The Rugby Paper - January 05, 2025

I denne utgaven

January 05, 2025

Tigers chasing dream double

NICKY Smith insists Leicester Tigers will be content not unless they complete a \"dream double\" as Michael Cheika's men target domestic and European glory.

2 mins

Stick with Marcus, he's best in England

STEVE Borthwick has put three outside halves on hybrid contracts and he has less than a month to decide which one to select for the start of the Six Nations in Dublin.

2 mins

Baxter: Fixture schedule hurting us

IF tackling the elite of English and European rugby was not enough for Exeter Chiefs to contend with, director of rugby Rob Baxter has blasted fixture schedulers in regards to weekly turnaround times for his side.

1 min

Computer games annoy Sanderson

ANGRY Alex Sanderson has vowed to channel the perceived lack of respect for his Sale Sharks side into a driving force for their Premiership title push in 2025.

1 min

Muir's aiming to hit the target with Bath

DARTS-loving Will Muir hopes Bath winger can hit the bullseye in 2025 having gone so close to Premiership glory last season.

3 mins

I can't see me returning to coaching, says Murphy

FORMER Leicester boss Geordan Murphy has revealed he is still scarred by the manner of his departure from the Tigers and is doubtful he will ever return to frontline club coaching again Just over four years have passed since the genial Irishman lost his job as director of rugby and the 46-year-old Dubliner doesn't appear to be in a hurry to re-enter the cut throat world of professional rugby coaching.

1 min

Lam: Harding is good enough for England

PAT Lam's new year wish is for his Bristol captain Fitz Harding to gain international recognition after a number of eye-catching performances by the back rower.

2 mins

Time for Saints to push Bath up front

NORTHAMPTON are the Premiership's reigning champions, and when you are in that position you want to defend your title.

4 mins

Youngs steps up to make sure for Tigers

LEICESTER needed a burst of magic from old favourite Ben Youngs to finish off stubborn Exeter who led going into the final quarter.

3 mins

Quins leave it late to power past Falcons

MARCUS Smith showed his class on Friday night, being an imperious creator and finisher as Harlequins romped to an emphatic five-try victory on Tyneside.

2 mins

Hybrid Hash will tie Borthwick in knots

THE description 'Hybrid Central Contracts' does not inspire confidence. Hybrid usually means a bit of this, and a bit of that — and 'Hybrid Hash' would be a more apt term for the RFU contracts given to 17 England players just before the autumn series slump.

4 mins

Cowan-Dickie: I'm back and buzzing

LUKE Cowan-Dickie's journey back to the pinnacle of rugby is nothing short of extraordinary.

3 mins

Edwards gives Gatland a little to think about

A TERRIFIC effort from Ospreys should have seen victory and it was rough justice that high-flying Cardiff escaped with an undeserved draw.

2 mins

Hathaway can follow Zam Skivington

GEORGE Skivington has backed Josh Hathaway to continue to go from strength to strength as the young winger attempts to follow in the slipstream of Louis Rees-Zammit and be a big hit for club and country.

2 mins

Powell powers over to take Quins home

PLAYMAKER Kayleigh Powell powered past four defenders to score the eighth Harlequins try and narrowly edge out a spirited Trailfinders side to secure a late comeback win in a 15-try derby thriller.

2 mins

Clow keeps Rams in touch at the top

RAMS inward approach is paying dividends with the club involved in another title race thanks in part to free scoring flyer Zachary Clow.

2 mins

We need to see a complete shake-up

A NEW year and change is on the way across many aspects of the game, not least with the possibility of an SGM creating a complete change at the RFU.

4 mins

Cool McBryde steals it for RGC

BILLY McBryde held his nerve to land a last kick of the match conversion to snatch a stunning 4139 win for RGC over leaders Ebbw Vale at Parc Eirias.

3 mins

Century of highs for La Rochelle

AN IMPRESSIVE milestone at Stade Marcel Deflandre was reached last night, where La Rochelle hosted their 100th sell-out match in a row – either side of the period of pandemic restrictions – a run stretching back to January 2, 2016.

4 mins

Williams bowing out a happy man

HAVING taken Cambridge to dizzy heights during his seven-seasons in charge, Richie Williams has decided it's time for the club to have a reset under new leadership.

2 mins

Les alle historiene fra The Rugby Paper

The Rugby Paper Magazine Description:

The Rugby Paper, the UK's number 1 selling rugby title, brings you exclusive stories, reports and features on your device, published in exceptional clarity. It contains renowned journalists such as Nick Cain and Peter Jackson, and famous former players as columnists including Jeremy Guscott and Jeff Probyn. Published every Sunday, The Rugby Paper covers Rugby Union from national teams and Premiership / Rabo Direct down to grass roots.