AS CHRISTMAS rushes towards us, what are the standout stories in this season’s Aviva Premiership? No one expected London Welsh to be so utterly out of their depth, and those…
Alan Pearey
Ireland v Georgia: is Joe Schmidt the world’s best coach?
WE THINK in generalities but live in detail, wrote an English philosopher. It’s a creed that Joe Schmidt has taken to heart, the New Zealander’s latest triumph as Ireland coach…
England v New Zealand: is this the best All Blacks attack ever?
From the offloading of Read and Sonny Bill to searing running lines in outside channels, the All Blacks are taking their attacking game to new heights
Varsity Match: Taylor banking on human touch as Oxford seek place in the record books
“Excuse me for being human,” tweeted England footballer Raheem Sterling after dropping out of a Euro 2016 qualifier because of fatigue a few weeks ago. It’s a tweet that would…
Should Stuart Lancaster pick Steffon Armitage?
Roger Uttley believes Stuart Lancaster is gambling by not selecting Steffon Armitage and will have to think again should England come a cropper in the QBE autumn series. “Is Stuart…
Laws and refereeing: 5 ways to improve the game
1. CHOKE TACKLE MADNESS The choke tackle, in which turnovers are effected by preventing the ball carrier from going to ground, was much admired when Ireland introduced it to union…
Kyle Eastmond should be part of England’s EPS
Kyle Eastmond didn’t make it into the latest Opta Team of the Week, but there was plenty of love for him on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight show. “He’s the most balanced runner…
Rugby Championship: why time is South Africa’s biggest enemy
The Sharks beat the Bulls last week and probably put paid to the Pretorians’ hopes of a Currie Cup semi-final berth. Former Springbok coach, Nick Mallett, continually linked to coaching…
RWC 2015: Disabled station access at Twickenham not up to scratch
There was a lunch meeting last week about the Varsity Match, held in a hospitality box at Twickenham stadium. At its conclusion, the affable convener Rob Cole, a director at…
Rugby Championship: why the All Blacks dominate the game
If you had to name one player who summed up the world-beating All Blacks, who would it be? Richie McCaw? It would be hard to disagree. Dan Carter? Hasn’t played…