Rugby Union News
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 […]
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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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...James Lowe stood out in a superb Irish backline while for England the Curry twins shone but the backs struggled
Hugo Keenan Exceptional covering tackle on Tommy Freeman in the first half, and joined in the attack with intelligent support lines as usual. 8
Continue reading...Ireland dominated the second half to win in Dublin
4 mins. Marcus Smith finds a bit of space in the Ireland half before he’s hauled down and the phases start. He then drives a low cross-kick towards Tom Curry on the wing but it’s too long and into touch.
Mack Hansen has picked up an early injury and is replaced by Robbie Henshaw.
Continue reading...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 […]
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Brython Thunder are still looking for their first win of the Celtic Challenge after a round six 58-0 defeat against Clovers at the Kingspan Stadium, Belfast this lunchtime. A young and new-look Brython side were without a host of players against a Clovers side that was third in the table before this clash at the […]
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Pre match reading
It’s 25 years since the Six Nations was created, thus rendering Scotland Five Nations champions in perpetuity. Relive the 2000 tournament here with this brilliant collection of images and memories.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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 […]
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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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...As the Six Nations turns 25, we take a look back at the first tournament of the 21st century when the addition of Italy turned the Five Nations into the Six Nations
Continue reading...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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