Dylan Hartley makes an impact, Brad Shields suffers injury blow and George Smith’s red card proves costly for BristolGeorge Smith’s red card against Saracens has split opinion. Bristol’s Pat Lamis among those to think a yellow card would have sufficed and many observers have suggested it was on the harsh side. What counted against Smith, however, is that it was the kind of tackle that has been identified by the Rugby Football Union in its research as the most likely to cause head injuries, leading to the “armpit tackle” trial in the Championship Cup. There can also be no denying it was the decisive moment in the match – the scores were level at 18-18 until that point. Billy Vunipola...
New signings Danny Cipriani and Dan Biggar faced off, Will Skelton impressed for Saracens and Worcester ran Wasps closeThere are plenty of high-profile fixtures heading to Newcastle over the next 12 months, with the city to host this season’s European Champions Cup final and England’s final warm-up game prior to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which will be confirmed this week for a Friday night at St James’ Park. There are currently only around 10,000 public tickets left for the European showpiece next May, which Saracens will be hoping involves another trip to Tyneside for them. If their Australian forward Will Skelton, who has slimmed down by 15kg since the end of last season, can maintain the promising form he...
Friday’s European Challenge Cup final in Bilbao is a revival of a fixture that changed the game in the 1880s and quickened fans’ pulses in the 1970sRetro is in for football’s World Cup this summer. A number of kits pay homage to the past and, if rugby union is not getting nostalgic for a time when the game tended to be played on dilapidated mudflats, this Friday night will see the resumption of one of the game’s most historic fixtures.Cardiff Blues play Gloucester in the final of the European Challenge Cup in Bilbao, 134 years after the teams (the Blues were Cardiff then) first met, at the Arms Park. In an era when there were no points and a goal...
Cool-headed Exeter shone without setting hearts racing, as Saracens and Wasps slipped while injuries dominatedFinal league position: 1st Related: Premiership team of the season: from Henry Trinder to Donncha O’Callaghan | Robert Kitson Related: Saracens turn focus on recapturing Premiership title from Exeter | Robert Kitson Continue reading...
As the Premiership regular season draws to a close, Wasps, Worcester and Exeter provide three players apieceTwenty-one try assists in 19 games, as well as four tries, reflect the South African’s influence on Wasps’ attacking game. The Springboks are reportedly keen to have him back for the 2019 World Cup andas with Kurtley Beale, Le Roux’s pace and eye for a gap will be conspicuously missed when he is gone. Jason Woodward and Telusa Veainu also make the podium. Related: Premiership 2016-17 team of the season: Wasps and Saracens dominate Continue reading...