Ollie Phillips: Why I am taking on the China Sevens coaching job July 29, 2022 I’ve spent a lot of my life involved in rugby sevens but I haven’t taken on many challenges as big as the one I have just embarked on with China. I am heading up the coaching team for China’s sevens programme, and will be heading out there shortly for the next few months. I am [...]
England chief executive floats idea of sending potential coaches to Georgia July 21, 2022 England Rugby’s chief executive Bill Sweeney has floated the idea of placing coaches at second-tier nations such as Georgia to groom them for the England job. Speaking a week after England wrapped up a 2-1 Test series win against Australia Down Under, Sweeney suggested that a long-term coaching succession plan would not be realised until [...]
Hassell-Collins looking Down Under to other sports to help development July 20, 2022 Uncapped England hopeful Ollie Hassell-Collins insists that taking tips from sports outside of rugby union can give him the edge in next year’s Premiership season and, he hopes, propel him into national colours. The 23-year-old London Irish wing has been a staple for his club but has been in and out of various England camps [...]
Premiership Rugby: Fixtures announced with Spurs hosting London derby July 19, 2022 London clubs Saracens and Harlequins will clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next March, it was revealed this morning as the 2022-23 Premiership Rugby fixtures were confirmed. It looks to be part of a solution that will see key derbies played outside of international windows – a criticism of last year’s schedule. The season will [...]
Rugby round-up: England win Down Under, history for Ireland and Chile on fire July 17, 2022 A Emiliano Boffelli crossed the whitewash in Santiago del Estero on Saturday night to earn his Argentina side a Test series victory against a sorry looking Scotland, it marked the end of the European rugby season; one that began in September. But in Ireland’s historic series in New Zealand, England’s continued success on the shores [...]
Ollie Phillips: Home nations within reach of rugby history July 15, 2022 Let’s be frank: the quality of rugby we have seen across this month of internationals hasn’t always been high – it’s been stop-start, mismatched and controversial at times – but it has been competitive. Heading into the final round of their Test series, Ireland are level with New Zealand, Scotland are equal with Argentina, England [...]
Competitive rugby and global calendar shouldn’t come at cost of player welfare July 12, 2022 If you were to assess the hopes of the Home Nations as they crossed the equator to play their annual summer rugby series, you’d have been forgiven for suggesting they weren’t too high. But two thirds of the way through each of the tours – Ireland in New Zealand, England in Australia, Wales in South [...]
Ollie Phillips: England must solve Smith-Farrell conundrum July 8, 2022 Tomorrow’s match against Australia is a must-win for England, having been well beaten in the opening Test of the series in Perth last weekend. They were on top for the majority of the game but just failed to capitalise in the moments where it was pretty even – their two late tries saved face in [...]
Jones and England on the back foot after Australia loss in Perth July 3, 2022 As the sun set in the Western Australian metropolis of Perth on Saturday, hopes of Eddie Jones’ England team repeating their astonishing 3-0 whitewash of the Wallabies in 2016 faded into the night. Two late tries from Henry Arundell and Jack van Poortvielt ensured the 30-28 losing scoreline was slightly more palatable than it looked [...]
Ollie Phillips: Eddie Jones’ England 23 a good balance between styles July 1, 2022 The 23 England head coach Eddie Jones has selected for tomorrow morning’s first Test against Australia is a very exciting one. We’re seeing a balance of experience in the starting XV and some inexperience and excitement on the bench – and it should make for a really interesting battle with the Wallabies. A lot has [...]