THE FIRST of the 6 Nations’ horrific lulls is here. Unless you are willing to maintain your patriotic streak –painting your face with your sister’s makeup, hanging your bedspread with…
Tournaments
RBS 6 Nations: Injured Ireland flirting with the past
AS THE rain tumbled down at the Aviva Stadium, Ireland were toiling. They had dug deep, hoping to scoop out some of the visceral anger that bubbles up whenever England…
Lions watch: Five Wallabies to watch in Super Rugby
THIS WEEKEND sees the start of the 2013 Super Rugby season with two all-Australian affairs. The Melbourne Rebels host the Western Force on Friday morning and the Brumbies host the…
RBS 6 Nations: France face a culture clash with Top 14
THE FRENCH love a good debate and last weekend’s debacle deserves special attention. Losing in Rome to an adventurous Italian side was one thing, going down in their own back…
RBS 6 Nations: Ireland lose the plot in Dublin
YES, FIRST half injuries to Simon Zebo and Jonathan Sexton didn't help the Ireland cause and certainly England's Owen Farrell played with composure far beyond his 21 years, but basic…
The Championship Blog – Week 15 round-up
LEEDS CAME close to ending Newcastle’s perfect 20 at Otley on Sunday where they pushed the Falcons all the way, but had to be content with a losing bonus point,…
Rugby World TV: Six Nations Round 2 reviews
THE SECOND round of the 2013 Six Nations has divided opinion – was it an incredibly physical affair, or just plain boring? Here’s what we thought of the Scotland v…
RBS 6 Nations – Wales: Five things we’ve learned
WALES' WIN against France cannot be summed up by numbers and statistics – even though, scrum apart, the numbers were in the black. The Welsh lineout ran at an impressive…
RBS 6 Nations: Scotland find their try-scoring touch
WITH CLEAN linout ball, Ruaridh Jackson stepped left and threw a pass behind Sean Lamont just as the centre screamed in against the grain. At his back, Sean Maitland barely…
RBS 6 Nations: England analysis round two
ENGLAND'S 12-6 victory over Ireland in Dublin was the biggest achievement of the Stuart Lancaster regime. It was a coming-of-age performance.