“That idiot!” Ryle Nugent may have summed it up best, over on Premier Sports, as a pitch invader chose the worst possible moment to try make himself famous. With Wales level with the world champion Springboks at the Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, scrumhalf Tomos Williams spread the ball out to the left wing. He found […]

4 years ago

“On and off, all day. It was ridiculous!” On the back of some of the Newcastle Falcons players sharing tales about some of their rugby forfeits, Alex Goode, Seán O’Brien and Adam Jones got into the topic and raised plenty of eyebrows. Forfeits are part of most rugby squads, amateur and professional, and some sides […]

4 years ago

‘He’s like one of those goats that fall down when startled!’ Joe Marler is back in the England camp, and back to his old, wind-up antics. The loosehead is one of four Harlequins players in the England squad for the November Tests, having opted out of the 2021 Six Nations and the British & Irish […]

4 years ago

Leicester Tigers making a positive splash again. Six games into the new Premiership season and Leicester are sitting pretty. Led by recently appointed captain Ellis Genge, the Tigers are six wins from six and have picked up three bonus points along the way. The past few seasons have been tumultuous for the former kingpins of […]

4 years ago

Pushing his luck to the brink. Antoine Dupont is a national treasure to the French. To all rugby, in fact. He must be protected at all costs. “It think he was a touch fortunate there, to be honest with you. Crikey!” Not since the 2005 Lions Tour to New Zealand has a commentator under-sold a […]

4 years ago

English rugby wages have plateaued in recent years. The latest list of highest-paid players in world rugby has been compiled. There are two England internationals in the Top 10 while Finn Russell is being handsomely remunerated in Paris. In terms of value for money, Montpellier never quite got there with Handré Pollard. The Springboks outhalf […]

4 years ago

“We’re so scripted to look at the men’s game… let’s get a level playing field first, and then look at it.” There was a positive stir, last week, when a Women’s Lions Tour went from warm sentiments and wishful thinking to bodies getting in a room to start planning and discussing how it would work. […]

4 years ago

It truly is a new era for England, under Eddie Jones, with the focus very much on 2023. Jones has named four uncapped players in his 34-man England squad for the autumn internationals, but much of the focus will be on the players NOT included. Nic Dolly and Tommy Freeman are called up for the […]

4 years ago

LEICESTER CITY 4-2 MAN UNITED Only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be able to tell you what he was thinking with some of his team selections today. On Wednesday, Harry Maguire gave an interview with the United website and revealed he had not had a full training session with the senior squad. On Saturday, Solskjaer threw […]

4 years ago

“You’re always guaranteed that with Sexto. He’s going to come on and make those big plays.” Andy Farrell has a big decision to make, next month, and it is far from a simple one. Warren Gatland may have deemed him surplus to the Lions’ requirements, but Johnny Sexton is unquestionably Ireland’s best 10 and no-one is […]

4 years ago

“We are all hugely disappointed for RG.” Munster head coach Johann van Graan surely knew this was coming when he saw RG Snyman hobble off after only nine minutes of action against Scarlets, on Sunday. The South African lock came off the bench for Munster against the Welsh outfit in their United Rugby Championship outing […]

4 years ago

We are still getting our heads around that epic encounter. Last season, on their way to Premiership glory, Harlequins staged a semi-final comeback against Bristol, at Ashton Gate, that was dubbed ‘Bristanbul’. On Friday, they did it again. 21-0 down after 26 minutes and with outhalf Tommaso Allan limping off, Quins were left with another […]

4 years ago

We could yet have the likes of Saracens playing the Waratahs and Leicester Tigers facing Crusaders. Talks and plans are well underway for a Club World Cup that will feature rugby’s best sides from both hemispheres going head-to-head. The news was confirmed by outgoing EPCR chairman Simon Halliday, who suggested the competition – like the […]

4 years ago

He did not go as far as his comments from last November. Near the end of last year, after Manchester City drew 1-1 with Liverpool, Roy Keane branded Kyle Walker “an idiot”. The City and England defender gave away a penalty and Keane likened his performance to ‘a car crash’. Walker has since won another […]

4 years ago

LEICESTER 13-12 SARACENS “It’s going to be a penalty try… ” It felt like it had been coming, and it made the Leicester eruption all the sweeter. There were a few eyebrows raised when Leicester Tigers appointed Ellis Genge as their captain for 2021/22. ‘The Baby Rhino’ can be outspoken at times, and has past […]

4 years ago

You can see how much it means to the guy Rory McIlroy was called everything under the sun in the past few days at Whistling Straits. Those words, commentary from outside the ropes and his own performances cut him deep. The former world number one’s poor form in foursomes and four-ball matches, on Friday and […]

