“… And he’s in the end zone! From a scrimmage on the five-yard line he’s touched down for a five!” Professional club rugby has finally arrived in the land of…
Gallagher Premiership
30 Minutes with… Henry Slade
Exeter Chiefs fly-half Henry Slade talks Taylor Swift, OCD and snakes
Analysis: What do Armitage and Kvesic offer at the breakdown?
The number seven is almost as sacred in modern Test rugby as it is at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s theatre of dreams. Thanks to a lineage of eye-catching, influential players…
Premiership analysis: Four moments of Wasps magic
As a glorious Sunday afternoon for Wasps extended into evening, news broke that the club would be launching a retail bond listed on the London Stock Exchange. According to chief…
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints Smokin’ Joe On a high-scoring weekend of Aviva Premiership action, Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson produced a contender for Try of the Season in their 36-29 win over Exeter…
The six contenders for Aviva Premiership glory
Intrigue, excitement, outrage, indignation – the current domestic campaign in this country has encouraged just about every emotional reaction from a captive audience. With three regular season rounds to go, six teams remain in…
Tackle by tackle: How Jacques Burger stopped Clermont
If Saracens are the comic villains of European rugby – and one prominent Irish blog has rather wittily christened them Globo Gym after the muscly-but-dumb badguys in Ben Stiller’s boisterous movie…
Rugby statistics: Is the Aviva Premiership the most competitive league in Europe?
After the European Champions Cup quarter-finals, Wasps’ director of rugby Dai Young suggested all stats point towards the Aviva Premiership as being the most competitive league in Europe. Is that…
Saints and Sinners: the weekend’s talking points
The Saints Chiefs in charge A strong – in every sense – performance from the Exeter Chiefs pack earned the Devon side a 21-10 win over reigning Aviva Premiership champions…
Premiership analysis: Ollie Devoto, Bath’s World Cup bolter?
Ollie Devoto is only 21, but it already feels as though he has been waiting in the wings for a fair while. Strangely, that feels slightly frustrating. The Bath back…