Rugby Union News
Welsh rugby’s four professional clubs Cardiff, Dragons RFC, the Ospreys and the Scarlets have reached agreement with the Welsh Rugby Union on the final guiding principles of a new financial and rugby focused deal which will sustain the game in Wales over the next five years. The new Professional Rugby Agreement for 2025 (PRA25), will […]
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Wales front row forwards Gareth Thomas and Elliot Dee have committed their futures to their respective regions. The 31-year old Thomas has extended his stay at the Ospreys, while the 30-year-old Dee has given Dragons fans a huge boost by signing up for more at Rodney Parade. Both will be in action for Wales in […]
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Aberavon and Newport will be hoping for fairer weather when they meet against at the Talbot Athletic Ground having had their first attempt in Super Rygbi Cymru washed out by a deluge at half-time back in September. The Black & Ambers were leading 3-0 at the time and since then Ty Morris’ men have picked […]
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Gatland’s men aim to avoid a 14th consecutive defeat against an Italy side in the rare position of being favourites
Italy are the biggest favourites of the weekend to win their Six Nations match. And it is highly unlikely that sentence has been written before.
Admittedly, there is barely anything in it. At the time of writing, Italy are widely available at evens with a handicap of seven; for France and Ireland, the handicap is six. All three are a little shy of 2-1 on to win their respective matches. That is quite the company Italy are keeping.
Continue reading...The one thing France fear about England isn’t their scrum, maul or back-play – it’s their attitude when they beat them
Always eager to keep its readers up to speed, the Guardian marked the inclusion of the French rugby team in the Five Nations by providing a quick glossary of pertinent terms. “Marquer” was one, “plaquer” another, “melee” a third, all familiar enough now after a hundred-and-some years of playing each other. Another essential phrase has come into the French game in that time, one borrowed from the English, who are, amusingly, almost entirely oblivious to its significance: “Sorry, good game.”
This phrase, or something like it, is what the English captain Vince Cartwright said to the French players after they went down 35-8 in the first fixture at the Parc des Princes in Paris in 1906. “Sorry, good game,” or something like it, is what Ian Preece repeated after he had kicked the winning drop goal in an 8-3 victory in 1949, when France were on a run of 43 years without winning in England. “Sorry, good game,” is, most indelibly, what the French heard, over and over again, from Will Carling, during the back half of a run of eight straight English victories that spanned 1989-1995.
Continue reading...The France captain, Antoine Dupont, has revealed he is surprised by the Rugby Football Union’s policy that bans Steve Borthwick from picking players based abroad and admitted he is glad he will not lock horns with his Toulouse teammate Jack Willis on Saturday.
England host Dupont and co at Twickenham as they seek to improve a run of seven defeats in nine matches and do so without a raft of players who are based in France’s Top 14 and therefore considered unavailable.
Continue reading...Brython Thunder return home after time on the road to face Edinburgh in Round 7 of the Celtic Challenge at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday, February 8th (KO: 12.30pm). The Welsh side are still looking for a first win of the league campaign and face a Edinburgh side sat mid table in the Celtic Challenge. […]
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Continue reading...Be bold and back yourself will certainly be the theme of Steve Borthwick’s paddock pep talk at Twickenham
A flash red Ferrari was parked directly outside England’s team hotel shortly before Steve Borthwick unveiled his lineup to face France. It was tempting to see it as a symbol of everything the home side would love their reshuffled weekend team to be: fast, striking and a far cry from the battered Skoda they have metaphorically been driving around this season.
In tossing the playmaking keys to Northampton’s precocious Fin Smith, with Marcus Smith shunted into the role of keen-eyed back seat driver, that is essentially the ambition this week. Up the pace, keep the accelerator down for longer than they did in Dublin last Saturday and see where it takes them. Both on paper and in the car park the superficial appeal is obvious.
Continue reading...Warren Gatland says Taulupe Faletau’s 100+ cap experience and X-factor can provide his young Welsh side with a real boost in confidence ahead of Round 2 of the Guinness Six Nations championship in Rome on Saturday. The 34-year-old Cardiff Rugby No. 8 returns to pick up his 105th cap at Stadio Olimpico at the weekend, having not featured […]
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Warren Gatland has dismissed the notion Wales are facing their biggest game for two decades against Italy in Rome on Saturday.
The former Wales outside-half Dan Biggar described the Six Nations fixture match as Welsh rugby’s biggest game for the “last 15 to 20 years” after an opening 43-0 thrashing by France left Gatland’s side surveying a record-breaking 13th consecutive defeat. A 14th at the Stadio Olimpico would leave Wales with the very real prospect of a second winless Six Nations campaign and championship wooden spoon and put Gatland in almost an untenable position.
Continue reading...Steve Borthwick believes Marcus Smith can be England’s “gamechanger” against France after shifting the Harlequins playmaker to full-back and handing Fin Smith a first start at fly-half for Saturday’s crunch clash.
Marcus Smith has started England’s last eight Tests at fly-half but with Borthwick keen to exploit his sparkling talents from deep and introduce a second playmaker to the side, the head coach has rolled the dice as he seeks to end his side’s miserable run of seven defeats in nine matches.
Continue reading...Senior men’s head coach Warren Gatland has named the Wales team to play Italy in the second round of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations at Stadio Olimpico, Rome on Saturday 8 February (KO 14.15h GMT, live on ITV and S4C). Taulupe Faletau is named at No. 8 and will make his first appearance for Wales […]
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Aidan Boshoff says Wales U20 will go into Round 2 of the U20 Six Nations with the same level of confidence they took into their opening game in France and are ready to repeat last season’s victory over Italy. Having more than held their own against the French side in Vannes in the first half […]
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France’s Matthieu Jalibert will start at fly-half against England in the Six Nations on Saturday in place of the suspended Romain Ntamack, one of two changes from the team that beat Wales in the opening game.
Jalibert asked to be sent back to his club, Bordeaux-Begles, when he was left out of the 23 to face the All Blacks having been second in the pecking order at flyhalf to Thomas Ramos during last November’s autumn series but the France head coach, Fabien Galthié, said there was no grudge held against the 26-year-old.
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