Category: Rugby

Rugby News

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The Breakdown | England beware: rugby’s Messi is even better after Olympic sevens stint

Scrum-half Dupont took time off to snare Olympic gold which has made him even more effective around the rucks

Tickets to watch France play England this weekend are not cheap. Premium adult seats cost £199 apiece and even the most affordable ones up in the gods will set you back £89. Before you phone the Rugby Football Union to enquire if an England win is included as part of the deal, however, ask yourself how often in life you have the chance to witness pure genius.

Admittedly this can be a subjective debate. Taylor Swift fans will have a different opinion to, say, Bob Dylan disciples. However, in contemporary sport there can surely be increasingly little debate. With all due respect to the colossal talents of Novak Djokovic, Max Verstappen, Patrick Mahomes, Simone Biles and Mohamed Salah, the name Antoine Dupont must be close to the top of the list.

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England insist Dupont is ‘human’ but admit stopping him is a conundrum

  • Freeman urges team to put early pressure on France
  • Murley injury rules wing out for France and Scotland

England have vowed not to put France’s superstar scrum-half Antoine Dupont on a pedestal as Steve Borthwick seeks to end his side’s miserable run of form against Les Bleus on Saturday.

Borthwick will be without Cadan Murley for the match after he picked up a foot injury in the 27-22 defeat by Ireland last weekend and has been ruled out until after the Scotland game but, while Dupont and co represent a daunting challenge, Tommy Freeman has insisted that France are “only human”.

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Wales squad update

Scarlets back row Taine Plumtree has been called up to the Wales senior men’s squad while Aaron Wainwright continues his recovery from a facial injury sustained during Friday night’s opening match of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations against France. Ospreys centre Owen Watkin continues to undergo assessment on a knee injury also sustained during Friday’s […]

The post Wales squad update appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Six Nations warning lights are flashing for exposed England and weak Wales

Steve Borthwick’s side still lack an effective Plan B while Warren Gatland’s aim is to avoid embarrassment in Rome

Few annual tournaments lay bare the truth as brutally or swiftly as the Six Nations. There are no play-yourself-in pool games, no one-off-the-mark half-volleys. The opposition want your guts from minute one and, particularly away from home, there is no hiding place. Even in boxing they allow you a pair of padded gloves and a breather every three minutes.

If you are not quite at the level of your opponent, even for a relatively short period of time, the scoreboard rarely lies. Until their late, late flurry in Dublin, England were 27-10 down and already pinned on the ropes. Over in Paris on Friday night there were moments when you almost wanted the referee, Paul Williams, to step in and save Wales from any more punishment.

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Jamie George fit to return against France as England try to ‘break the dam’

  • Former captain’s recovery provides boost to Borthwick
  • Earl declares trust in head coach and teammates

The former England captain Jamie George has been declared fit for the daunting Six Nations clash with France on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury, handing Steve Borthwick a welcome boost as his side seek to “break the dam” after another disheartening defeat.

George missed England’s 27-22 loss against Ireland after picking up the injury in Saracens’ Champions Cup defeat by Castres, capping a miserable week after he had been stripped of the England captaincy six days earlier.

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Steve Borthwick must stop blaming inexperience for England’s failings

This England side have character and can carry out a game plan, but there is no guarantee they will improve in time

Steve Borthwick is a man of character in an age that prefers to reward personality. Try as he might to explain England’s latest collapse, to reassure supporters that a corner will be turned, he failed to grasp the gravity of a seventh defeat in nine games in a manner that is now his side’s trademark. It was left to his predecessor-turned-pundit, Eddie Jones, to sum up England’s plight far more adroitly and in only four words when asked how he would have reacted if he were in Borthwick’s position: “I’m glad I’m not.”

It is a measure of Borthwick’s character that he chose not to turn on the referee, Ben O’Keeffe, for some questionable decisions against his team during the period in which Ireland scored 22 unanswered points. Borthwick pointed instead to his side’s indiscipline as they let a 10-5 half‑time lead slip through their fingers. “That’s something that needs to be improved this week,” was about as close as he came to chastising his players for capitulating.

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Confident Gwalia Lightning cruise to victory

Gwalia Lightning ran out convincing 26-5 winners against Edinburgh in Round 3 of the Celtic Challenge at Ystrad Mynach this afternoon. The Lightning recorded their third win in a row in a convincing display against an impressive Edinburgh outfit. The Welsh side earned a bonus point victory and were well worth the win, with scrum […]

The post Confident Gwalia Lightning cruise to victory appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Some games are bigger than others … so pressure is on Ireland and England

Visitors can forge a winning new identity under Maro Itoje but the experienced Irish remain marginal favourites

Every Six Nations fixture is a grand occasion but some games are bigger than others. Ireland and England both know how crucial today’s Dublin eliminator will be in terms of establishing early championship momentum. Listening to the upbeat pre-match tone of the visitors’ new captain, Maro Itoje – “I think we have a team that’s ready to write our own stories” – this also feels like a pivotal moment for Steve Borthwick’s whole England project.

A lot has already been said and written since last March’s corresponding match when Marcus Smith drilled a last-gasp drop-goal through the sticks amid ecstatic Twickenham scenes reminiscent of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. England have subsequently played eight Test matches and lost six, beating only Japan twice. The majority of those losses have been tight but close doesn’t win any cigars at the elite level.

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Emanuel brothers ready to rumble together for Wales U20

The back garden of the Emanuel household used to resemble “a war zone” when their sons Ioan and Steff were growing up. Straight and hard running was always the requirement when the two boys, who are only 18 months apart in age, played “one-on-one” rugby matches. It has stood them both in good stead and […]

The post Emanuel brothers ready to rumble together for Wales U20 appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.