CATEGORIES

Dominici, so strong on pitch, so fragile off

“‘Domi’ had been fighting his demons virtually since childhood”

Cole relying on Wiggy to drive Tigers standards

LEICESTER prop Dan Cole is backing veteran scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth to help his side surge to their best Premiership start in five years.

Championship consider return to playoff system

NOTTINGHAM chairman Alistair Bow says he would welcome plans for a shorter, conference-based Championship season with the title decided by play-offs.

The Lone Ranger rides again with Gorgadze

Watching Beka Gorgadze play England and Wales on his own was an interesting experience, the young Georgian No.8’s carrying and tackling and organising and all-round stand-up-to-be-countedness confirming him as a back rower of undisputed international quality. Which is good news for Georgia. One down, just the 14 to go.

Now We Must Up Our Game For England

Well it was a win and a win is what Wales will take right now. It would have been unthinkable to lose to Georgia and thankfully that fate was avoided.

Bird's-Eye View From The Old South Stand

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

Kepu's hungry to tick that final box

DANIEL GALLAN finds out what keeps Wallaby great Sekope Kepu motivated

Much improved, but Italy can't stop Scots

THE Scotland bandwagon continued to gather pace with a fifth consecutive win but this will count as one of their harder fought triumphs over an Italian side who hinted at better times ahead.

Red Roses on top of the world after France win

THE RED Roses got their 2020 Autumn Internationals off to winning ways with a powerful showing against France in Grenoble.

Lewies will lean on Quins leaders to drive title bid

WITH few Test call-ups hampering preparations, new Harlequins captain Stephan Lewies believes a fast start will underpin a charge towards the top four.

Clermont shock call for Cov's No10 Rory

RORY Jennings admits he can’t believe his luck after signing for Clermont Auvergne, calling his surprise move to the two-time Top 14 champions “a great honour”.

This dash for cash could end in a crash

If you fancy undertaking a basic English language challenge this Sunday morning – it really shouldn’t take long, so you won’t miss church – rearrange the following words to make a well-known phrase or saying:

Big Billy was like a pig in muck again

I suspect most of us could have written the match report for England v Georgia on Friday morning over a cup of coffee. You didn’t need to be Mystic Meg.

Ask Lipman if red cards are necessary safeguards

Last weekend’s Bledisloe 4 match between the Wallabies and All Blacks was a cracker, and featured two red cards, one for each side.

That All Black axe is sharpening its blade

It seemed like a joke worth telling. “What’s the difference between the All Blacks and an arsonist?”, your columnist asked the presenter of a New Zealand radio sports show in the dying weeks of 1998. “Not a clue,” came the reply. “Well…no arsonist would ever lose his last five matches.”

Star-maker Ioan's time with Wales must come

There used to be a time when Wales led the world in pioneering coaches, when Carwyn James, Clive Rowlands and Ray Williams changed the mentality of Test rugby.

St Joseph's victory is Hampton reward

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools

Scots can upset French again – with quick ball

OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK

Heineken defeat by Brive was so weird

STEVE HACKNEY THE FORMER ENGLAND B, BARBARIANS, NOTTINGHAM, LEICESTER, MOSELEY & WATERLOO WING

Fearless Blues fancy chances of major upset

LEINSTER have a perfect record of six bonus-point wins this season and the perennial winners of the PRO14 have arguably been even more dominant than usual so far.

Eddie won't win RWC with this game plan

A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME

Conbeer targets next Irish scalp

ALL eyes will be on Kingspan Stadium for a variety of reasons today when Ulster host the Scarlets.

Alfred the great was cornerstone for France

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

Sorry, World No Longer Revolves Around Lions

During the week we saw just how huge the gulf is between the traditions of rugby and the professional game.

Scarratt leads Slam mission

ENGLAND go into battle seeking a second successive Grand Slam without captain Sarah Hunter who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Dennis off to chase new dream in America

EXETER’S Aussie star Dave Dennis is set for pastures new after revealing he has accepted the offer of a two-year deal to play in Major League Rugby.

World Cup horror show too gruesome to witness

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

Irish prudence poses RFU more questions

RUGBY Union is fourth in the pecking order of popular team sports in Ireland, behind Gaelic football, hurling, and soccer – and yet it punches well above its weight, both on the playing field and in its administrative boardrooms.

Losing Italy would help welfare for top players

IN many ways I feel for Italian rugby. I understand the pain they must feel as a nation that loves Rugby Union, but does not truly understand or know it in the way that it is known in leading rugby nations around the world, such as England, Wales, France, New Zealand and South Africa, where it is part of sporting culture.

JJ snubbed a fortune for Wales

PETER JACKSON pays tribute to JJ Williams who died on Thursday at the age of 72. An all-time great, record-breaking try scorer during the only invincible Lions tour, double Grand Slammer, national sprint champion, millionaire businessman and outspoken pundit, he was also a fearless critic of The Blazer Brigade who ran the amateur game.