4 years ago

“COME ON! ****ING COME ON!!!” Shane Lowry delivered big time for Ireland as he and Tyrrell Hatton teamed up to take down Harris English and the red-hot Tony Finau. Selected as a Team Europe Captain’s Pick by Padraig Harrington, Lowry was then left out of the foursomes on Friday and Saturday. He showed serious mettle, […]

4 years ago

Stick to MMA, would be our suggestion Conor McGregor is continuing his rehab after a horrendous leg break that he suffered in a doctor’s stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier, back in June. Still, this McGregor pitch at Wrigley Field needs some serious looking at. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion has been taking some […]

4 years ago

Some… interesting choices in there. We start with a rapid-fire question for you: What is your favourite rugby stadium in the world? Good. Now picture that and think of all the elements that make it stand out for you – atmosphere, mingling with rival fans, good pubs nearby, no massive queues for beers, easy access, […]

4 years ago

“You’re welcome!” They don’t call Nick Cummins ‘The Honey Badger’ for nothing. The former Wallabies star needed all his strength and energy to come to the rescue of a stricken sheep in his native Australia. Cummins, who played for Western Force and Australia before finishing his playing career out with stints in Japan and Norway, […]

4 years ago

“I’m pretty angry watching Spurs’ performance today.” New season, zero emissions, same Roy Keane frustration and Tottenham Hotspur falling short against one of the Premier League’s top sides. Spurs went out and gave Chelsea a good scare for the first 30 minutes, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, today but could not break the deadlock and ended […]

4 years ago

It doesn’t get much better than this Manchester United supporters watching Nemanja Matic and Fred trying to hold down that defensive midfielder role in recent seasons, will be asking why the club did not go all-out to sign Declan Rice. While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemed intent on getting in a raft of attacking talent, and […]

4 years ago

How in the wide, wide world was this not a straight red card? One could say with comforting certainty that Luton Town got what was coming to them after Henri Lansbury somehow avoided a straight red card for a reckless assault on Swansea’s Ryan Manning. Luton were leading 3-0 after only 23 minutes but were […]

4 years ago

“Lucu…. Oooooooff! Goodness me!” You could hear the sheer horror of the Premier Sports commentator as Ryno Pieterse attempted to tackle Maxime Lucu into another dimension. Castres were trailing Bordeaux-Begles 23-20 in their Top 14 encounter, with under 15 minutes on the clock, when Pieterse took matters into his own hands. On the pitch only […]

4 years ago

This is the sort of concrete block Ulster Rugby have acquired. Three days on from Ulster announcing that Duane Vermeulen would be heading to Ravenhill after The Rugby Championship, and some fans are still getting their heads around it. He may now be 35 years old, but ‘Thor’ is still a serious rugby player and […]

4 years ago

“Mind you, whenever we talk about people that Eddie Jones should pick, he never picks them!” The 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season started on Friday night with Saracens reminding all of us they are back and will be looking to make up for lost time. Ben Kay is not the only one that will be closely […]

4 years ago

“We know what you’re trying to do – trying to mess us about!” Ben Kay was 23 years old when he was brought into the Leicester Tigers senior team. What followed was one of the most incredible five season stretches in rugby history. Kay won a Premiership title with Tigers in his first season, repeated […]

4 years ago

The match itself lasted just six minutes before play was halted There were incredible scenes at the Neo Quimica Arena on Sunday evening as Brazilian federal police and health authorities attempted to gain access to the pitch to detain and then deport three Argentina stars. The World Cup qualifier was tied at 0-0 when the […]

4 years ago

The game was close, for about 17 minutes. New Zealand survived a Jordie Barrett red card, after 28 minutes, and finished the game with 15 men after scoring six tries in their latest Bledisloe Cup encounter. The All Blacks were winning 13-0 when Barrett, playing at fullback, jumped to field a high ball. His right […]

4 years ago

A tough night for the Boys in Green After a bright Republic of Ireland start in Faro, it all kicked off, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gavin Bazunu at the centre of it all. The Manchester City goalkeeper, currently on loan at Portsmouth, put Jeff Hendrick in trouble with an under-hit pass. Bruno Fernandes pounced on […]

4 years ago

What the hell is going on? Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way back to Manchester United in the same transfer window that saw Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane signed up. The team that finished second in the league and reached the Europa League Final have been considerably strengthened. They have a world-class defender added to […]

4 years ago

“I was polite enough” Back in 2019, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson revealed Roy Keane had been the influencing factor in his decision not to swap shirts with Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp. “Roy Keane told me when I was at Sunderland that if you ask for someone’s shirt, it looks like you are in […]

4 years ago

“Rob won’t be happy with me. I’ll be getting a text about that.” Over the past six weeks, during the House of Rugby Lions Series, Alex Goode and Seán O’Brien have debated and, ultimately, selected their greatest Lions XV. We have already seen the pack decided upon – with four Irish players, two English and […]

