Category: Rugby Union

Rugby Union News

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Maro Itoje backs late call-up Max Ojomoh to shine against Argentina

  • Bath centre replaces Fraser Dingwall

  • Itoje: ‘He has a bit of a swagger the way he plays’

Max Ojomoh has been backed to bring his swagger to England’s pursuit of an autumn internationals clean sweep after he was a late call-up following more disruption to Steve Borthwick’s side. Ojomoh has been thrust into the No 12 jersey for a first Twickenham start in place of the injured Fraser Dingwall but Maro Itoje believes the Bath centre will flourish against Argentina.

Dingwall’s withdrawal with a side strain sustained last weekend is further upheaval for Borthwick, who has already lost Ollie Lawrence, Jamie George and Tom Roebuck since the 33-19 triumph over the All Blacks. With Tommy Freeman and Ollie Chessum also injury casualties of the autumn, Borthwick’s ranks have been depleted but Ojomoh has been in fine fettle for Bath this season and impressed on his debut against the USA last summer.

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Would South Africa look enviously at England’s game? Probably not, but the gap is closing | Ugo Monye

The Springboks are the standard-bearers in world rugby and will look to underline that position with a first win in Dublin in the Rassie Erasmus era

Be careful what you wish for. That would be my message to England supporters getting a little bit ahead of themselves and wishing that South Africa were due at Twickenham on Sunday. By all means get a little carried away – that’s the beauty of following a team on a winning run and it’s a demonstration of the confidence surrounding this England team at the moment – but the Springboks can wait until next summer.

South Africa remain the standard-bearers in world rugby. They are perfectly placed to achieve their goal of finishing the year as the No 1 team in the world and, given South Africa have never won in Dublin under Rassie Erasmus, there will be plenty of motivation to create another slice of history against Ireland on Saturday. The question is, have England closed the gap this autumn? And if so, by how much.

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England’s wing commander Daly primed to take flight against Pumas

Back in the fold after a broken arm, the veteran back has the high-ball skills to take the aerial tactic to another level

It’s funny how things have come full circle for Elliot Daly. The first time he played a Test against Argentina he lasted barely five minutes before being shown a red card for a misjudged tackle on a still airborne opponent. And now, nine years on, to whom have England turned to help discomfort the Pumas aerially? None other than wing commander Daly.

Much has changed, however, since that distant sending off at Twickenham in November 2016 on what was only his third start for England. Daly is now a vastly experienced international with 73 caps and the game also looks significantly different courtesy of the crackdown on “escorts” protecting the catcher, which has put an even greater emphasis on high-ball expertise.

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England call up Noah Caluori for Argentina Test after triple injury blow

  • Lawrence, George and Roebuck all ruled out

  • Arundell, Pollock and Daly among wing options

England have been hit by a triple injury blow before their final autumn Test with Ollie ­Lawrence, Jamie George and Tom Roebuck all ruled out of the game against Argentina on Sunday. The 19‑year-old uncapped wing Noah Caluori has been called into the squad and could profit from ­Roebuck’s absence.

All three injured players started the 33-19 win against the All Blacks on Saturday, forcing Steve Borthwick into a significant reshuffle as his side targets an 11th successive victory and a clean sweep of four November Tests for the first time since Eddie Jones’s first autumn in charge in 2016.

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England sweating over fitness of Ollie Lawrence for Argentina match

  • Centre limped off during statement win over All Blacks

  • Freddie Steward could also miss out with head injury

England are sweating on the fitness of Ollie Lawrence before their final autumn clash with Argentina this weekend.

Lawrence starred on Saturday in the statement victory against the All Blacks but limped off in the closing stages and could be forced to sit out the match against the Pumas on Sunday. The 26-year-old centre will be assessed when England reconvene on Tuesday after an extra day off but if Lawrence is ruled out it would be a blow for Steve Borthwick.

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England to launch first Nations Championship campaign with visit to South Africa

  • Sides have only met once since 2023 World Cup

  • Borthwick’s team to also face Fiji and Argentina

England will begin their inaugural Nations Championship campaign next summer by travelling to South Africa to lock horns with the two-times defending world champions.

As revealed by the Guardian in June, Steve Borthwick’s side, who are not playing the Springboks this autumn, also face fixtures against Fiji and Argentina next summer.

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England keep sights on rugby’s Everest in relentless climb to game’s summit | Robert Kitson

Beating the All Blacks shows how far Steve Borthwick’s men have come – but there remains yet more room for improvement

After finally scaling Mount Everest with Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953 the first person Edmund Hillary encountered on his descent was his longtime climbing friend, George Lowe. “Well, George,” Hillary said, “we knocked the bastard off.” Which is basically how England’s captain, Maro Itoje, and his team felt on Saturday having lifted the Hillary Shield, named in honour of the indomitable New Zealander who conquered the world’s most famous summit.

