Close your eyes at Cardiff Arms Park on Boxing Day and you might just imagine you’ve stepped back in time. A bumper crowd is expected for the Blues-Dragons Guinness Pro12…
Alan Pearey
End of an era as Wasps up sticks
With impeccable timing, Wasps will unwrap a big, shiny Christmas present to their fans this Sunday – the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Like Santa Claus himself, they’ve been handing out…
European Champions Cup: Bath and their offload skills bring a wow factor
English clubs had a field day in the European Champions Cup last weekend and, though they look destined to dip out on the quarter-finals, Bath were responsible for round three’s…
European Champions Cup: five epic clashes
ROUNDS THREE and four of Europe’s elite club competition sees teams play the same opponents in successive weeks – so it’s a chance to either turn the tables or hammer…
The rise of Exeter Chiefs
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…
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…