MALCOLM PREEDY was part of the first one-club front row to play for England. In 1984, the former Gloucester captain packed down with club-mates Steve Mills and Phil Blakeway against…

A MUCH improved Argentina went to Cardiff a fortnight ago and deservedly beat a faltering Wales 26-12 so Ireland have no excuses for getting caught cold. They know they need…

IN 21st century Test rugby, superstars play at No 7. Richie McCaw, David Pocock and Sam Warburton have all been heralded, with Michael Hooper, after his performance against England, set…

AN EXPERIMENTAL Ireland XV convincingly swept aside Fiji 53-0 on a damp, and blustery Saturday evening in Limerick. So far, so good, yet the game lacked Test match intensity. This…

SOMETHING WAS wrong. It did not sit right. Scotland were heading into a game off the back of a colossal All Black drubbing and they were...confident. While South Africa sent…

ENGLAND WENT into this Test against a supposedly dispirited Wallaby squad full of confidence. Sadly, when the whistle went, the roles had been reversed, with England, not so regal, in…

jamie roberts wales

I READ a lot of stat sheets prior to writing these articles. But the reason for Samoa’s win against Wales won’t be found on any of them. You can’t measure…

ireland xv v fiji

IN WHAT turned out to be nothing more than a training ground run around, Ireland ran in eight unanswered tries in this non-cap match at Thomond Park. Fiji laboured in…

Joe Launchbury

STUART LANCASTER had described this autumn as "production time" for England. The Fiji Test was a nice dress rehearsal but Australia was the big opening night. And England fluffed their…