Smith chases his American dream

WALES star Louis Rees-Zammit is not the only rugby player from the English leagues set to try his luck in America.

Paver: Championship a great launchpad

ALAN Paver insists the Championship still remains the ‘perfect launchpad’ for young players and coaches to reach the very pinnacle of the modern-day game.

Skivington considers how to replace 'Zam'

GEORGE Skivington is considering whether to add to his squad after the departure of Louis Rees-Zammit, but not necessarily on the wing.

I'll protect new boys, promises Borthwick

STEVE Borthwick has vowed to protect his Six Nations rookies from the social media trolls and insists there will be time for players to let their hair down in camp.

No rush to get Tuilagi involved

SOMETHING of a big deal was made last week about the fact that, a matter of days before Fabien Galthie announces his first French squad of 2024, Perpignan second-row sensation Posolo Tuilagi does not have a French passport.

Mapletoft out to build next generation

AS England’s U20s side prepare for the upcoming Six Nations, head coach Mark Mapletoft insists that the development of his players takes priority over results.

Esher made to fight all the way in top encounter

CANTERBURY pushed Esher all the way in a thrilling game.

Rosslyn Park survive late scare in a classic

THE pre-match Stactics suggested this would be a close affair. And so it proved to be, with 80 minutes of play distilled to a final deciding kick after the clock had gone red.

Chiefs find some form but Saracens keep on going

SARACENS maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a bonus point victory over a resilient Exeter Chiefs side who came away with a deserved try bonus point for their efforts.

Horror show goes on for dejected Falcons

ENGLAND exile Jacob Umaga reminded his countrymen what Twickenham is missing as the ex-Wasps star waltzed over the try line in the final minute, with Benetton romping to victory on Friday night.

Mercer in the right place for Gloucester

GLOUCESTER'S and Hyde Jekyll season continued as they put their woeful Premiership form behind them to book a place in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup with a gutsy victory in Edinburgh.

Saracens have to get it right this time

SARACENS over the years have been a model of consistency, but they today face one of the toughest assignments in the Champions Cup in Bordeaux on their worst run of the season.

Pearson ready to step up at Saints

NORTHAMPTON are doing everything they can to persuade Courtney Lawes to carry on at Franklin's Gardens, but should the former England captain be tempted by one of the offers he has received from France, a potential replacement has been lined up.

lestyn thrilled by his Everest charity leap

FORMER Bath centre Iestyn Lewis has taken charity fundraising to new heights after skydiving in freezing Himalayan conditions close to Mount Everest, all while clutching a rugby ball.

Lam stays optimistic despite £14m losses

PAT Lam is confident Premiership clubs are heading towards sustainability despite three of them posting losses of nearly £14m between them in the last few weeks.

Charismatic Farrell the right choice for Lions

ANDY Farrell is a very good choice as Lions head coach of the 2025 tour of Australia.

Farrell will cost Racing £500k transfer fee

SARACENS have put a €600,000 (£515,000) price tag on England’s World Cup skipper, Owen Farrell, before they agree to let him move to Racing 92.

Slade does it again for Exeter

HENRY Slade proved to be Exeter's match-winner once again as the Chiefs beat Glasgow 19-17 to book their spot in the Champions Cup knockouts.

'RFU deal would cut our funds by 50%'

CHAMPIONSHIP clubs would be nearly 50 per cent worse off in real terms if they agree to the Tier 2 funding model currently proposed by the RFU.

Teenager Morse is too good for Cardiff

TEENAGE sensation Morgan Morse was the star of the show on New Year's Day as the 18-year-old scored one of the tries of the season in Ospreys win over Cardiff at Bridgend's Brewery Field.

Jones delight as Caldy hit heights

THREE years ago Caldy players could only have dreamt of competing in the Championship, but the Merseyside club are on a roll having picked up three wins from their last four.

50 up for Muir as he sets sights on a podium finish

SHRUGGING off defenders has proved far easier than his nickname for Will Muir, the man they call \"Horse\" for his galloping runs to the line.

Malins puts Bristol on the right course

MAX Malins took centre stage at both ends of the field as Bristol destroyed Sale's 12-match winning Premiership streak on home soil.

Devoto back with a new lease of life

OLLIE Devoto says he's been given a new lease of life this season after battling back from a potentially career-ending injury to his hips.

Time for Borthwick to put faith in Itoje

STEVE Borthwick struck a positive note this week when he made it clear that the here-and-now, as in the Six Nations, is his top priority.

Tactical subs are spoiling the game

REDUCING the number of tactical substitutes is something I've wanted for a long time, and it's great that a coach of Warren Gatland's stature now feels the same. It's now a matter of some urgency, and I would not mess around by trying to trial it.

Sleightholme leads the Saints fightback

NORTHAMPTON all at sea for the first 30 minutes but all singing and dancing for the remainder of the game - came back from a massive 26-point deficit to end Exeter's long unbeaten run at Sandy Park.

McCall: I wouldn't blame Farrell

SARACENS boss Mark McCall did little last night to dampen the speculation that England captain Owen Farrell is set to join Racing 92 next season.

Borthwick wants to dominate Six Nations

ENGLAND boss Steve Borthwick has vowed to put his side back on the Six Nations map and leave thoughts of the next World Cup on the back burner for now.

Champions crash Harlequins party

REIGNING champions Gloucester-Hartpury spoiled Harlequins’ party at Big Game 15 with a fine victory at Twickenham to make it four wins from four and move third in the table.