15. Alex Goode (Saracens) A consummate, classy operator who never seems to get the credit he deserves. Offers calm authority and precise positioning in defence and hits the line nicely in…
Tournaments
France: Top 14 reaches its denouement
Spare a thought this week for Grenoble manager Fabrice Landreau. At the end of March his side were in the top six of the Top 14 and looking good for…
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints Hometown heroes Hats off to two of the Aviva Premiership’s greatest one-club men, Mark Cueto and Ugo Monye, who both played their last home matches for their teams…
Analysis: Five reasons Leicester Tigers beat Wasps
If ever an 80-minute performance epitomised a club – its values, ethos and ingrained traditions – it was Leicester Tigers’ 26-21 defeat of Wasps at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday.…
Rugby statistics: Who is the most prolific try-scorer in Europe?
When it was announced in January 2014 that Thomas Waldrom would be joining Exeter Chiefs, head coach Rob Baxter said: “We feel his best years are probably still to come.”…
The former NFL and track stars set to face Leicester Tigers in America
“… And he’s in the end zone! From a scrimmage on the five-yard line he’s touched down for a five!” Professional club rugby has finally arrived in the land of…
Phil Vickery on England’s Rugby World Cup legacy and the scrum
When Phil Vickery says: “I say what I think,” he means it. So when the issue of sporting legacies comes up, the former England captain lays out his hopes for…
Five things we learnt in April
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.…
30 Minutes with… Henry Slade
Exeter Chiefs fly-half Henry Slade talks Taylor Swift, OCD and snakes
Analysis: Giteau, Pocock and Mitchell – Wallabies emerging from the wilderness
The Rugby World Cup narrative has already taken so many intriguing twists and turns that December 3, 2012 – when each nation discovered their group-stage opponents – feels like a…