What's at stake and what are the Lions and South Africa playing for? Trying to get inside the player's minds prior to kick-off. READ MORE
Head Games – What’s at stake and what are the Lions and South Africa playing for?
Tag: International Rugby
Beauden Barrett & Brodie Retallick return to NZ (via Managed Isolation)
With the steady stream of players ending their terms with the Japan Top League, leading names like Beauden Barrett & Brodie Retallick return to NZ Rugby. That is to say, they have had to readjust to New Zealand conditions via the mandatory 14-day managed isolation period, which all returnees must complete. They, like others, have […] READ MORE
International Test match schedule confirmed, with NZ v Tonga/Fiji (x2)
After the official World Rugby declaration on May 10, an affirmed International Test match schedule is now settled after New Zealand’s fixture list was announced to widespread approval. With July set to be a bumper schedule for all Tier one nations, the recognition for Pacific Islands nations, Rugby Europe teams, and for the two major […] READ MORE
Best rugby feature stories of 2020
Known as much for our rugby feature stories, as well as news and analysis, Last Word on Rugby presents our Top 10 best of series. Amid the range of published rugby feature stories submitted over this year, our readers were given a selection of themes. From developing stories, to Tier One player profiles, the variety […] READ MORE
Who could win the 2023 Rugby World Cup: England edition
With the draw just announced for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the possible plotlines to the final are being assessed by teams, pundits, and fans alike. Wales’ chances have already been assessed, so it seems fitting to look at their nearest and dearest neighbour, England. The English team is currently ranked 2nd in the world […] READ MORE
Rugby is boring: How it can be fixed
Not all rugby is boring. It’s northern hemisphere rugby, as exemplified by the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup, that has the issue. So what? Kiwis and Ozzies have been pointing that out for decades. But it’s objectively bad when English rugby royalty are complaining about the state of rugby after their team has just won both […] READ MORE
Ian Foster’s All Blacks earn pass mark (Pumas loss notwithstanding)
Even with a barely tolerable 50% win ratio, Ian Foster’s All Blacks gain a pass mark in the books of most fair-minded critics. Most, although the so-called ‘brutal fans’ might still struggle with the overall results of 2020. Saturday’s victory over Argentina has pushed the team just into the pass category. Not a strong season, […] READ MORE
England squad options for International rugby restart
To assess the England rugby squad options that are available, one needs to look far and wide. From current squad members and to include in-form players. We are not far away from Eddie Jones first squad announcement since rugby restarted. The break in the season has allowed for some players to stand out and put […] READ MORE
Class acts from the 1970s – Rugby royalty
With the ‘halt in play’ affecting the 2020 seasons in both hemispheres, a retrospective look at some past players is due. Some of the rugby royalty from the 1970s is as better place as any to start. Being a child of that era, my own reflection on this generation has been learned over the years. […] READ MORE
POLL: Pick your greatest amateur era XV
It’s time to pick your greatest amateur XV. We’ve compiled a list of the greatest players in every position from the amateur* days of rugby. The players played all or most of their significant careers pre-1996 and YOU can choose who gets in each jersey. 88 men have been brought together in a who’s who […] READ MORE