Five things we learned about rugby – April Don’t hate Toulon, they’re simply getting it right. Okay, so it was May 2, but it’s easy having a pop at Toulon.…
France
Clermont giant Sebastien Vahaamahina ready to rumble
Sebastien Vahaamahina is a big man with a soft voice. And soft hands, too, as he’s shown this season for Clermont in combining set-piece solidity with ball-handling athleticism in the…
European Champions Cup final: A statistical preview
Jack D'Arcy takes a look at the facts and figures ahead of this weekend's European Champions Cup final between Clermont and Toulon at Twickenham…
Top 14: Pau ready to enter the promised land
Rarely has one team dominated their rivals the way Pau have this season in ProD2. Crowned champions of France’s second division a month before the end of the regular season,…
European Champions Cup semi-finals: A statistical preview
Ahead of this weekend's Champions Cup semi-finals, Jack D'Arcy takes a look at the key statistics from the tournament to date
Rugby statistics: Is the Aviva Premiership the most competitive league in Europe?
After the European Champions Cup quarter-finals, Wasps’ director of rugby Dai Young suggested all stats point towards the Aviva Premiership as being the most competitive league in Europe. Is that…
Clermont’s Jamie Cudmore on wine and winning
Clermont lock Jamie Cudmore looks ahead to the European Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens and talks about his new wine label
Quel combat! The political battle that will determine the future of French rugby
The successor to Philippe Saint-André will be announced next month, but that decision will have only a limited bearing on the long-term fortunes of the national team. The crucial selection…
Rugby Rant: Keep the Six Nations free-to-air
Granted, he was being mischievous, as is his right as financial custodian of the RBS 6 Nations, but CEO John Feehan blasted open a hornet’s nest with a double-barrel shotgun…
Rocky Elsom, Jerry Collins and their ProD2 adventure with Narbonne
The Parc des Sports Et de L’Amitie stadium was rocking, flares were going off and the fans celebrated with gusto. Racing Club de Narbonne Mediterannee, better known as RC Narbonne,…