CATEGORIES

Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy

TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.

South America look to keep on building

AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.

Scarratt excited by new pathway

ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.

Baxter: I want to make things better

ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.

Pearce walks in his father's footsteps

PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.

New England group will cause uncertainty

SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.

Galthie turns his sights to the future

FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.

Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson

CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.

Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath

BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.

New faces take the plaudits for Saints

NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.

Hill out to cash in on England chance

AS Ted Hill picked up another man of the match award after his all-round display in Bath's emphatic victory over Sale last weekend, England's coaches were mulling over a replacement for Ollie Chessum who had just been ruled out of the autumn series after suffering an injury training in Girona.

Aussies have ability to spring a surprise

IT would be a mistake to underestimate the abilities of Joe Schmidt, especially considering what the Kiwi achieved as a head coach with Leinster and Ireland.

Bevan happy with his baptism of fire

So much has happened in the life of Ellis Bevan over the last six months but one moment stands out above all others.

England's heartache goes on as Ford fails to land the killer blow

ENGLAND are still the nearly men as the dice fell for New Zealand in an Autumn series opener of the finest margins.

Itoje full of hope for new PGP deal

MARO Itoje has given a snapshot of how the new PGP agreement between clubs and the RFU should help him sail beyond the 100-cap mark.

Strong scrums must be rewarded - Jones

ADAM Jones has called on the lawmakers to ensure sides with a strong scrum are rewarded amid rising fears throughout the rugby world that attempts are being made to depower it in the name of entertainment.

School time is over, says Rowlands

WILL Rowlands says “school time is over” for Warren Gatland’s Welsh squad and it is now time to get back to winning ways.

England agony after last-minute drama

SKIPPER Jamie George refused to point the finger at George Ford after his double miss condemned England to yet more heartbreak.

Morris hat-trick lifts Steelmen

HOOKER Ieuan Morris came off the bench to settle matters for Ebbw Vale at Carmarthen Quins with his stunning second half hat-trick completing a 39-11 victory in Super Rygbi Cymru.

Joe keen to follow in family footsteps

JOE Ford is leading the charge to take Doncaster Knights to the promised land but says they have a long way to go before that becomes reality.

Robson keen to make it to the top with Coventry

COVENTRY ended the first five-match block of fixtures as the Championship’s only unbeaten side and full-back Charlie Robson has his sights set on promotion, and eventually playing for England.

Hancox joins the 200 club

AFTER 10 years of donning the red, black and yellow shirt for Bournemouth, skipper Grant Hancox made his 200th appearance this month after their Regional 2 South Central clash against Winchester.

Bear keen to be a big hit Down Under

FORMER Cornish Pirates back row Bear Williams has flourished in making the difficult transition from rugby union to league and has plans to play in Australia’s NRL. `

To play in two World Cups was a dream

RUGBY started quite late for me.

Call time on this pantomime ploy

THIS 60-second shot clock twaddle. If we must continue to plough down this blind alley it needs to apply from the moment the referee awards the penalty. If the authorities are going to put some stick about at least do it properly and with conviction.

Coetzee's pulling his weight again

WHETHER he starts or comes off the bench, Jaco Coetzee is just happy to be contributing fully to Bath’s revival after an injury-hit start to his career in blue, black and white.

Murray's on a wing - and a prayer ...

BLAIR Murray began the week ‘in a state of shock’ at having gone from nowhere on one side of the world to the starting grid for the autumn Tests on the other.

We need to kick on after winning at last

Paul Rees talks to Ethan Grayson who heard from two rugby legends after he helped Newcastle end their 25-match losing run

Bath's 'bomb squad' needs to be defused

CLOSE your eyes and imagine batting on a fiery Caribbean track in the 1980s, when West Indian fast bowlers ruled the world.

Tuima: We've tightened up a few screws

IF Exeter were to pick a team to travel to Sandy Park as they looked to end their worst start to a Premiership campaign, Harlequins would not be bottom of the list.