England’s defence is aided by an old master, Wales prepare to face their old nemeses and Larmour rises to the occasion Related: Owen Farrell escapes being cited over André Esterhuizen tackle Related: Refusal to bow shows England ready for All Black ‘benchmark’ | Robert Kitson Related: Wales win over Australia would not be monkey off back, says Warren Gatland Continue reading...
Joe Cokanasiga will bring bulk to England’s backline and Billy Vunipola does the game a good turnAlready it seems likely Joe Cokanasiga will win his first England cap this autumn and the smart money would be on him doing so against Japan in the third match of the series. He has impressed since his move to Bath and Eddie Jones has been eager to add size to his backline for a while now, taking Cokanasiga on the 2017 summer tour of Argentina. Against Exeter on Friday, Cokanasiga showed how devastating he can be when finishing a second‑half try, albeit ruled out, but the 20-year-old’s inexperience was also exposed by Exeter, particularly for Don Armand’s try. England do not want for...
A year from the World Cup, New Zealand look good for a hat-trick of titles but Ireland, South Africa and Wales are all on the rise with England and Australia heading in the other directionDefeat by South Africa in Wellington reminded the world that the All Blacks can be beaten – no bad thing with 12 months to go until the World Cup – but they are still the overwhelming favourites for a third straight win. They were not brilliant against France over the summer but then thrashed Australia twice, displaying an ability to find a gear their opponents cannot live with. It will be fascinating to see their response to defeat; do they add a dose of pragmatism to...
Southern hemisphere sides dominated the 2015 World Cup in England but since then three out of the four have struggledMaro Itoje was in reflective mood as he sprawled himself in a chair that struggled to contain his 6ft 6in frame at England’s Bagshot base. “I have been in camp for only two days but you get the feeling something big is about to happen,” said the Lions and Saracens second‑row before Eddie Jones’s squad flew out to South Africa.He was talking about England’s odyssey but his words apply also to international rugby’s changing landscape. The last World Cup not only saw England become the first hosts to fail to make the knockout stage but, for the first time, the semi-finalists...
To parachute the New Zealand-born forward into the England squad sight unseen recalls the unsatisfactory precedents of Ireland’s Michael Bent and Scotland’s Brendan LaneyThe story of Brad Shields is a tale of everyday modern professional sport. Born in Masterton, on North Island, the back-row forward has played all his rugby in New Zealand, represented the Junior All Blacks in 2011 against an England Under-20 side containing Owen Farrell, George Ford, Elliot Daly and Mako Vunipola and is the captain of the Hurricanes. Now, on the basis of his English parentage, he wants to be part of England’s touring squad to South Africa in June.We should wish him good luck, clearly, as he seeks to become a capped England international. He...