Category: Rugby Union

Rugby Union News

Posted on

Maro Itoje says England is ‘the mecca’ amid talk of global breakaway league

  • Proposal of touring eight-team franchise competition
  • RFU would not select any breakaway players for England

Maro Itoje has insisted that playing for England is “the mecca” amid fears Steve Borthwick’s side could be hit by an exodus of stars heading for a global breakaway league.

Itoje said he was unaware of the mooted competition until news of the proposal broke last week but as one of the leading lights for England for the best part of a decade, the 30-year-old would be high on the rebels’ wishlist.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Gatland fronting up to challenge

Warren Gatland talked about the “real hurt” his side are feeling at the post-match press conference after his side had fallen to Australia yesterday. But the Wales head coach expects a character-defining reaction against the world champion Springboks in the final Autumn Nations Series match at Principality Stadium on Saturday (Kick-off 5.40pm). “When you’re involved […]

The post Gatland fronting up to challenge appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

Posted on

England are not yet in crisis but Six Nations could be decisive for Borthwick | Robert Kitson

Defeat at the hands of South Africa was to be expected, but the Six Nations looms as kill or cure for the coach’s project

A little perspective is always useful at times like this. How many people, for example, genuinely expected England to beat the world champions, South Africa, on Saturday? A good side winning an absorbing game of rugby does not necessarily mean the gallant losers are totally hopeless. England’s autumn has certainly been full of drama but is it really a full-blown crisis?

A ‘crisis’, in sporting terms, refers to the indisputable point at which a team start to perform so far below expectations that there is no discernible hope. Yes, a fifth defeat on the trot is uncomfortable for a supposed top-tier nation. Yes, they continue to tail off in the final half-hours of too many big games. A limp finish is increasingly what springs to mind when analysts lie back and think of England.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Joe Schmidt finds beauty in the basics to turbocharge Australia’s dazzling revival | Daniel Gallan

The record-breaking wins against Wales and England have been built on a bedrock of principles that don’t make the highlights reels

It took less than two minutes for Australia to show their continued progress under Joe Schmidt. Having secured the ball they set about their work with Nic White zipping short passes to narrow runners who charged straight and hard into contact. And again. And again. And again. In no time they’d worked their way to a 13th phase before a spill of the ball handed Wales a scrum on their own 22. The move didn’t yield any points but it offered a glimpse of what is possible under this new regime.

Last week Australia snatched a remarkable victory at Twickenham with true blue Aussie gumption. Lightning hands, down the line, into the corner via tap-ons and sidesteps. It was a remarkable display of razzle-dazzle pulled off by naturally gifted ballers with licence to strut their stuff when the chance is on. But that’s always been there and, as long as 15 blokes show an interest in taking the field for some union footy, they’ll be there whether or not the code recedes from the mainstream. What this group needed was some steel and discipline, a dose of patience to go with their panache. That’s what wins Test matches.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Borthwick claims players not fit enough for Test rugby after South Africa loss

  • England coach does not believe he will be sacked
  • Freddie Stewart says players should shoulder blame

Steve Borthwick has claimed his England players were not fit enough for Test rugby when they began their autumn internationals after Saturday’s defeat by South Africa extended their dismal losing run.

In what could be construed as a tacit admission that Aled Walters’ departure has been keenly felt, Borthwick has risked the ire of Premiership clubs by stating that his players’ “condition” was not “where it needed to be” at the start of the month.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Obituary: Ken Rowlands

Welsh rugby has lost one of its great stalwarts following the passing of international referee Ken Rowlands.   Rowlands served refereeing in Wales for more than 50 years, after initially taking up the whistle after being told he wasn’t good enough to play for Ynysbwl. After spending two years refereeing at Youth and Welsh District […]

The post Obituary: Ken Rowlands appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

Posted on

Thomas Ramos’s boot helps France to thrilling win over New Zealand

  • France 30-29 New Zealand
  • Home side claw back half-time deficit in seesaw contest

Silky skills, crushing power and a ding-dong on the scoreboard lapped up by a sold-out Saturday-night crowd: this was a vintage instalment of a classic fixture that went right down to the wire.

The iconic scrum-half Antoine Dupont may have looked a little rusty on his second outing for France since his sevens sojourn at the Paris Olympics but Thomas Ramos, who kicked 15 points with six from six off the tee, was as dependable as ever.

Continue reading...
Posted on

‘Gutted’ Wales working hard to strike back – Morgan

Jac Morgan says Wales are “working hard towards the weekend” after picking themselves up from the disappointment of just being shaded by Fiji in their opening Autumn Nations Series game at Principality Stadium. The Ospreys flanker is one of four changes to the side that started against Fiji for Sunday’s third showdown of the year […]

The post ‘Gutted’ Wales working hard to strike back – Morgan appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

Posted on

Darcy Graham equals record as Scotland run in nine tries despite Portugal grit

  • Autumn Nations Series: Scotland 59-21 Portgual
  • Wing takes try total to 29 in 41 appearances

Wing Darcy Graham equalled the record for the most tries for Scotland as they ran in a total of nine in a dominant 59-21 victory over Portugal in their Test at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Graham scored the third of Scotland’s five first-half tries to bring his total to 29 in 41 international appearances and equal Duhan van der Merwe’s record.

Continue reading...