CATEGORIES

Time for Borthwick to put faith in Itoje

STEVE Borthwick struck a positive note this week when he made it clear that the here-and-now, as in the Six Nations, is his top priority.

Tactical subs are spoiling the game

REDUCING the number of tactical substitutes is something I've wanted for a long time, and it's great that a coach of Warren Gatland's stature now feels the same. It's now a matter of some urgency, and I would not mess around by trying to trial it.

Sleightholme leads the Saints fightback

NORTHAMPTON all at sea for the first 30 minutes but all singing and dancing for the remainder of the game - came back from a massive 26-point deficit to end Exeter's long unbeaten run at Sandy Park.

McCall: I wouldn't blame Farrell

SARACENS boss Mark McCall did little last night to dampen the speculation that England captain Owen Farrell is set to join Racing 92 next season.

Borthwick wants to dominate Six Nations

ENGLAND boss Steve Borthwick has vowed to put his side back on the Six Nations map and leave thoughts of the next World Cup on the back burner for now.

Champions crash Harlequins party

REIGNING champions Gloucester-Hartpury spoiled Harlequins’ party at Big Game 15 with a fine victory at Twickenham to make it four wins from four and move third in the table.

We've got a long way to go-Van Graan

BATH head of rugby Johann van Graan insists his table-topping team “have achieved nothing yet” as they bid to sign off on a rollercoaster year with a statement win.

Quins take honours in Big Game showdown

THE 15th and possibly biggest Big Match to date saw Quins in prime form for much of the game against a stubborn Gloucester who fought hard, if unsuccessfully, to avoid their eighth consecutive Premiership defeat.

Bailey glad to learn from Finn

AFTER being prematurely cast as Bath’s first-choice fly-half, precocious homegrown talent Orlando Bailey says he is enjoying his supporting role to main act Finn Russell.

England's attack has to have a revamp

\"The offloads and breaks made by inside-centres are crucial in creating momentum\"

Bristol and Bath chasing Welsh prop

WEST Country rivals Bath and Bristol are battling over Wales loosehead Nicky Smith, who could activate a get-out clause written into his contract and leave Ospreys at the end of the season.

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.