Category: Rugby

Rugby News

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Marcus Smith needs more to work with from England than his own magic moments | Ugo Monye

If England can tighten up and not rely on individual brilliance, they’ll have a chance in their Six Nations clash with Ireland

Not long ago you wouldn’t have thought of England as a team who produce many magic moments. Their approach at the 2023 World Cup was certainly different but, as we saw in the autumn, England can produce something from nothing. My worry is that they can be too reliant on those moments. Marcus Smith is a magician, capable of some spellbinding stuff, but there are only so many rabbits he can pull out of a hat.

Put simply, England have some room for improvement in terms of precision from their launch plays. To win in Dublin for the first time since 2019 they need to show better shape and patterns, which in turn give Marcus more opportunities to do his stuff. In the autumn most of what Marcus showcased wasn’t as a result of shape or patterns, it was instinct – darting down the blindside, leading counterattacks or picking off an intercept against New Zealand.

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France 43-0 Wales: Six Nations 2025 opener – as it happened

France cruise to seven-try victory as Wales draw blank in 13th straight loss

There are a bunch of new laws in place for this year’s Six Nations:

Conversions must take place within 60 seconds.

Lineouts to be formed within 30 seconds (same as scrums)

No stoppage for lineouts that aren’t straight if the defending team doesn’t contest.

9s (or players at the base of a ruck, maul or scrum) have more protection from defenders (effectively given more space).

20 minute red card – players can still get sent off, but after 20 minutes they can be replaced by a teammate, which means we can hopefully stop talking about red cards ruining games.

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Maro Itoje calls for Six Nations to stay on free-to-air TV to grow the game

  • England captain expresses fears over paywall plans
  • ‘Rugby needs more eyes on it, not less’

The England captain, Maro Itoje, has called for Six Nations organisers to keep the championship on free-to-air TV on the grounds that rugby union needs more exposure, amid fears the championship will disappear behind a paywall next season.

Itoje, who leads England for the first time in Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Ireland in Dublin, issued an impassioned plea, pointing to how he grew up watching the championship on the BBC and ITV.

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Gwalia Lightning search for Edinburgh double

Gwalia Lightning return home to Wales in Round 6 of the Celtic Challenge looking to do the double over Edinburgh at Ystrad Mynach, on Saturday, February 1st (KO:2pm). The Welsh side sit second in the league table after last weekend’s impressive 29-27 win on the road against the same opponents in the Scottish capital. Welsh […]

The post Gwalia Lightning search for Edinburgh double appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Thunder seeking first scalp of Celtic Challenge campaign

Brython Thunder hit the road again for Round 6 of Celtic Challenge when they travel to Belfast to face Clovers at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday, February 1st (KO: Midday). The Welsh side is still looking for their first win of this league campaign and face a Clovers side with three wins and mid-table in […]

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Back to the future for Scotland and Italy in rerun of 2000 Six Nations opener

Twenty-five years on from the first Six Nations, Murrayfield hosts battle between two teams who have come a long way in a quarter of a century

And so we head back to where it all began. The Six Nations is a quarter of a century old. Wednesday will mark 25 years since its opening fixture on 5 February 2000, but of more visceral significance will be Saturday afternoon’s encounter at Murrayfield between Scotland and Italy, a rerun of that first match, bathed in sunshine, when Italy, the new arrivals, announced themselves to the old championship with a shattering 34-20 win over the champions.

Those not yet in middle age may balk at the phrase “champions Scotland”. But it is true. They were quite often champions back then. In 1999 they won the last Five Nations, outplaying the rest in what must still rank as the greatest championship of them all. England squeaked past them at Twickenham in round two, but Scotland had run rings round them all match, just as they would all-comers that year. When England fell to the most dramatic defeat of them all on the final Sunday, against Wales at Wembley, Scotland were crowned worthy champions, having thrashed France in Paris, no less, the day before.

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Tierney creates new streamlined WRU executive team

Abi Tierney has announced a new, streamlined, executive team structure at the Welsh Rugby Union, as she kicks-off her second year as CEO. The new executive leadership team consists of five roles, where previously there were up to nine individuals, and will include a new Chief Growth Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, the Chief People […]

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Ireland hit by Joe McCarthy injury blow for Six Nations opener against England

  • Tadhg Beirne moves into second row to partner James Ryan
  • Leinster playmaker Sam Prendergast keeps hold of No 10 shirt

The Ireland lock Joe McCarthy will miss Saturday’s Six Nations opener against England due to injury. The interim head coach, Simon Easterby, has moved Tadhg Beirne into the second row to replace McCarthy, with Ryan Baird given a rare international start after being named at blindside flanker.

The Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast is again preferred to Munster’s Jack Crowley, having worn the No 10 jersey for his country’s final two autumn fixtures, victories over Fiji and Australia.

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