CATEGORIES

Ref Doyle available ‘for a pie and a pint'

Neil Fissler finds out what’s next for referee JP Doyle after his American adventure

Hooper shows his class in best Wallaby tradition

A BRIEF encounter with Ian Chappell long ago served as early notice to be wary of Australian Test captains. Quite why the air in Swansea turned blue during the tourists’ three-day match against Glamorgan has been lost in the mists of time other than that Chappell was not in the best of moods.

Cipriani magic can get Bath back in the title mix

It’s hard to say if Danny Cipriani is the missing piece to get Bath back on top – and whether he can change things on his own – but his job will be a lot easier if he has a formidable pack in front of him. It just makes life so much easier for the half-backs.

Pollard puts boot into the misfiring Pumas

THE Rugby Championship may be in more Covid disarray but Siya Kolisi claimed a second quick victory over Argentina tasted sweet.

I can't wait for Gareth return, but go slowly!

IT’S great news Gareth Anscombe is poised to make his long-awaited return from injury this season because he is a player the Ospreys, and to a lesser extent Wales, need desperately.

Let stars go abroad AND play for their countries

It seems to be part of rugby’s culture that the Unions like to flaunt their muscle and tell players that they can only play for their country if they are based there: England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand all do it.

The magnificent men of England's swinging 20s

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

Tigers tie up gives kids route through

Paul Rees finds out more about Nottingham’s new partnership with Leicester Tigers

Lions should have put pressure on Boks' backs

What we hoped would be a successful Lions series turned into a loss that’s still hard to believe. In all three Tests the Lions showed a commitment and drive to match the Boks forwards but only then did they attempt to outplay their backs.

Council steps in to take care of Beziers

Thirteen months ago, you probably recall, a proposed mega-money takeover of French ProD2 side Béziers dominated the rugby headlines on the French side of the Channel.

The sterile Lions Tests are killing the game

You have to laugh, even in the darkness. It’s better than the alternative. After countless stackings of the deck in favour of attack over defence by World Rugby, we have just been subjected to the most sterile, poverty-stricken Test series in well over a century of officially-sanctioned British and Irish Lions business trips. Six tries in three matches? Whoopee doo. Hang out the bunting.

Change guidelines to weed out ‘cheats'

I’m not going to do a Rassie and make a 60minute video nasty slagging off a specific referee but before the Lions tour disappears in our rear view mirror there are a few little refereeing items that need addressing under ‘any other business’.

Far less chat and more rugby action please, Sky

The Lions tour of South Africa, despite the empty stadia, the Covid scares, and so on, is still all about the rugby, so why did Sky feel the need to have a two-hour (!) build-up, and a 90-minute post mortem for the First Test? We want to watch the rugby, so does the nonsense that surrounds the game add to the experience, or detract from it?

Trinder opts for Amps over top flight return

HENRY Trinder plans on bringing the attacking style of rugby which dominated his 172-game career with Gloucester to Championship side Ampthill.

Wales can feed off grassroots energy

GRASSROOTS rugby is back up and running in Wales and it’s just brilliant to see those who love the game involved at their local clubs again. I’ve been added to the Amman United second team WhatsApp group for the new season – they’re trying to tempt be back to play once again and I’m resisting… for now!

This smearing of Gatland as conservative is claptrap

WARREN Gatland is a great coach, and assorted attempts to undermine his reputation this week were unworthy at best, and vindictive at worst.

Lions must now engage with the Premiership

The idea that the best players from the Home Unions get together every four years and travel to the southern hemisphere is a hugely romantic one, with decades of history behind it. Away from home and family for weeks on end, it’s only natural that the players bond, and friendships made on tour last a lifetime. However, nowadays those players are full-time professionals, who have chosen to sign contracts with clubs, or in the Celtic nations it might be Unions, that commit them to playing when their employers need them.

O'Flaherty eager to right the wrongs of painful last season

TOM O’Flaherty is putting the rest of the Premiership on notice that Exeter Chiefs are determined to rediscover their ruthless streak next season.

Kick-fests will make us all turn off the TV

INTERNATIONAL rugby is the peak of our sport, and World Rugby has to act on the questions that were raised by the 2021 Lions tour – or watch its showcase events lose their sparkle and have the audience reach for the off button.

Racing defeat left me crying at kitchen table

THE FORMER LEEDS, NEWCASTLE, LEICESTER, LA ROCHELLE AND NORTHAMPTON LOCK

Run the Boks tired and Lions can still triumph

IT’S a straight shootout next week and the Lions will always have hope in a two-horse race, but this was a complete role reversal from the First Test.

Rassie rant is just good fun says Marler

JOE Marler insists he has no problems with Rassie Erasmus’ hour-long video rant at the officiating in the Lions First Test.

Warrior Biggar must be protected say activists

THE Lions were taking a risk with Dan Biggar by naming him in the side for yesterday’s Second Test against South Africa, according to World Rugby’s guidelines on concussion which were updated at the end of January.

Gatland: Lions set for brutal showdown

WARREN Gatland prepared his Lions for a “brutal cup final” in Cape Town on Saturday after seeing the Springboks level the series.

Kiwis are worthy winners of best ever tournament

AFTER the Lord Mayor’s show...came the best Women’s Sevens tournament in history and a seminal moment in the development of Women’s Rugby. A joyous tournament that excited rugby followers around the world and absolutely cemented Sevens’ position as a core team sport at the modern-day Olympics.

Ditch the tech like Anna did to strike gold

Purity and simplicity are not among the nouns most commonly associated with Rugby Union in its current state of confusion: prop forwards were routinely described as “simple” back in the day, but that was a different thing altogether.

All Blacks bucked the trend of decline

What better time, a few days shy of the first Test against South Africa, to seek out a great thinker and turn to him for illumination?

First Test success vital for a winning series

There is always a special feel to the first Test of any Lions series in South Africa, a step into the unknown for the vast majority of those involved. All sorts of questions and hopes hang heavily in the air.

Gritty England grind way to Grand Slam

CAPTAIN Jack van Poortvliet lauded the ‘grit’ of his England teammates after holding off Italy to clinch the U20 Six Nations Grand Slam.

Now the Lions know just what they are up against

Almost on cue, the Lions lost their first real test last Wednesday when faced with a strong South African A team.