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Six Nations 2018: six tournament newcomers to watch out for | Robert Kitson

France have a back-row who makes even Maro Itoje appear sluggish, while another brilliant Leinster product can shineSekou Macalou (France): Pretty much everyone has given up on French rugby. Even when they are not sacking their national coach or having their national training centre raided by police investigating the alleged activities of Bernard Laporte, president of the French Federation, Les Bleus are still widely seen as a shambles. And yet, when it comes to promising young players, France possess two of the most dazzling diamonds in the tournament in the form of Matthieu Jalibert, their new 19-year-old whiz-kid of a fly-half, and Sekou Macalou, a 22-year-old back-row who makes even Maro Itoje appear sluggish. The gifted Jalibert has the full...

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Premier 15s league will make huge difference to women’s rugby union | Katy McLean

Sport has major chance to capitalise on the interest generated by the World Cup, the final of which was watched by 2.6 million people on ITVLooking back at the World Cup, the thing England players can’t shy away from is the result. We went in there to win it and coming second is almost the worst place to finish but what helps to ease the pain a little bit is how the tournament was received.There were 2.6 million people watching the final on ITV. France had great figures for the semi-final against us and people came out to watch – there were more than 17,000 at the final. Related: England and France in talks over setting up women’s European league...

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England Women find heartbreak at end of road as sevens focus returns | Ian Malin

New Zealand’s Black Ferns proved too good in the Rugby World Cup final and, with the 15-a-side players’ contracts up in favour of the Olympic format of sevens, it is all changeIt had all the drama of the women’s cricket final at Lord’s last month. But this time there was no happy ending for England. The Red Roses learned New Zealand can always spoil that beauty with plenty of thorns of their own. For the fourth time the Black Ferns have overcome England in a World Cup final.England’s powerful pack were more than a match for New Zealand and their wing Lydia Thompson scored a brilliant second-half try that on any other day would have won the World Cup but...

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Cohesion is key for England as giants of game do battle in Women’s Rugby World Cup final

New Zealand have a standout player in Portia Woodman but Simon Middleton’s side are a well-oiled machine as they target back-to-back triumphsTwo enormous yellow shipbuilding cranes dominate the Belfast skyline and are impossible to miss. Situated in the Titanic quarter and looming large over the city, they are known locally as Samson and Goliath, and considering England versus New Zealand is the final the Women’s World Cup has been craving, pitting by a distance the two giants of the game against each other, it is an apt backdrop for Saturday night’s showdown.It is also a match-up that has a familiar ring to it – while the men’s game must make do with verbal sparring from Eddie Jones and Steve Hansen...

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New Zealand-Hong Kong mismatch does women’s rugby no favours | Gerard Meagher

The Black Ferns ran in 19 tries in beating the minnows 121-0 but shooting fish in a barrel will never be a great spectator sportFrom the moment the draw for the Women’s World Cup was made, it was a match the tournament organisers would have been dreading. Hong Kong, ranked 23rd in the world, facing the might of New Zealand, just four days after taking on the 2014 beaten finalists, Canada.It took 52 seconds for the dam to burst and 79 minutes later the Black Ferns, champions in four previous Women’s World Cups, had helped themselves to 19 tries in a 121-0 victory – Portia Woodman contributing eight of them. We were promised a record-breaking World Cup but this is...

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