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 dogged by inconsistency, Edinburgh and Glasgow head for the last eight and Leinster have look of championsThe pool of champions has polarised. Leinster, for all Toulouse’s attempts to recapture past glories, are the team in control, even if they trail the French club by two points. Their victory over Bath was imperious, and Toulouse, who rode their luck anyway in round one in Bath, must travel to Dublin next. Leinster’s trip to Wasps in the final round does not look the challenge it might once have been. For two of England’s greatest clubs to be mathematically out of it after only four rounds is a sobering reflection on the Premiership, which looks worryingly short of the sort of teams...
Munster set the early pace after a standout performance from JJ Hanrahan while Saracens look in ominous formThe two most successful sides in the tournament’s history are in charge of the pool. Much is made of the regular rest given to Ireland’s leading players but it seemed to contribute to Leinster’s slow start at a pumped-up Bath. Outmanoeuvred at the breakdown and with Johnny Sexton having no time, the holders still found a way to win. Bath need to repeat Northampton’s 2013 feat against Leinster when they followed a home defeat with an away victory to remain alive but Wasps are on their way out after defeat by Toulouse. Like Bath, they have one win since September and the looming...
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...
Old glories on the rise with Dan Cole reviving Leicester forward power and Toulouse finding European title hunger once more Related: Six Nations set to unveil HSBC as championship’s new title sponsor Related: Owen Farrell is an England certainty. But where he plays is less clear Team of the weekend Continue reading...