RW: What convinced you to leave one of the biggest jobs in global rugby to head up a single national union? GP: I had reached a juncture. We had the…
Rugby World
Meet Ireland’s new openside, Josh van der Flier
However, we can still say the Leinster openside’s career has undergone a jet-propelled take-off. From two Guinness Pro12 starts last season to Ireland’s Six Nations team now is a steep…
Fast Eddie needs time to make class tell
We haven’t quite worked out if Eddie Jones is putting something in the tea down at Pennyhill Park but whatever he is doing seems to be working as a succession…
The Master of Menace: French enforcer Gerard Cholley
There is a lot of fiction surrounding Gerard Cholley. But first the facts. He was indeed a former boxer, a former paratrooper and a front-row forward of the highest order.…
Hotshot: Connacht wing Ciaran Gaffney
When did you start playing rugby? My dad, John, is a coach at Galwegians and I used to go to training with him every Saturday. He convinced me to join…
Hotshots: Northampton prop Paul Hill
We gather you were born in Germany? Yes, my mum is German and my dad is English. We lived there until I was about one. When did you take up…
Saints and Sinners: the weekend’s talking points
The Saints Full stop George Smith was named Man of the Match in Wasps’ 24-18 win over Bath in the Aviva Premiership and he was prominent with the ball in…
How Saracens have impacted England under Eddie Jones
After the first two rounds of the 2016 Six Nations, the essential character of England under Eddie Jones is beginning to emerge. While some areas of performance have remained at a…
Six Nations: England’s half-term report
Eddie Jones retained the 23-man squad who beat Italy 40-9 in the second round of the Six Nations as he prepares his team to play, what Sir Clive Woodward was…
From Narbonne to Perpignan: An alternative Six Nations weekend
By Kate Rowan It only takes two words: Six Nations. As well as conjuring images of red, white, green and three shades of blue, those two words also have the…