Premiership’s heavyweight pair seem destined for a Twickenham showdown unless Gloucester or Northampton can spring an upsetThe list of familiar club names absent from the 2018-19 Premiership semi-finals is a clear sign of the times in English rugby. Wa…
South African and Australian talent is to the fore alongside the best of British in Tom Curry, Joe Marler and Henry SladeThe fast-footed Argentinian will be missed when he swaps Devon for Bordeaux this summer: no other player in the league has beaten m…
A potential successor to Eddie Jones is the Ulsterman who has masterminded his club’s rise to the European summitIt has been a long time since the Rugby Football Union trusted anyone from a high-profile English club side to coach its national team. In …
With three European crowns in four seasons there are no signs Saracens’ reign is coming to an end anytime soonThis time next year European rugby’s finals will be held in the south of France rather than the north-east of England, with Marseille’s Vieux …
The unheralded Saracens pair started out as budding footballers and have developed into integral players in the club’s collective successThere is always more to the best rugby teams than a list of big names. Saracens are a good example, particularly on…
• Irish province chasing a record fifth European title• Will Skelton starts in a strong Saracens packThis has been a special week for English teams in Europe but Leinster are the only side chasing a five-star outcome this weekend. No club have won rugb…
An irresistible force faces an immovable object and the winner will be Europe’s most remarkable champions, bar noneWidespread agreement is rare in rugby but this week is an exception. The two best, most consistent teams in Europe are contesting this ye…
The Chiefs forward knows Saturday’s meeting with Saracens is something of a phoney war but says the Premiership leaders will not be found wanting when the real thing occurs later this monthA healthy league position is not the only indicator of a happy …
• Exeter’s Rob Baxter unwilling to take unnecessary risks• Jack Nowell and Sam Simmonds not fit for artificial pitchFans hoping to see a potential dress rehearsal of this season’s Premiership final are set to be disappointed with Saracens and Exeter op…
Exeter and Saracens are dominant while Europe also occupies minds, leaving drama scarce at rugby’s business endThe final month of the season should be the most gripping of all. For players and coaches it is the moment when 10 months of hard work are ei…
The Devon school friends played rugby union and cricket respectively for England before turning 21 but they are now not even regular starters for their clubs Exeter and SomersetOccasionally professional sport throws up a story that is heartwarming and …
European club rugby faces crunch time with CVC sniffing around Pro14 and the only certainty being that change is afootNext month in Newcastle they are promising to host the best weekend that club rugby union has ever known. A convivial city, an iconic …
• New Zealander took charge of 2013 and 2017 Lions tours• Lions duty would not rule Gatland out of England jobWarren Gatland is set to be reappointed as head coach of the British and Irish Lions for their 2021 tour to South Africa. The Wales coach is u…
The Saracens captain has relied on the goodwill of his family to recover from an ankle injury in time to tackle Munster in Saturday’s Champions Cup semi-finalLittle escapes the TV cameras now poking into every pre-match huddle but, in Brad Barritt’s ca…
Clearly the game has not given up controversy for Lent but key decisions about its future need to be madeEaster week used to rank among the most convivial of the rugby union year. In more innocent times there would be end-of-season tours, not least by …
• ‘I believe in a God that’s in control of all things’• Australia full-back has been stood down after social media postsThe Australia full-back Israel Folau says he stands by the social media messages relating to homosexuality that threaten his future …
Former champions need to move with the times or the nightmare of Premiership relegation could become a realityEvery great sporting dynasty hits the buffers at some stage. Brazil football, Wigan rugby league, Australia cricket: a glorious past does not …
Pat Lam is adamant his players’ positive intent will not waver even if they are dragged back down into a relegation dogfight but he is looking upWhen Bath opted to shift their home fixture against Bristol to Twickenham and market it as “the Clash” they…
• Former England coach can help ease relegation fears • Leicester five points off bottom with five games leftGeordan Murphy believes his coaching recruit Mike Ford will give Leicester “a bit of a kick” and help the struggling former champions avoid the…
England Women’s Rugby World Cup-winner is determined not to be found wanting in a charity game of sevens 21,000ft up as she battles her fear of heightsAt first glance it reads like a classic Boys’ Own adventure yarn. This month a group of 27 people rep…