English rugby’s ultimate Everest is still up ahead of them, of course, in the form of the 2027 World Cup, but this was their South Col moment. And while a first home win against the All Blacks since 2012 and their second‑highest margin of victory in this 120-year-old fixture will both be sources of satisfaction there was also a powerful sense that their upwardly mobile trek is far from complete.

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Ford urges England to ensure win over New Zealand is no ‘flash in the pan’

  • Team claimed 10th straight win against All Blacks

  • ‘There’s a huge amount of growth,’ says Borthwick

George Ford has called on England to make sure their statement victory against the All Blacks is not a false dawn after Steve Borthwick’s side extended their winning run to 10 matches.

England have moved up to third in the world rankings after their impressive 33-19 win against New Zealand on Saturday and could go second next weekend should they defeat Argentina and Wales spring a surprise against the All Blacks.

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Jamie George admits he was brains behind England’s provocative response to haka

  • George gave Pollock starring role in reaction to All Blacks

  • England moved into V-shape during traditional dance

Henry Pollock’s starring role in England’s response to the haka was designed by Jamie George, who revealed he took inspiration from the 2019 World Cup semi-final win and admitted they risked poking the bear before clinching a first home win over the All Blacks in 13 years.

George admitted he was the brains behind England’s decision to initially line up as usual while the All Blacks performed their traditional war dance before breaking out into a V-shape. As the eldest player in the squad, George was intentionally on one end with Pollock, the youngest, on the other. The captain Maro Itoje stood at the point of the V, which, in truth, looked more like a C-shaped formation.

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Best Australian player was wearing Irish colours, Wallabies coach says after heavy loss

  • Joe Schmidt says 46-19 defeat to Ireland is ‘a tough one to take’

  • Australia on brink of first winless Europe trip in 67 years

The beleaguered Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has ruefully admitted that the best Australian player on the pitch in his side’s latest calamitous defeat was playing in Irish green.

Mack Hansen, the ex-Brumby who grew up in Canberra and was snapped up by his mother’s home country, scored his hat-trick of tries within the first half-hour to kickstart Ireland’s record 46-19 win over Australia in Dublin on Saturday.

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The Wallabies were meant to prove they’re back. But instead they have gone backwards

The 46-19 shellacking against Ireland is a stark reminder of how far behind the best teams Australia still sit

Three weeks ago, Australia arrived in Europe self-assured and quietly confident of taking a few prized scalps. And why not? They had come within a single refereeing call at the breakdown of claiming a British & Irish Lions series win. They had hammered the world champion Springboks in Johannesburg. They had shown great chutzpah to beat Argentina after the hooter and they still carried the glow of last November’s win over England.

This was a side developing shape and steel, a side capable of the sublime, a side beginning to coax long-dormant fans back to the code while tempting home several stars who had crossed to rugby league. This tour was supposed to confirm, unequivocally, that the Wallabies were back. Instead, they’ve gone backwards after a sorry performance against Ireland in Dublin where they received a 46–19 shellacking that still managed to flatter them on the scoreboard.

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Ireland v Australia: Autumn Nations Series rugby union – as it happened

Hansen a revelation at fullback as Ireland dismantled the Wallabies

8 mins. A clumsy breakdown effort from Ireland on the restart allows the Wallabies to win the ball back. However, their attack on the 22 is in about three minds and none of them have a discernible plan, which leads to O’Connor spilling the ball after a big hit from Prendergast. Yes, Prendergast, you read that right.

6 mins. Ireland work back into the 22 and the pressure coming from the pace of the recycling forces Williams to drift offside. The ball is tapped by Gibson-Park and some quick hands find Hansen free under the posts to walk in.

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England pumped up for chance to end 13-year wait against All Blacks

Maro Itoje and company have talked the talk and are hungry to follow through with a first win at home over New Zealand since 2012

For better or worse it has been lashing down in south-west London. Good news for restocking the reservoirs but rather less so for dry-ball rugby. Had England played New Zealand 24 hours earlier it would have resembled a game of outdoor water polo and, although the matchday forecast is less biblical, a decidedly damp, grey afternoon awaits.

Is it some kind of celestial clue that England’s on-field drought against the All Blacks might be about to break? It is now 13 years since the last men’s victory over New Zealand at what was once called Twickenham, so long ago that Maro Itoje was still at school. Troublemaker by Olly Murs (featuring Flo Rida) topped the UK charts and the nation was basking in a warm, fuzzy post-London Olympics glow that was supposed to last indefinitely.

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