Ollie Phillips: Bath’s senior players need to step up October 22, 2021 If last week’s 17-71 mauling taught Bath anything it’s that they need to step up. They were totally outclassed by a Saracens side boasting a full starting XV of internationals, but that’s no excuse. Though they were without their bulldozing No8 Taulupe Faletau through injury, Bath were still able to field Jonathan Joseph, Anthony Watson, [...]
Premiership Rugby attendances fall by a quarter October 20, 2021 Premiership rugby clubs are struggling to attract supporters back to matches, with attendances down by a quarter so far this season. After five rounds of fixtures, the average attendance for a game in England’s top division has been 10,748. That is a 25.9 per cent decrease on the average for the last full season played [...]
London Irish’s home comforts aren’t enough. They need a win October 20, 2021 Exiled from the capital for over two decades but now finding their feet back in the Big Smoke, there is a charm to the London Irish story. Moving home is never easy, but in the Brentford Community Stadium they have a more permanent base. Now they need to show they can make it work on [...]
Eddie Jones backs Marcus Smith to handle England role October 19, 2021 Eddie Jones has backed Marcus Smith to handle the pressure of being England’s fly-half after naming the exciting Harlequins prospect in his Autumn Nations Series squad. Smith made his debut in the summer against the US before being picked as a late call-up for the British and Irish Lions’ tour to South Africa. “First of [...]
Premiership: Five things we’ve learned as Leicester rumble on October 18, 2021 Premiership clubs Saracens and Leicester completed demolition jobs, Bristol continued their struggle to match the highs of last season and Harlequins lost their first game. Worcester, meanwhile, cannot do anything but lose. Here’s five things we learned this weekend from the weekend’s Premiership action. Sarries Rec Bath Saracens’ English contingent put on a show for [...]
Ollie Phillips: Marcus Smith can be the catalyst for a new England team October 15, 2021 Marcus Smith is the name on everyone’s lips as Eddie Jones prepares to name his England squad for the Autumn Nations Series on Monday. The Harlequins fly-half was on fire on his first Premiership appearance of the season last Friday, coming off the bench to help Quins surge from 21-0 down to beat Bristol 52-24. [...]
Premiership Rugby names RFU commercial boss Simon Massie-Taylor chief executive October 12, 2021 Premiership Rugby has hired Simon Massie-Taylor, chief commercial and marketing officer at the Rugby Football Union, to be its new chief executive. Massie-Taylor, who began his career in financial services, has also held commercial roles at the British Olympic Association, the London 2012 Olympic organising committee and Tough Mudder. “This is a key moment for [...]
Steve Borthwick has Leicester Tigers roaring once more October 12, 2021 Not since 2011 have Leicester Tigers finished a season at the top of the Premiership table, but four games into the new campaign that is where they are currently sitting pretty. Having been mainstays in the coveted top four places for more than a decade, the Tigers slipped out in 2018 and haven’t been back [...]
Ollie Phillips: Quins are tough to beat when they’re on a roll October 8, 2021 Harlequins and Bristol love playing expansive, broken-field rugby but I think the Bears will continue their rocky start when the teams meet tonight. Last year’s Premiership semi-final between the two sides was the best game of the season, and definitely the best comeback I’ve seen in my life. Quins and Bristol specialised in chucking the [...]
Opinion: Nigel Wray deserves credit after building Saracens’ dynasty October 5, 2021 Empires fall and dynasties cease, but one thing remains when you’ve done something right or simply left your mark: legacy. Nigel Wray, the outgoing majority stakeholder of Saracens, has ensured that; and rugby, on balance, is better for it. Saracens announced at the weekend that, 26 years after he began backing the north London club, [...]