CATEGORIES

RFU has utterly failed to bring the game together

HERE’S wishing The Rugby Paper’s loyal readers, and fans of the game everywhere, a happy and healthy New Year!

Chessum hits 50 and links up with Martin in the row

AS he prepares to make his 50th appearance for Leicester against Bath, Ollie Chessum is set for a new experience - a first start in the Tigers second row alongside England colleague George Martin.

Smith stars on the big stage

MARCUS Smith delivered a man-of-the-match performance as Harlequins signed off 2023 with a 32-26 victory over Gloucester in front of 76,813 at Twickenham.

Halliday: No way we can agree RFU deal

SIMON Halliday has condemned the threat by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney to relegate the 11 Championship clubs if they fail to sign up to the \"Premiership 2\" franchise plans in the PGP deal, as not only outside RFU regulations, but also probably illegal.

Steel City seeing switch in power

SHEFFIELD have long played second fiddle to their city rivals, Sheffield Tigers, but the balance of power in the Steel City could be shifting.

Pirates putting their faith in youth

GAVIN Cattle says the influx of Cornish youth has brought increased enthusiasm at Pirates which he describes as a 'pleasure to coach.'

Quins are in strong position, says Joe

HARLEQUINS Joe Launchbury feels it's crucial his team display strong form over the festive period as they strive to adapt their style to operate better in the cold, wet conditions.

Saracens take time to get into top gear

SARACENS raced away from Bristol in the second half to secure a fifth straight bonus-point win.

Pirates put on power show to contain Hartpury rally

AN awesome display of pack power laid the foundations for a Pirates victory and they repelled Hartpury's comeback efforts in front of a bumper 2,474 Mennaye Field crowd.

Derby day double act for regions

BOXING Day action sees back-to-back Welsh derbies as Cardiff host Dragons before Ospreys face Scarlets.

Agony for Hastings as Saints hold on

ADAM Hastings had the chance to end Gloucester's league run with a long-range penalty with the final kick of a match that had at one point looked beyond them but, despite the crowd trying to will it over, the ball held up in the breeze and dropped agonisingly short.

Leicester suffer as Chiefs put on a show

EXETER'S star shone bright into the night at a packed Sandy Park as they rounded off a perfect 2023 on home soil.

Big Game is next in line for upbeat Dombrandt

ALEX Dombrandt will enjoy a rare break over Christmas before returning to drive Harlequins' twin assaults on the Premiership and the Champions Cup, starting with Saturday's Big Game against Gloucester at an expected sell-out Twickenham.

Warr: It's special to learn from the best

Gus SALE Sharks Warr believes that time spent rubbing shoulders and working with the likes of double World Cup winner Faf de Klerk has helped lift his game to another level.

Here's my England squad for Six Nations

THERE will have been times when the honeymoon period predicted for Steve Borthwick’s first year as England coach after succeeding Eddie Jones must have felt more like the War of the Roses.

I can see why Dupont has gold in his sights

IT is very hard to think of France without Antoine Dupont as a driving force as both scrum-half and captain.

Saracens in hunt for big name wing

SARACENS have held informal talks with England wingers Jonny May and Joe Cokanasiga about a move to London at the end of the season, but it's not a given that they will sign either player.

Cokanasiga shows his England quality

JOE Cokanasiga threw his hat into the Six Nations ring as he became the main event and relegated Finn Russell and Marcus Smith to supporting acts.

Agree new PGP deal quickly, urge DoRs

PREMIERSHIP clubs expect the details of the new Professional Game Partnership (PGP) with Twickenham to be agreed early in the new year, allowing them to plan for next season.

Quins out to collect another big scalp

FULL of confidence after their brilliant 31-28 win away to Racing 92, Harlequins are now looking to take down another big French team at the Twickenham Stoop today.

Olympics causing financial headache

THE new cycle of T French senior men's rugby starts here - a month-and-a-half after the 2023 Rugby World Cup ended, and a month-and-ahalf before the 2024 Six Nations kicks off.

Championship Is a class competition Hammond

DESPITE the lack of jeopardy at both ends of the Championship, Nottingham head coach Craig Hammond relishes battling the full-time outfits and enjoys the competitiveness of the division.

Carter earns number one a festive for hosts

CHINNOR put in a mammoth second-half defensive display during a boisterous derby clash to take the National One lead for the first time this season.

Gloucester top to deny come out on battling Chiefs

DEFENDING champions GloucesterHartpury thwarted a superb Exeter fightback to maintain their 100 per cent record in a thriller at Sandy Park.

Each day was filled with song, fun and laughter

WHEN I hit the last year of High School, my coach at St Peter’s College, the legendary Eric Kohlhase said I wasn’t tall enough to continue playing No.8 but that I’d make a really good front rower, and that set me on the path for higher honours.

Toulouse’s victory over Quins is top of my list

THE greatest single performance in the Heineken Cup? That’s a tricky one, there have been so many, but when pressed I normally opt for Toulouse’s 51-10 annihilation of Harlequins in the quarter-finals of the 1997-98 competition.

Tenth defeat in a row for battling Falcons

LIONS blindside Emmanuel Tshituka scored two second-half tries as Newcastle were taken back to school by a brutally powerful South African side in Johannesburg.

Lockett's late score has Saints believing

A FEW more thunderous nights like this one and Northampton look assured of keeping hold of Courtney Lawes next season.

Cardiff push Bath's all-stars to the limit

THIS was a game for the ages, European Rugby at its’ best, with neither side deserving to end up as losers.

Bordeaux put Bears through the mixer

BORDEAUX-Begles confirmed their status as dangerous floaters in this year’s Champions Cup but there was no disgrace in defeat for a very makeshift Bristol Bears.