Ollie Phillips: Ireland are favourites but the opening round could shape a tight Six Nations January 31, 2019 The Six Nations finally gets under way tomorrow and the fixture list has thrown up some fascinating ties to kick off with. England travel to Dublin to face defending champions Ireland on Saturday, which I think might actually prove to be a blessing rather than a curse as there is little pressure to improve their [...]
A family affair: England captain Owen Farrell must unlock an Ireland defence organised by father Andy January 31, 2019 England kick off their Six Nations campaign with the toughest test possible when they face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, but for the Farrell family it is a game with extra meaning. Owen Farrell, England’s captain, will not only be coming up against the world’s No2 side but also his father, Andy, Ireland’s defence coach [...]
England lock George Kruis has high hopes for cannabis oil business with Saracens team-mate Dom Day January 29, 2019 England star George Kruis and Saracens team-mate Dom Day have set out on a mission to revolutionise recovery by releasing a product aimed at enhancing rehabilitation – with a difference. The substance of their “fourfive cbd” products is cannabidiol (CBD), a derivative of hemp, which is part of the cannabis family, but without the psychoactive [...]
Ollie Phillips: Eddie Jones needs players to buy into his methods fully in defining year for England January 24, 2019 England are in Portugal on their pre-Six Nations training camp, which means the players will be being put through their paces by Eddie Jones. Jones is an interesting character – intense and hard to judge. He likes to challenge those he works with, so it’s bound to be testing time ahead of the opening match [...]
Forward thinking: Eddie Jones reveals unorthodox idea to field nine forwards ahead of England’s Six Nations campaign January 17, 2019 Eddie Jones is no stranger to causing a stir, and in his first media appearance of a World Cup year he was at it again. The England head coach said on Thursday, as he named his squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland on 2 February, that he is considering turning conventional wisdom on [...]
Ollie Phillips: England’s exciting back line can trouble any team in crucial Six Nations January 17, 2019 Eddie Jones announcing his squad for the Six Nations yesterday marks the start of a make-or-break period for the England coach. England can’t feel their way into the competition, with defending champions Ireland up first in Dublin on 2 February, so Jones has named 35 fit and in-form players. With big challenges ahead in this [...]
Premiership faces having just one team in Champions Cup quarter-final unless Exeter Chiefs pull off an historic win at Munster January 16, 2019 England's hopes of having more than one team in the European Champions Cup quarter-finals were given a lifeline last weekend as Exeter Chiefs rallied to a bonus point win over Castres at Sandy Park. Despite that statement performance, the Chiefs will have to gather themselves and go again this weekend if they are to progress [...]
Ollie Phillips: Scrapping relegation could help Premiership balance the books after CVC Capital Partners’ investment January 10, 2019 Debate about the possible scrapping of relegation from the Premiership is not new, but following the recent investment into the division it has been given new impetus. Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners’ deal last month to inject £200m for around 27 per cent of Premiership Rugby is significant because it changes the league’s objectives. [...]
Concussion continues to cause concern as English rugby injury audit reveals rise in player absence January 9, 2019 It’s almost a year since the Rugby Football Union released an eight-point action plan to tackle the increasing severity of injuries in professional rugby, but the size of their task remains daunting. Injuries are an unfortunate side-effect of the sport, however, an annual report released on Wednesday by the RFU, Premiership Rugby and Rugby Players' [...]
Ollie Phillips: All to play for at the halfway point of a tight and unpredictable Premiership season January 3, 2019 Saracens and Exeter may be streets ahead at the top of the Premiership, but at the halfway stage of the season every other position is up for grabs. Although I’m backing last year’s finalists to repeat the trick, there’s plenty of intrigue elsewhere to keep us guessing until May. There is very little consistency in [...]