The Top 14 is having a breather until the end of October as European competition holds sway, allowing clubs a chance to assess their performances a third of the way…
Tournaments
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints Centre of attention Glasgow Warriors made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice as they put to the sword a Bath side which has been earning…
European Champions Cup player analysis: Henry Pyrgos, Glasgow Warriors
As Paul Ackford pointed out in his typically forthright column in Saturday’s Times, three of the five men to captain their country to a Rugby World Cup victory have been…
European Rugby: Weekend’s talking points
Sarries need that final step The 46-6 demolition job that Saracens did on Clermont Auvergne in last April’s Heineken Cup semi-final felt like a seismic shifting of Europe’s tectonic plates. It…
Lawrence Dallaglio: Twickenham the right venue for European Champions Cup final
In the November issue of Rugby World there is a Big Debate: were EPCR right to award the European Champions Cup final to Twickenham? In the feature it is contested by…
Guinness PRO12 player analysis: Dan Baker, Ospreys
September and October are two vital months for budding internationals on these shores. With encounters against southern hemisphere opposition on the horizon, it is a pivotal time to perform. Beginning…
Rugby statistics: can trends identify the first European Champions Cup winner?
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? The Heineken Cup is no more, has ceased to be, is an ex-tournament. Instead we enter the new era of the…
Premiership player analysis: Jamie Gibson, Leicester Tigers
The concept of an injury crisis is relative. Leicester Tigers may be missing a very strong match-day squad’s worth of players due to various ailments, but their starting side on…
Snap shots: The weekend’s best rugby pics
ON THE last weekend of league action before domestic rugby turns to Europe, the Aviva Premiership saw Leicester return to winning ways, as they beat Harlequins 22-16 on Friday night,…
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints Stung, but still loyal Wasps supporters had the rug pulled out from under them during last week, when the club announced they were moving from High Wycombe to…