4 years ago

At least the England star left Cape Town Stadium with a decent memento. In the end, after a fractious Test Series and two games that even the purists would not have enjoyed, the Springboks beat the British & Irish Lions 2-1. Owen Farrell got something decent out of the night. The Lions players are back […]

4 years ago

“I just know what he’s about. Good player to have on the field.” In selecting a combined XV from South Africa and British & Irish Lions players, you ruefully consider how the tourists’ backline failed to have any huge say on matters. The 2021 Lions Tour to South Africa is now in the history books. […]

4 years ago

A lot of gas in that backline. After the 2017 British & Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand, we took a crack at selecting a starting XV for the 2021 jaunt to South Africa. We got five players right, so we are not chancing a Lions 2025 selection. Will Greenwood, on the other hand, has […]

4 years ago

Plenty of contenders, on both sides. When it came to the crunch, Maro Itoje and Robbie Henshaw really stepped up for the Lions. Tadhg Furlong, Courtney Lawes and Jack Conan were not far behind. The 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa is now in the history books. The Springboks are the victors […]

4 years ago

“I don’t think anyone had as near a colossal mess up that I had.” Ronan O’Gara will know how Liam Williams and his Lions teammates will be feeling tonight. Back in 2009, O’Gara gave away the late penalty that Morné Steyn pumped over from long-range to give the Springboks a series win against the British […]

4 years ago

“He’s incredibly talented.” Warren Gatland was asked, on several occasions, on Saturday if he would be open to coaching the British & Irish Lions again. If Marcus Smith is available, he may well be. An assistant to Ian McGeechan in 2009, Gatland has been Lions head coach in 2013, 2017 and this year. Had the […]

4 years ago

“It’s just done now, so… “ Alun Wyn Jones is not renowned as a guy that wastes too many unnecessary words when dealing with the media, but he was genuinely choked up here. The Wales captain recovered from a dislocated shoulder, which he picked up against in a June 26 win over Japan, to get […]

4 years ago

SPRINGBOKS 19-16 LIONS Once again, just like the last Lions Tour to South Africa, Morné Steyn was the Springboks hero with a clutch kick. Our Lions player ratings are littered with guys that left it all out there. The Lions were the dominant team in the first half and the only wonder was that they […]

4 years ago

“He offers us something a little bit different.” For the first time since the Second Test against Australia in 2013, Owen Farrell will not be in a British & Irish Lions Test squad. Finn Russell is set to make his Lions Test debut after recovering from injury. He arrives in place of Farrell, who drops […]

4 years ago

“Oh, it’d be amazing. I’d absolutely love it.” We were nearing the end of a 45-minute chat with Sam Warburton, earlier this year, when the prospect of a women’s Lions team was raised. The former Wales and Lions captain’s eyes lit up. “Obviously, right now, it would be dominated by England players,” he says, “but […]

4 years ago

Paul O’Connell knew the score. There is a famous clip from the 2013 British & Irish Lions documentary from their tour to Australia. During a warm-up game against the Barbarians, O’Connell looked at Owen Farrell and said: “I think it’s funny that one of the youngest guys on the team, Owen Farrell, is the one […]

4 years ago

Changes have been made after the Second Test loss to the Springboks. Head coach Warren Gatland has made six changes to his British & Irish Lions team ahead of the deciding Third Test against South Africa, this Saturday. Liam Williams starts at fullback, with Stuart Hogg dropped. There are a further raft of changes on […]

4 years ago

The Scotland fullback says he is ‘annoyed and upset’ by the allegations. Stuart Hogg has released a statement through the British & Irish Lions in response to widespread social media claims that he bit Willie Le Roux. The Lions star clashed with Le Roux during his side’s 27-9 loss to the Springboks in Cape Town, […]

4 years ago

SOUTH AFRICA 27-9 LIONS The British & Irish Lions were battered, bruised a ground to dust as the Springboks levelled the Test Series at 1-1. Our player ratings have only a few Lions stand-outs. The first half took over 53 minutes to complete the 40, after numerous stoppages for foul play, reviews, mini brawls and […]

4 years ago

The Lions are not resting on their laurels. Warren Gatland has named his British & Irish Lions team for the Second Test against South Africa, and changes are afoot. The Lions are 1-0 up in the series after defeating the Springboks 22-17 in the First Test, last Saturday. All three games in the Test Series […]

4 years ago

We could have watched Maro vs. Eben all day. While most of the post-match questions revolved around Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes, there was some love for Lions No.8 Jack Conan. Selected ahead of Sam Simmonds and Lions veteran Toby Faletau, the Leinster and Ireland star was handed the 8 jersey and told to keep […]

4 years ago

SPRINGBOKS 17-22 LIONS The British & Irish Lions came back from 12-3 down to complete a stunning comeback and win the First Test. Maro Itoje tops our player ratings after a special game. The Lions would have been hoping to make an early statement but gave up possession with a silly penalty. Ill discipline was […]

4 years ago