THERE ARE still moments when Antonie Claassen has to pinch himself. Can it really be true? A French international and in the final of the Top 14? “It is hard…
Tournaments
Aviva Premiership final: an old-fashioned tear up
"AMBUSH AT the Allianz" could be a way of describing the Aviva Premiership semi-final between Northampton Saints and Saracens. That would do a disservice to Saints, though, who maintained an…
Lions 2013: Surviving finals and the Lions run-in
STAYIN’ ALIVE by the Bee Gees was a late 70s sentiment so powerful that it generated an eponymous follow-up movie to Saturday Night Fever in which John Travolta hustles to…
The Championship blog – Play-offs: Final Round 1
NEWCASTLE HAVE one foot back in the Aviva Premiership following their 9-18 win over Bedford in the first leg of the Championship final at Goldington Road on Thursday night. But…
Armitage is not the first, nor the last, to taunt the opposition
WHAT'S ALL the fuss about? Or put another way: what’s so different about what Delon Armitage did to Clermont’s Brock James from what Josh Lewsey did to Damian Traille during…
Top 14: High Noon
IT'S A funny old game, rugby, as Jamie Noon will testify. Son of Yorkshire, servant of Newcastle and now stalwart of Brive, the former England centre brings down the curtain…
The Championship blog – Play-offs: Round 2
LEEDS FAILED to end Newcastle’s bid to bounce back into the Aviva Premiership at Kingston Park on Sunday. After 160 minutes of rugby The Falcons, although out-scored two tries to…
It’s awards season again…
IT IS awards season and whether you agree with the esteemed panels or punters’ votes, there are a few players carrying off more gongs than Daniel Day Lewis. Ulster’s Nick…
It’s a knockout: The RaboDirect Pro12 Semi-finals
PLAY-OFF RUGBY is as nerve shredding as it is rewarding. Months of hard work can be undone in one high-pressure showdown. It is completely different to regular-season rugby and for…
Another record-breaking year for the London Sevens
AS FANS put the final touches to their safari outfits, 12 captains and coaches taking part in the Marriott London Sevens at Twickenham this weekend launched the tournament at Barn…