England head coach runners and riders: Borthwick, Smith and McCall December 6, 2022 With Eddie Jones given the boot by the Rugby Football Union yesterday, attention quickly turned to who could take over one of the biggest coaching jobs in world rugby. While many of the favourites are shackled in coaching jobs with other teams, there’s no doubt England will do all they can to get the man [...]
Eddie Jones sacked: England Rugby coach axed after team’s worst year since 2008 December 6, 2022 England Rugby have sacked head coach Eddie Jones after seven years in charge following a review of the team’s dismal form. The move comes just nine months before he was due to lead England at another Rugby World Cup, having guided them to the final in 2019. England forwards coach Richard Cockerill is to take [...]
Premiership half-way review: Stylish Saracens and bottom three bonanza December 4, 2022 It was not supposed to be occurring at this point in the year but the Premiership season has reached its half-way stage. Given the downfall of Worcester Warriors and Wasps, the 11 remaining sides hit the milestone at the weekend – albeit there were only four fixtures played. There are just eight points separating second [...]
Ollie Phillips: Do the RFU have the bottle to sack Eddie Jones? December 2, 2022 The main factor at play when it comes to Eddie Jones’s future as head coach of England is that I do not believe the Rugby Football Union has the bottle to sack him. Having led his side to a humiliating 27-13 loss last week against the Springboks, Jones’s year has concluded with his side having [...]
Ed Warner: Is Infantino a moonbeam or a clown? Either way, Fifa boss is here to stay December 1, 2022 Gianni Infantino. Moonbeam or clown? Flibbertigibbet? Certainly. Problem-solver, or problem to be solved? All depends on where you are coming from – quite literally. Just don’t expect Fifa’s demon/angel (delete according to taste) president to be going anywhere soon. Most likely not until 2031. Football’s Swiss-Italian head honcho has been front and centre of the [...]
Home nations under the hammer: rugby largely flopped in UK this autumn November 28, 2022 While England’s failures this month have been well documented, the other home nations experienced a range of fortunes during the Autumn Nations Series. In the rugby world rankings, European pair Ireland and France have maintained their hold at the summit while New Zealand have jumped South Africa for third. Beyond that, Wales have plummeted from [...]
England coach Eddie Jones is on the ropes but he will be at the World Cup November 27, 2022 Lacklustre. Monotonous. Embarrassing. Those were some of the non-explicit words that were uttered as thousands of England fans left Twickenham on Saturday evening – many of them before the final whistle. England’s 13-27 humiliation at the hands of a brilliant South Africa outfit condemned head coach Eddie Jones to his second loss in this month’s [...]
Ollie Phillips: England changes need to make the difference November 25, 2022 England really shot themselves in the foot by allowing New Zealand to build such a lead at Twickenham last weekend. The All Blacks weren’t amazing but England just looked a little bit asleep at the wheel until that last quarter, when they came alive and dazzled the crowds in south west London. There will be [...]
Premiership and English rugby bigwigs hounded at DCMS hearing November 24, 2022 Rugby bigwigs were scolded earlier today at the hands of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee at the Palace of Westminster. Premiership Rugby chief Simon Massie-Taylor was lambasted by the committee, led by the chair Julian Knight MP, while Rugby Football Union chief Bill Sweeney, too, was held to the fire over [...]
Ollie Phillips: I fancy England to beat an All Blacks team lacking leaders November 18, 2022 The All Blacks are the only team in rugby to transcend the sport so, for many of England’s squad, tomorrow’s match will feel bigger than the visit of world champions South Africa next weekend. When the All Blacks are in town it’s more than about 80 minutes of rugby; it’s the heritage, the history, the [...]