CATEGORIES

England will struggle to replace Marler and Cole

HERE is a prediction. England will not win another World Cup, or Six Nations Grand Slam, or even Six Nations title, until they sort out their scrum.

Halfpenny Lawes and Youngs quit the big stage

EXPERIENCED interand nationals Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes Leigh Halfpenny have announced their retirement from international rugby but will continue playing for their respective clubs.

Borthwick has tough decisions to make

FOURTH in the Six Nations, third in the World Cup. Redemption rather than progress for England given the pool they were in and their highly structured game plan, but given the relatively little time Steve Borthwick had to prepare the team after the sacking of Eddie Jones, to get within two minutes of the final as much as could have realistically been expected.

Borthwick needs to rebuild England pack

IT was a well executed England game-plan against South Africa in the semi-final, but the other side of the coin is that they never looked like scoring a try. By comparison RG Snyman’s try for the Springboks was almost scored at will, because England never looked like stopping it.

Kamikaze Kids in unison once again

OK, it wasn’t a cracker but nor was this playoff game a dud. In a tournament marked by a handful of games for the ages and too many complete blow outs, this was a compelling contest between two battle-weary but still hungry teams who manifestly considered finishing third in the world better than fourth.

Bronze beauties: Dan and Earl steer England to third in the end

AT FIRST glance a bronze medal third place 2023 World Cup finish for an England side which came into the tournament looking like a busted flush after three years of mediocrity is cause for celebration.

Brilliant Boks are worthy champions

So they have only gone and done it! South Africa have become the first team to win four World Cups which is pretty decent considering they’ve only ever been allowed to enter eight tournaments.

Majestic Boks win in battle of Paris

Springboks take fourth title after epic showdown

Randall's out to get the world at his feet

WHEN Harry Randall was released from the England squad in the summer, the scrum-half was told he needed to work on his kicking.

George urges RFU to listen to old boys

JAMIE George has urged the RFU to listen to England's seasoned internationals before rubber-stamping proposals over new playing tracts.

Lions knock over big boys but still have lot to learn

THE term ‘anyone can beat anyone on their day’ is an overused cliche in sport, but none is more appropriate to describe this season’s National One as newly promoted Leicester Lions have beaten both of last season’s title challengers Rams and Sale FC in the first block of the season

Seabourne keen to spread word to rebuild Leeds

LEEDS Tykes have started the season with a bang as they sit top of National Two North with seven wins from seven games.

Bullett clear that Esher aiming for quick return

IN its centenary year, Esher, a club steeped in history and tradition, finds itself at a critical juncture

Lasike: USA hunting for diamonds in rough

PAUL Lasike believes rugby union is slowly growing in the USA but has a long way to go until it can really compete in the American sporting market, with the complicated laws currently holding the sport back

Ealing hit six to run rings around battling Bedford

EALING Trailfinders made a barnstorming start to their quest of reclaiming the Championship title with a thumping six-try victory at Bedford on opening weekend

Red Roses begin new era in style

MARLIE Packer hailed the dawn of a new era after England eased past Australia in their WXV opener in Wellington

Put Kolbe fast show on the big TV screen

SEVEN days on, Thomas Ramos will still be kicking himself over falling victim to the mother-and-father of chargedowns in Paris around 9.25pm Central European Time last weekend

Aged 24, Harding keen to lead from the front at Bears

FITZ Harding is looking for Bristol to develop a harder edge this season after becoming the second youngest player to be appointed captain of the club in the Premiership

Dombrandt: We don't fear anyone

ALEX Dombrandt is not feeling sorry for himself after missing out on the World Cup as he looks to help get Harlequins back to the top after two inconsistent campaigns

Gloucester hold on to weather the storm

GLOUCESTER fly-half George Barton had his shooting boots on as the Cherry-and-Whites battled through horrific conditions to claim a hard-fought win, and end their 364-day on the road hoodoo

Bath fly high as Saracens sink again

IT’S too early to suggest Bath are the real deal just yet but an impressive away victory over reigning champions Saracens in difficult conditions shouldn’t be snarled at

Unbeaten Bristol are too strong for Saints

BRISTOL Bears showed their bite as they bagged a spirited win at Northampton Saints yesterday

Sale have the power to cut down Tigers

SALE’S big men squeezed their way to victory aided by a fine try from fly half Rob du Preez who whizzed through the Leicester defence 10 minutes from time

After Jersey, Biljon offered a chance at Rotherham

HAVING had his world turned upside down due to Jersey Reds’ suspension from the Championship, Harvey Biljon has since teamed up with Rotherham Titans in a short-term consultancy role with an aim of helping the club return to the higher leagues

Borthwick must plot his own course

FOR the first time in a long time all four quarter-final games were outstanding in their own way

Powerful Fiji can't get past England

ENGLAND held off a thrilling Fijian fightback to avenge defeat in August to the same opposition and reach the World Cup semi-finals

Paying the price of a lopsided draw

We may have spent all last week luxuriating in the afterglow of two of the greatest matches ever played – aka the two Paris quarter-finals – but there was a price to pay.

All Blacks move into the final but this was a sorry mismatch

NEW Zealand have booked their place in a fifth World Cup final, but after the pyrotechnics of last weekend’s quarter-finals this first semi-final of the 2023 tournament fizzled out.

England go with heads held high

ENGLAND did everything but win. They were ahead after two minutes and held on to the lead until there were two minutes to go, making the World Cup holders look ordinary for the most part but on a night when the rain made handling hazardous, the scrum proved decisive

Gallant England cruelly denied by Boks

THIS was a semi-final which brought the cruellest cut of all when a courageous, battling England performance ended in a one-point defeat by South Africa due to a booming Handre Pollard penalty two minutes from time