WHEN London Irish said farewell to their training ground, the Avenue, a few weeks ago, it signalled the transition into a new era. It was a nostalgic day for some…
Tournaments
Rory Kockott ready for the Top 14 Final
Rory Kockott is a man who catches puff adders in his spare time. For the uninitiated, the venomous puff adder is arguably the fastest striking snake in the world, timed…
Five things we learned from the Heineken Cup Final
With Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw lurking menacingly on their front line, Toulon were never going to be scared of the wolf-pack. In the end though, the manner in which…
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints The legend How could Jonny Wilkinson not be the number one Saint this week? England’s ultimate hero – and world rugby’s most magnificent role model – played his…
Toulon’s steps to Heineken Cup success
Toulon retained the Heineken Cup with a 23-6 victory over Saracens in the final at the Millennium Stadium. So how did they do it?
Drew Mitchell on life with Toulon
There is a pause of almost five seconds before Drew Mitchell lets out a groan of frustration and throws in the towel. “No,” he admits after being asked if he…
Championship blog: Semi-finals second leg wrap
That the two top teams after the regular season should battle it out in the final is a validation of the tournament’s structure. Less so, are rules that permit Bristol’s…
Saracens: trips, cricketers and Henry Fraser
“No one likes us. No one likes us. No one likes us. We don’t care.” So goes the famous chant of Millwall Football Club’s fans who are, to put it…
Saints and Sinners: Rugby’s weekend talking points
The Saints Classic clash Some people are calling it the best Aviva Premiership game ever and the Northampton v Leicester semi-final certainly had drama, skill, physicality and passion by the…
The problems with the Amlin Challenge Cup
For all the excellent rugby and intriguing on-field plotlines, both of which have been abundant, 2013-14 will always be remembered for its ugly European saga. A very public process of…