The Six Nations phoney war has started in earnest. With the skies, grey and foreboding on a dank morning in South West London, six men, conspicuous by their national attire…
Countries
The Top 14 going through a crisis of confidence
If reason was required to explain the insecurity that stalks the professional game in France, one need just look at the standings of the 2009-10 Top 14 table. Perpignan, then…
Players to watch: Six U20s stars of the future
By Alex Shaw It may sit in the shadow of its senior counterpart, but the U20 Six Nations grows in popularity with each passing season, giving fans a glimpse at…
POLL: Who will win the 2016 Six Nations?
Time to put your national allegiances aside. A tough ask, we appreciate, but we want to know which of the RBS 6 Nations sides you genuinely believe will lift the…
Toulouse top French clubs flattering to deceive in Europe
There will be few more meaningless matches this season than Saracens trip to Toulouse on Saturday. The Premiership champions have an unassailable lead at the top of Pool One and…
Overseas signings add glamour but the Premiership must not lose its identity
By Alex Shaw ‘Tis the season of spending in the Aviva Premiership, as owners up and down the country dust off the chequebooks to bolster their squads ahead of the…
Is this the last we’ll see of Tom Youngs in an England shirt?
By Adam Hathaway Eddie Jones has finally got his feet under the desk at Twickenham and don’t Tom Youngs and a few others know about it and that Fast Eddie…
England usher in the next generation for the Six Nations
Eddie Jones named seven uncapped players at a packed press conference at Twickenham, as he unveiled the new 33-man England squad to compete in the Six Nations. With no sign…
Josh Beaumont: meet England’s new kid on the block
I first played rugby aged seven at Fylde RFC. The ground was only a two-minute walk away and it’s where all my family have played their rugby as well. Then…
Lyon’s Carl Fearns is aiming for the Top 14
Lyon are 11 points clear of their rivals at the top of the ProD2, France’s second division, and at the heart of their success in the first half of the…