CATEGORIES

Chiefs hit 50 ahead of Crusaders showdown

THE Chiefs’ unbeaten streak continues as they secured another bonus point victory to strengthen their grip on top spot and extend their franchise record start to eight wins on the bounce.

More money needs to go to the grassroots

AS THE Premiership, Champions Cup and Women’s Six Nations hog the headlines, the crisis of the Championship and grassroots game seems to have been forgotten.

Students sign off in best way possible

A BUMPER crowd filled the stands for the second half of Loughborough’s double header, following on from the Lightning (women’s) side fixture with Harlequins earlier in the day.

Powerful Park show champion qualities

SUPER Sedgley Park Tigers finished off their season with another bonus-point win, although they didn’t have it all their own way.

Cardiff show their class to overcome problems

CARDIFF overcame a month of turmoil with a superb performance by destroying Ospreys to pick up the Welsh Shield and with it European Champions Cup rugby next season.

Red Roses stay on course for Grand Slam

ENGLAND stayed on track for the Grand Slam with an eighttry victory over a resilient Ireland side.

Irish must be sharp, says Van Rensburg

PUTTING a kitchen accident to one side, Benhard Janse van Rensburg has always put his best foot forward for London Irish this season and the South African intends to do so again against Saracens.

Collins double keeps Saints in the running

TOM Collins’ deadly first-half double kept Northampton’s play-off challenge alive as they destroyed Newcastle with a 10-try blitz.

Sounds like Lam putting someone else's money in his mouth

PRECISELY none of the owner-investors who finance professional club rugby in England are in obvious need of a tin of beans from the local food bank, which may explain their inability to embrace the spirit of togetherness in securing a sustainable future for a domestic game on the breadline.

Sale take hard route to land a home semi

BEN Curry led the way as Sale booked their first booked their first home Premiership semi-final since the glory days of Jason Robinson and co in 2006.

Simmonds lands late winner to stun Bears

JOE Simmonds stunned Bristol with a last-gasp penalty as Chiefs finished their home Premiership campaign on a high, and lifted confidence heading into their crunch European battle next weekend.

Lawrence on fire as Bath find their mojo

BATH hinted at much better times ahead with this barnstorming win, their third Premiership victory on the hoof, which showcased their many fine talents in front of an appreciative crowd at Twickenham.

100 reasons why Ashton is one of England's best

WHEN Chris Ashton first came on the scene after leaving Wigan and rugby league for Northampton, they were in the Championship.

Whitten keen to finish on a high

EXETER may be the underdogs in next Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final against holders La Rochelle in Bordeaux, but Ian Whitten says recent history suggests the Chiefs should not be written off.

I'm quicker, stronger and better, says Lynagh

LOUIS Lynagh claims he has returned from his injury nightmare “quicker, stronger and better than ever”.

Sanderson backs his 'squadfather'

ALEX Sanderson says Sale will be a different proposition in the Premiership play-offs than they were two years ago in his first campaign in charge when they lost at Exeter in the semi-final.

Atkinson enjoying life at Gloucester

SEB Atkinson is ending the season on a high having feared his career might be over just as it had started following the collapse of Worcester last September.

Williams: Give more to the Championship

BRISTOL centre James Williams believes the Championship is overlooked by Premiership clubs and deserves more funding from the RFU.

Easy for Clermont as Bears stumble

PAT Lam cut a stoical figure after seeing his side surrender their place in the Challenge Cup by conceding three perplexingly soft tries.

Toole try completes Brumbies fightback

THE Brumbies stole an unforgettable, high-octane Australian derby as Corey Toole’s 77th-minute try completed an astonishing 40-36 comeback win against the Waratahs.

Parra has his eye on a final flourish

FOR a while, it looked as if Morgan Parra’s season – and possibly his career – had ended with an unwelcome whimper rather than a thoroughly merited bang.

Refereeing can be lonely but I wouldn't change it

MOST journeys in life don’t go exactly as planned and that was definitely the case with my refereeing career which began, of all places, on the other side of the world in Australia.

Barber joy as Clifton seal derby triumph

Clifton ................18pts Redruth ............. 10pts

Barnes hand as Heath given

Barnes ...............21pts Blackheath ...... 10pts

At last minnows will have their chances

IT’S an ill wind that blows no good. I’ve been listening to the howls of indignation recently over the “premature” World Cup draw three years ago which has resulted in the top five sides in the world, on current rankings, being lumped on one side of the draw but, unlike some, I am sanguine about the prospect. In fact, and I know this makes me a bad person, I welcome it.

No-show clubs lead cup into an early crisis

A RAFT of late withdrawals from clubs has seen the RFU’s new Papa John’s Community Cup get off to a rocky start.

Rayasi double puts Hurricanes on top

Super Rugby Pacific round-up

AWJ out to climb his final mountain

FOR the last 17 winters, Alun Wyn Jones has been trying to find a way from Swansea to Mont Blanc and the summit of European club competition.

Non-stop season to challenge the best

NO ONE has ever denied – no one has ever been able to deny – that the French rugby season is an ultra-marathon rather than a sprint. But when the World Cup comes around it takes on ferocious ironman triathlon levels.

Sanderson moves for Stormers' star

SALE Sharks are set to return to familiar ground as Alex Sanderson steps up his recruitment plans for next season after agreeing to a deal to land Stormers utility forward Ernst van Rhyn.