This year there will be no distractions as the European champions attempt to regain the domestic crown from last season’s surprise packageThis time last year Wasps and Munster had just finished ahead of the rest of the Premiership and Pro 12 respectively and had every reason to believe they could translate that success into silverware. Three weeks later they watched Exeter and Scarlets lift the two trophies instead, a harsh reminder of the sizeable difference between the marathon regular season and the play‑off sprint.That crucially important lesson will not be lost on this year’s table toppers – Exeter, Glasgow and Leinster – all of whom appreciate that nine months of relentless toil can quite easily be undermined in the sunshine of May....
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...
England rivals may enliven play-offs, Bath keep up bizarre trend and a thrilling final raises exciting questions for women’s gameSale will qualify for the European Champions Cup if they defeat Leicester at home and Gloucester fail to beat Saracens. The results in the latest round of France’s Top 14 mean that Gloucester will be in Europe’s elite club tournament next season having reached the Challenge Cup final and, not having to worry about holding on to sixth place, can rest players ahead of the clash against Cardiff Blues in Bilbao. The Sharks’ director of rugby, Steve Diamond, was bullish about his side’s prospects, saying that he hoped he would be given the means to spend the same on wages next...
A clean-up job awaits John Kingston’s heir, Gary Graham shines again and Kitchener’s tumble leaves Gopperth the fall-guyHarlequins have been linked with so many coaches since the announcement last week that John Kingston will leave after the season that they could they could set up a sideline transporting supporters. After their recent tie-up with New Zealand, names such as Tana Umaga and Scott Robertson have been mentioned and if Quins take that route it would mean that only three clubs would be headed by an Englishman next season – Exeter, Newcastle and Sale – compared with six at the start of this one. Whoever takes over has a salvage operation: Quins slumped to another defeat, three Gloucester tries in the...
It is three years since Quins, Northampton or Bath made the Premiership play-offs and anxiety is growing at these traditionally big clubsAt this stage of the domestic rugby season the table seldom lies. It is not enough simply to blame under-achievement on injuries or match officials or the weather. If, after seven months of league rugby, a high-profile, well-backed club is wallowing in lower-table mediocrity the only remaining place to look is the bathroom mirror.Perhaps the defining aspect of this year’s Premiership season has been the unusual number of big sides conducting major inquests with three weekends of the campaign left to play. The bottom three clubs – London Irish, Worcester and Northampton – had already parted company with their...