The number seven is almost as sacred in modern Test rugby as it is at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s theatre of dreams. Thanks to a lineage of eye-catching, influential players…
Gallagher Premiership
Premiership analysis: Four moments of Wasps magic
As a glorious Sunday afternoon for Wasps extended into evening, news broke that the club would be launching a retail bond listed on the London Stock Exchange. According to chief…
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints Smokin’ Joe On a high-scoring weekend of Aviva Premiership action, Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson produced a contender for Try of the Season in their 36-29 win over Exeter…
The six contenders for Aviva Premiership glory
Intrigue, excitement, outrage, indignation – the current domestic campaign in this country has encouraged just about every emotional reaction from a captive audience. With three regular season rounds to go, six teams remain in…
Tackle by tackle: How Jacques Burger stopped Clermont
If Saracens are the comic villains of European rugby – and one prominent Irish blog has rather wittily christened them Globo Gym after the muscly-but-dumb badguys in Ben Stiller’s boisterous movie…
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…
Saints and Sinners: the weekend’s talking points
The Saints Chiefs in charge A strong – in every sense – performance from the Exeter Chiefs pack earned the Devon side a 21-10 win over reigning Aviva Premiership champions…
Premiership analysis: Ollie Devoto, Bath’s World Cup bolter?
Ollie Devoto is only 21, but it already feels as though he has been waiting in the wings for a fair while. Strangely, that feels slightly frustrating. The Bath back…
Matt Banahan on Bath’s exciting young stars
Bath take on Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership this Friday, hoping to continue stunning fans with running rugby. They no longer have a continental trophy to target after they…
Aviva Premiership: we go on the road with the BT Sport team
Two weekends ago I attended the Aviva Premiership games at Bath, Gloucester and Wasps without setting foot in a stadium. Instead, I was in a van in the car park…