IT IS hard to explain why sports stars enjoy having the underdog tag heading into big contests, but when something like the Lions tour comes up around the bend you…
Rugby World
Lions 2013: Who’s Hot Down Under?
THERE MAY just be one week of the RBS 6 Nations left. Players may be dropping like flies and suddenly we are reshuffling our pecking order of favourites for a…
The Championship blog – Week 18 round-up
ANY THOUGHTS of prematurely engraving the name of Newcastle Falcons on the Championship silverware were put firmly on hold when Bedford came within seconds on inflicting a first defeat on…
Former Lion Tom Smith on Lyon’s bid back to Top 14
TOM SMITH was always a canny player and he’s proving pretty canny as a coach. Judging by recent events at Edinburgh that have seen the departure of the coaching staff,…
RBS 6 Nations: Scotland analysis
IT WOULD be easy –and indeed lazy –to suggest that the referee was solely to blame for Scotland’s loss to Wales. Yes, Craig Joubert’s performance was one every referee in…
RBS 6 Nations: England analysis
WHERE DID it go wrong for England on Sunday? Where did it go right?
RBS 6 Nations: Ireland analysis
JUST LIKE his French counterpart Kidney is a man under pressure. At the beginning of the tournament, it was expected the fourth round in Dublin would be a defining moment…
Kicking masterclass with Dave Alred
As an adviser to Jonny Wilkinson, Johnny Sexton and George Ford, Dave Alred is used to coaching some of the game’s best kickers. But in this video clip shown on…
RBS 6 Nations: Wales analysis
WALES HAD a tackle completion rate of 98% against Scotland. That’s right – 98%. They only missed two tackles in 80 minutes and completed 83. It was a sensational display,…
RBS 6 Nations match review: England 18-11 Italy
The Grand Slam is still within England’s reach, but they are stuttering rather than marching towards it.