Ollie Phillips: England’s World Cup hopefuls face baptism of fire in Cardiff against Wales August 15, 2019 Eddie Jones is keen to have a good look at new recruits in the warm-ups ahead of the World Cup, and after missing out last weekend through injury, what a baptism of fire it will be for Ruaridh McConnochie in Cardiff on Saturday. Barring glaring omissions in Danny Cipriani and Alex Goode, Jones has committed [...]
Ruaridh McConnochie’s World Cup selection shows Eddie Jones’s methodology with England August 12, 2019 A year ago, Ruaridh McConnochie had not played a single top-flight match of rugby union. Today, despite still never having played competitively for England, he was named in Eddie Jones’s 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup next month. It was a momentous day in McConnochie’s career and one entirely in keeping with a whirlwind [...]
Anthony Watson timing his run to perfection ahead of World Cup squad announcement August 12, 2019 This was Anthony Watson’s first outing in an England shirt for almost 17 months after a year of injury hell that left him at the lowest point of his career to date. The 25-year-old has had to watch his England team-mates build toward the World Cup, as Eddie Jones tinkered with his line-ups, all the [...]
Richmond, Cornish Pirates and how the growing gap between Premiership and Championship rugby is threatening clubs’ finances and professional status August 7, 2019 Three years ago amateur rugby club Richmond sealed a surprise promotion to the Championship, the second tier of England’s two professional leagues. They were faced with a stick-or-twist decision: hire an entirely new squad of full-time players and try to compete, or reward their existing part-timers with the opportunity to compete against the pros. At [...]
Shane Williams interview: ‘This is the strongest Wales squad I’ve ever seen. They need this World Cup.’ July 29, 2019 Shane Williams has seen plenty of great Wales teams. In recent history he has been a crucial part of most of them, winning two Grand Slams and a world player of the year award in a glittering career in a red shirt. But none of those sides, according to the former winger, are as good [...]
Eddie Jones’s Rugby World Cup checklist: What’s on England head coach’s agenda as countdown to tournament gathers pace July 7, 2019 Starting today, the players selected for England’s Rugby World Cup training squad have five weeks to show head coach Eddie Jones why they deserve a place on the plane to Japan. Last Thursday Jones announced a list of 35, plus three injured players receiving treatment, that he says will be whittled down to the final [...]
Leicester Tigers are up for sale as Premiership Rugby enters new era following CVC investment June 25, 2019 On Monday, Coventry City owner Joy Seppala claimed that Premiership rugby clubs had “topped out” and reached their full potential, in reference to Wasps, who she believes want to buy her League One side. But Tuesday’s news that Leicester Tigers have launched a formal sale process following a string of interested investors, shows a clear [...]
Eddie Jones to stay on as England head coach until 2021 as RFU backtrack on succession plans June 13, 2019 Since taking over in May, the Rugby Football Union’s new chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has been busy. With a World Cup just four months away, he has also had to contend with proposals for the Six Nations, a potential World Rugby Nations Championship, and the future of England’s coaching team. Here are five key insights [...]
Ollie Phillips: Warren Gatland should groom Andy Farrell as his British and Irish Lions successor June 13, 2019 Warren Gatland’s unveiling as the British and Irish Lions coach on Wednesday was hardly surprising, but it was an appointment which makes a great deal of sense. Gatland is one of the best coaches in the world and has plenty of motivation on what will be his third Lions tour, to South Africa in 2021. [...]
Warren Gatland claims he has ‘unfinished business’ with the British and Irish Lions following South Africa 2021 appointment June 12, 2019 In the wake of the tour to New Zealand two years ago he insisted he would never coach the British and Irish Lions again, but Warren Gatland is back in the hot-seat for South Africa in 2021 as he looks to continue his unblemished record. Having led the Lions in undefeated series against Australia and [...]