Rugby News, Analysis, History, Schedule, Rumours
The Premiership Rugby Cup has gone through several forms in recent years. It has contained teams from Wales and England and known as the Anglo-Welsh Cup and we have seen the tournament under the sponsored name, the LV Cup. Currently, with the addition of a thirteenth team to the Gallagher Premiership, we have the most […] READ MORE
The Exeter Chiefs have a remarkable story one which has seen them transform into somewhat unexpected Premiership champions. The club are now 2020 Heineken Champions Cup finalists. Exeter built their solid foundation step by step. The club has gone from an outdated stadium at the turn of the century, playing in English rugby’s second tier, […] READ MORE
Picture New Zealand as a metaphorical ‘rugby terrain’ and consider Warren Gatland and his British and Irish Lions as the group charged with ‘negotiating it’. To do that Gatland must first experiment with his squad, and especially the Lions backline depth, to find the winning combination before June 24. Returning from Whangarei, after the tour […] READ MORE
The British and Irish Lions performance tonight was perhaps marginally better than the tour opener, but they succumbed to their first loss of the tour. Ihaia West’s phenomenal late try gave the Auckland Blues a thoroughly deserved 22-16 success at Eden Park. On the ground where the British and Irish Lions will play the first […] READ MORE
The Highlanders handed the British and Irish Lions their second defeat of the tour, with a thrilling 23-22 victory in Dunedin. A late penalty from Marty Banks gave the South Islanders a famous victory, after tries from Waisake Naholo and Liam Coltman put them into a winning position. The visitors held a slender advantage, before […] READ MORE
It’s the news that everyone was dreading – two-time Six Nations ‘player of the year’ Stuart Hogg has been ruled out of the remainder of the Lions tour after a freak accidental collision with Connor Murray. This had led to discussion about the leading candidates for the vacant Stuart Hogg fullback position. Though he was […] READ MORE
Leicester Tigers flanker Tommy Reffell has joined an illustrious list of players by winning the Gallagher Premiership Breakthrough Player Award. The award was decided upon by a public vote and he fought off fierce competition from the likes of Aaron Hinkley and Gabriel Ibitoye. Tommy Reffell – Superstar in the making Launched in 2012, the […] READ MORE
On the face of it, Jack Nowell has had a pretty special 2019, World Cup finalist, Premiership finalist and now Exeter is sitting pretty atop their Champions Cup pool undefeated. However, for Nowell personally, the first two come with a tinge of frustration and injury curtailed his involvement in Japan and at Twickenham against Saracens. […] READ MORE
In his pre-match notes, Tony Rowe spoke of the importance of transferring “our form from the Gallagher Premiership”. Rob Baxter and the Exeter Chiefs were able to deliver such a performance, as his side end the first block of games on top of Pool two. It was a cagey affair in the first half but, […] READ MORE
England v Argentina contests are always brutal and Eddie Jones has named his strongest team for Saturday’s game. As predicted the Ford/Farrell axis is retained and fit-again Mako Vunipola and Jack Nowell are on the bench. Lewis Ludlam’s strong performances have been rewarded with a place in the match-day twenty three. What’s clear is the […] READ MORE
Charlie has been writing rugby features for the last 20 years and has covered World Cups, Six Nations, and Lions' tours. My aim has always been to provide opinion and analysis which hopefully adds to the conversations that we all enjoy over a pint or two in the pub.