Bath’s Jonathan Joseph did his England chances no harm at all, Exeter had the look of Premiership champions against Leicester and things are starting to get serious at the bottomJonathan Joseph has been back from his long injury layoff for a while but judging by his performance against Bristol, and in his previous outing against Exeter, he is nearing a return to his best form. In the past it has been a criticism that, because he is so naturally talented, Joseph has a tendency to coast because things come so easy. He has a World Cup place to chase, however, and he is clearly in Eddie Jones’s thoughts considering he was called into the wider England squad just 50-odd minutes...
How long can Worcester allow Ben Te’o to twiddle his thumbs in the stand, could a rare defeat now galvanise Saracens and Sale would surely love Robert du Preez to stay onWorcester’s marquee player, Ben Te’o, got no closer to the pitch than the stand despite the importance of the match against rivals in the bottom half of the table. The England centre has played only 29 minutes in a Warriors’ jersey this season because of injury and the autumn internationals, and was given the previous two Challenge Cup weekends off. The club’s director of rugby, Alan Solomons, said that a lack of training time was the reason for Te’o’s omission and that he would be considered for selection at...
Gloucester’s Ollie Thorley and Harlequins’ Alex Dombrandt made their mark but scrums remain a mess – ask Jamie George Related: Pools of intrigue: how the Rugby World Cup groups stack up | Paul Rees Continue reading...
The high-scoring extravaganzas should be enjoyed while they last but it seems nobody will get anywhere near the top twoWe know it will not last once the winter bites, but this has been quite the September if a points frenzy is your thing. This match was the highest scoring yet, although its 85 points register as only joint 24th on the chart of highest-scoring Premiership games. If we count only those that finish within a score, it comes in at fourth. Even the Kiwis seem impressed. Todd Blackadder the other week was resigned to the need just to score more than the opposition. This week Chris Boyd bemoaned the defence but accepted that when players look for space they are...
Kiwi coaches deliver a very British contest, Joe Marler left to count his blessings, and the amazing jet-set Willie le RouxTwo New Zealand coaches presided over an old-school British game in which the set pieces shaped the outcome. Todd Blackadder is in his third season in charge at Bath while Chris Boyd moved to Northampton in the summer. Bath’s supremacy up front plus their lineout mastery gave them the platform for victory. Boyd noted how the scrum, a means of launching attacks in New Zealand, is more a means of establishing control in England. Blackadder said he could detect subtle changes in Northampton’s style under Boyd, but after slipping to 10th in the table the basics will be the Saints’...