Category: Rugby Union

Rugby Union News

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Italy beat the deluge and condemn toothless Wales to 14th defeat in a row

  • Italy 22-15 Wales
  • Tomasso Allan kicks 17 points as home side win in Rome

Another week, another Welsh defeat, another 80 minutes in which those in red gave their best as individuals but proved that it is nowhere near good enough for this level. A 14th straight defeat has dropped them to 12th on World Rugby’s ­rankings, one place below Georgia and the lowest position in their history. In Roman rain, Warren Gatland’s Divine Comedy descended another circle.

Perhaps the most damning point of all is that this never felt like a contest. The losing bonus point, procured at the death with a penalty try after two Italians received yellow cards, felt undeserving and failed to gloss over the preceding dross. Even with so much riding on this result, and even with the weather stifling Italy’s attacking threat, Wales simply failed to manufacture a challenge. Forget about a Plan B, Gatland’s team now appear bereft of any plan at all beyond aimless kicks, toothless carries and unjustified hope.

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England 26-25 France: Six Nations 2025 – as it happened

Elliot Daly’s try at the death delivered a crucial win for Steve Borthwick

4 mins. The first scrum of the game is a French one near halfway, which they win snappily and move it to the right. Dupont jabs a grubber towards the touchline but Penaud can’t reach it before it dribbles over the line.

2 mins. Ben Earl has a carry up towards halfway and the recycle Fin Smith dallies a bit and this allow Alldritt in to charge it down. The ball bobbles all over the place and mercifully back in English hands to kick clear.

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Italy 22-15 Wales: Six Nations 2025 – as it happened

Wales slumped to their 14th consecutive defeat after a hugely disappointing display in Rome

8 mins. Will Rowlands loses a lineout under pressure from Cannone, but Page-Relo ruins the work of his team-mate by booming his clearing kick out of the full from outside the 22.

6 mins. Wales are off their feet at the ruck as Italy venture into their territory. Allan calls for the tee and opens his account for the day.

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Forget the Smiths, French pack could cause panic on the pitch in London

If England are blown away up front, Will Smith might as well be playing fly-half for all the difference it will make

Once upon a time France headed to London with a certain amount of trepidation. For 18 years they could not buy a Six Nations win at Twickenham, to the point where people muttered about mental blocks and psychological hang-ups. Until a couple of years ago, that is, when Steve Borthwick’s England were torn apart 53-10 in the heaviest home defeat the old cabbage patch has ever known.

At a stroke all that historical baggage was gloriously jettisoned. Which is precisely what England would now love to replicate on a chilly February day in their retitled concrete citadel. There is no sweeter feeling in sport than unexpected success, particularly when a home victory is widely viewed as up there, in terms of probability, with Donald Trump’s vision for a “Gaza Riviera”.

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When it comes to Le Crunch, England don’t seem to know what their best XV is | Ugo Monye

The world’s greatest teams know who plays when everyone is fit and horses-for-courses selection won’t help Steve Borthwick

When it comes to team selection, it’s important to remember that everything is subjective. Different coaches, five million different fans and the 80,000 people in the stadium will all have different views, different affiliations and different opinions about who should be playing for England. It plays a large part of every Test week and it’s fantastic because it creates debate, it gets people talking.

It is not specific to England either but the problem with Steve Borthwick’s recent team selections is that I just wish it felt like it was coming from a place of understanding exactly what his best team is and precisely how to deliver their best gameplan. I’m not sure we have clarity on either of those things yet and as much as I understand the notion of horses for courses, I would much prefer to have a sense that selection is first and foremost about yourselves rather than the opposition.

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Crunch Irish test for Gwalia Lightning

Gwalia Lightning hit the road to face league leaders, Wolfhounds, in Round 7 of the Celtic Challenge at Virgin Media Park, Cork, on Sunday, February 9th (KO:12.30pm). The Welsh side travel to Ireland on the back of a three-match winning streak to face the reigning champions in their own backyard. Welsh international Bryonie King captains […]

The post Crunch Irish test for Gwalia Lightning appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Wizards hoping to conjure up some magic against Newport in SRC

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 […]

The post Wizards hoping to conjure up some magic against Newport in SRC appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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PRA25 nears completion

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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Favoured Italy face return of Faletau as Wales look to stop their slide

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.

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‘Sorry, good game’: why English rugby attitudes still infuriate France

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.

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Antoine Dupont ‘surprised’ at rule that deprives England of Jack Willis

  • France-based players ineligible under RFU rules
  • Itoje reveals he rejected moves abroad to play for England

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.

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Stalling England seek to step on the gas with Smith shuffle against France | Robert Kitson

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.

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