointment as Ireland captain for the Six Nations at the age of 34 was a little surprising, in much the same way as Jamie George’s was for England.

Ealing go back on top in 12-try showstopper

EALING Trailfinders secured an emphatic victory over Doncaster Knights in a frantic 12-try thriller.

Macqueen's Tigers are hungry for more

LEICESTER Tigers’ claimed their first victory of the season last Sunday as Vicky Macqueen’s newcomers broke their duck with a 22-19 win at Sale Sharks.

Crisis? Not in my view, says Sanderson

WITH four straight defeats in all competitions and a season-ending injury to England lock Jonny Hill adding to their extensive list of unavailable players, the impending two month break from Premiership action cannot have come at a better time for Sale.

Lawes the enforcer as Saints ease home

LEAGUE leaders Saints avoided a potential banana skin with a six-try victory over winless Newcastle Falcons.

Chairman Bear sees his wishes granted

IF the scoreline defied plausibility, then this match itself defied all logic.

Saracens in position for sprint to the line

SARACENS flanker Andy Christie faces a stern task breaking into the Scotland back row for the Six Nations but an outstanding performance in this win over Exeter will have done his cause no harm.

Enjoy it, says veteran Marler

JOE Marler has urged England’s fresh faces to “embrace the historical” Six Nations stage and show off their “super strengths”.

Hill's move to Lyon hangs in the balance

LYON's move for England lock Jonny Hill appears to be on the brink of collapse after he suffered a knee injury that is set to keep him out of action for the rest of the season.

Christie glad to be back in Scotland fold

FOR all the fresh faces in Scotland’s Six Nations squad, their starting XV to face Wales in Cardiff next Saturday is likely to have a largely familiar look.

Van Graan delighted by Spencer's recall

BATH boss Johann van Graan has hailed Ben Spencer’s England return as a triumph of perseverance after his captain and scrum-half was named in Steve Borthwick’s 2024 Six Nations squad.

David: I'm loving the freedom I get here

NICK David is revelling in the freedom given to players at Harlequins and is in contention for a place in the England A squad for next month's clash against Portugal.