A strangely subdued atmosphere descended on the Principality Stadium this weekend. All verve seemed to have drifted up through the open roof and away into Cardiff’s crisp autumn air. The…
Rugby World
Warren Gatland lays out blueprint for future Lions tours
Head coach Warren Gatland explains what needs to happen when the new Lions deal is done and why preparation time is key
Wales 8-32 Australia: Five talking points
The slowest of slow starts Wales have become notoriously sluggish starters in the autumn internationals. However, Wales’ 32 – 8 loss to Australia was beyond sluggish. This was like watching…
Secret Player: “No one is laughing at the French these days”
I’VE BEEN around a bit in my career. I am, I’m not ashamed to say, what they call “a journeyman professional”. An honest plodder, unflashy, trusted to do a solid…
Herald return of the Anglo-Welsh Cup
Most of us were so wrapped up in the World Cup last autumn that the absence of the Anglo-Welsh Cup barely registered. Yet the decision not to play this long-running…
Can Australia replicate 1984’s Grand Slam heroes?
It was 1984. Australia were led into battle by the rugby equivalent of Donald Trump, a political speech-writer (and future radio chat-show host) named Alan Jones. With only one season…
Mass exodus predicted at Stade Francais
Why are so many of the Stade Francais Top 14-winning squad set to leave the Parisian club?
From Russia with gloves: looking at Enisei rugby
WITH HISTORY made after the first-ever European tie in Siberia, everyone was pretty pleased with themselves. Connacht left it late to earn a bonus point in temperatures that reached below…
How can Ireland stop the All Blacks machine?
By Alex Shaw The 27-man Ireland squad jetted off to Chicago this week with the most difficult question in rugby to answer weighing heavily on their minds – how do…
Downtime with… All Blacks great Dan Carter
Former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter on Racing 92, rats and ‘The Rock’