Category: Rugby Union

Rugby Union News

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England to show ‘nastiness’ as Itoje backs side to wrestle back Calcutta Cup

  • Captain calls on his team to ‘create our own history’
  • Assistant coach Tom Harrison: ‘there’s a nastiness to us’

England have vowed to show their nasty side against Scotland on Saturday with the captain, Maro Itoje, calling on his team to buck the trend of recent history by clinching the Calcutta Cup for the first time in five years.

Buoyed by their one-point victory over France last time out, England have been champing at the bit all week with Tom Curry saying there was an edginess to training on Monday and Ben Earl revealing the squad were subjecting to a series of video clips showcasing their failings in recent defeats by Scotland.

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Scotland happy to let England play favourites before Calcutta Cup clash

Gregor Townsend seems to know just what is needed to unravel their Six Nations rivals with a peerless record

Among the many questions hanging over the 132nd Calcutta Cup, the hardest to answer might just be exactly how many times you need to beat the English before they stop thinking of themselves as favourites for the next game. Since Gregor Townsend took over as head coach, Scotland have been unbeaten in six out of seven matches, including, count them, the last one, two, three, four in a row. And yet the English have contrived a way to arrive at this fixture, which could yet be a record-breaking fifth defeat, as odds-on favourites with every bookmaker, and on a wash of pundits’ promises about how their forwards are going to “monster the auld enemy”.

Well, Townsend knows exactly what those laurels are worth, and is happy enough to let England have them.

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Thunder looking to build on last round success

Brython Thunder have named a side hoping to build on their recent victory when they face Clovers in Round 8 of the Celtic Challenge at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday, February 22 (KO: 11.30am). The Thunder recorded a first win of the campaign, scoring six tries in their last gasp 38-32 win against Edinburgh in […]

The post Thunder looking to build on last round success appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Thunder looking to build on last round success

Brython Thunder have named a side hoping to build on their recent victory when they face Clovers in Round 8 of the Celtic Challenge at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday, February 22 (KO: 11.30am). The Thunder recorded a first win of the campaign, scoring six tries in their last gasp 38-32 win against Edinburgh in […]

The post Thunder looking to build on last round success appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Sherratt urges players to be brave against Ireland

Head coach Matt Sherratt has made his first team selection as Wales head home for the first time in the 2025 Guinness Six Nations. Wales face Ireland at 2.15pm this Saturday at a sold-out Principality Stadium in the third round of this year’s Championship. “My mindset coming in [to this role] was just to make […]

The post Sherratt urges players to be brave against Ireland appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Feyi-Waboso injury fallout hits England preparations for Scotland clash

  • Wing has reinjured shoulder and could be out for season
  • Injury leads to questioning of RFU’s contract system

England’s Calcutta Cup preparations have been tainted by the fallout from Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s shoulder injury, which raises questions over the Rugby Football Union’s new central contracting system.

Feyi-Waboso reinjured his shoulder at England’s training base on Wednesday after suffering a dislocation on Exeter duty on 21 December, with the Chiefs confirming he will be sidelined for up to 14 weeks. He is unlikely to play again this season and, as he will be out of action when Andy Farrell names his British & Irish Lions squad, Feyi-Waboso’s chances of touring Australia are hanging by a thread.

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Wales XV confirmed for sold-out Ireland match at Principality Stadium

Senior men’s head coach Matt Sherratt has named the Wales team to play Ireland in the third round of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations at a sold-out Principality Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 22 February (KO 14.15h GMT, live on BBC and S4C). Ellis Mee is named on the wing for his first cap and will […]

The post Wales XV confirmed for sold-out Ireland match at Principality Stadium appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Finn Russell fit to face England but Scotland decide against risking Graham

  • Co-captain recovers from injury for Six Nations clash
  • ‘Every brain injury is different,’ says Gregor Townsend

Scotland will have the one player they could not afford to lose for their Calcutta Cup match against England, after their medical team confirmed that Finn Russell has recovered from his concussion in good time to play for them tomorrow.

Russell suffered the injury in the first half of their game against Ireland in the previous round, when he collided with Darcy Graham, but he was found to be symptom-free 24 hours later, and has since completed a 12-day return-to-play protocol before recommencing full contact training while the team were away in camp in Spain this week.

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Mee to make Wales bow against Ireland as both teams ring Six Nations changes

  • Scarlets gets nod under interim Wales coach Sherratt
  • Sheehan to captain Ireland in absence of Doris

The Scarlets back Ellis Mee will make his Test debut when Wales begin life after Warren Gatland against the Six Nations title favourites Ireland on Saturday, while Dan Sheehan has been named captain of Simon Easterby’s much-changed visiting team in Cardiff.

The Nottingham-born wing Mee, whose mother is from Newport, is among eight personnel changes made by the interim head coach, Matt Sherratt, following Wales’s 22-15 loss to Italy.

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Surgery ends Feyi-Waboso’s hopes of playing for England in Six Nations

  • Winger also a doubt for British Lions’ tour of Australia
  • Feyi-Waboso finally had shoulder surgery after delay

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has finally undergone shoulder surgery, leaving his hopes of being in contention for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in the balance and ruling him out of England’s entire Six Nations campaign.

The 22-year-old sustained a dislocated shoulder in December and the confusion as to how best to treat the injury has dragged on for two months. He is one of 17 England players who were awarded enhanced contracts in October, which give Steve Borthwick the “final say” on all sports science matters.

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