New Zealand and South Africa will be the main contenders at an evenly poised Rugby World Cup – and this weekend’s match could be crucial September 19, 2019 This is one of the most evenly poised Rugby World Cups in a long time. Previously, New Zealand have been outright favourites, but the once-dominant force have looked fallible during the last 12 months. England, Wales and Ireland have all run the All Blacks close or beaten them, while they also lost to Australia and [...]
Chris Robshaw on England’s World Cup hopes, dealing with his omission and seeking help from Tony Adams September 18, 2019 The Rugby World Cup is upon us and for most there is an unparalleled excitement that comes with uniting behind a nation in one of sport’s elite tournaments. For Chris Robshaw that will also be true, along with a lingering sense of what might have been after head coach Eddie Jones decided against including the [...]
South Africa could spring a surprise in World Cup opener against New Zealand September 17, 2019 The Rugby World Cup may get under way on Friday when hosts Japan face Russia but the tournament will not fully ignite until a day later when the giants of New Zealand and South Africa collide in Yokohama. It is an encounter between two of rugby’s great nations, who have collectively won five of the [...]
Which Premiership clubs will be hardest hit by the Rugby World Cup? September 17, 2019 It is always a special occasion when Bath Rugby play Bristol Bears under the floodlights at Ashton Gate in a West Country derby, even more so when it is the opening fixture of a new Premiership season. On this occasion, however, there will be some notable differences. The Premiership’s opening weekend will take place later [...]
Gatland and Schmidt, two of rugby’s finest, seek perfect World Cup send-off September 16, 2019 While it is normal to see coaching turnover at the end of a World Cup cycle, the aftermath of the 2019 tournament will be particularly poignant. Steve Hansen, current world champion, will leave his post as New Zealand head coach. However, it is two of his countrymen, Joe Schmidt and Warren Gatland, whose departures will [...]
George Ford has given Eddie Jones a dilemma with his excellent World Cup warm-up September 12, 2019 I wasn’t convinced to start with but it seems Eddie Jones has been pretty crafty by selecting his 31-man squad as early as he did. It has given those going to the World Cup an extra four weeks to prepare for the tournament, rather than wasting emotional energy on fighting to make it. There are [...]
Rugby World Cup to give Georgia the chance to earn their seat at rugby’s top table September 12, 2019 Georgia have spent the better part of a decade stuck in European Rugby’s no man’s land, wedged under the glass ceiling that separates them from the continent’s elite. Currently, their primary competition is the Rugby Europe Championship, the second tier beneath the far more prestigious Six Nations. Georgia have won nine of the last 11 [...]
England will have to go the extra mile to win the Rugby World Cup September 11, 2019 If England needed any reminding of the logistical hurdles to winning the World Cup, they received it on Monday when they were held up at Tokyo Narita Airport for six hours on their arrival to Japan due to travel chaos caused by Typhoon Faxai. Eddie Jones’s side already had one of the most demanding schedules [...]
As the World Cup looms, Japan and USA represent rugby’s biggest targets for growth September 10, 2019 Four years ago, Karne Hesketh propelled himself into the corner of the Amex Stadium in Brighton. His 84th-minute try that gave Japan a World Cup victory over two-time winners South Africa, and the rugby world came to a standstill unlike ever before. The result is, and is likely to stay for some time, the biggest [...]
Eddie Jones takes gamble with squad selection but how does England’s cap count compare to rivals? September 10, 2019 Since taking charge of England in 2015, Eddie Jones has been working towards victory in the now-imminent World Cup. Everything he has done over the past four years has been with lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in mind. Yet at the 11th hour he has gambled, opting to sacrifice experience within the squad for talented [...]