End of the road for London Welsh as professional club January 24, 2017 Crisis-stricken London Welsh have ceased to exist as a professional club after being denied permission to continue playing in English rugby’s second tier for the remainder of the season and beyond. The Richmond-based Exiles were granted a temporary licence by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to continue as a Championship side on 22 December after [...]
Wasps seal European Champions Cup quarter-final berth as Saracens draw Glasgow in last eight January 23, 2017 Wasps recovered from a sluggish start to secure a bonus-point 41-27 success over Italian side Zebre on Sunday and finish top of their European Champions Cup pool, earning themselves a trip to Leinster in the quarter-finals. Two tries from Ashley Johnson and further touchdowns from Danny Cipriani, Elliot Daly, Christian Wade and Nathan Hughes powered Wasps [...]
Why England’s Six Nations challenge is reliant on head overruling heart for Dylan Hartley and James Haskell January 23, 2017 The inevitable roles that Dylan Hartley and James Haskell will play in the Six Nations must reinforce the preponderance of mental strength over physical fortitude. There can be little argument against the notion that Haskell is a physical specimen; indeed, all of those who choose to subject themselves to his incessant social media bombardments are [...]
Sale sack wing Tom Arscott following leak investigation January 19, 2017 Premiership side Sale have terminated the contract of wing Tom Arscott following an investigation into claims that confidential information was leaked to fellow strugglers Bristol. Arscott, 29, has been accused of disclosing details to brother Luke Arscott, who plays for Bristol, the day before the teams met in a match that Sale eventually lost 24-23. [...]
More concussions reported in professional rugby than ever before and now account for a quarter of all injuries January 18, 2017 More concussions were reported by Premiership Rugby clubs than ever before last season, according to new data on injuries in the professional game. For the fifth season in a row, concussion was the most commonly reported injury by top flight clubs, accounting for 25 per cent of all match injuries. The annual investigation into injuries from the [...]
Sale suspend wing Tom Arscott as Bristol defend his meeting with brother Luke January 17, 2017 Sale Sharks have suspended wing Tom Arscott amid a probe into an alleged leak of information to rivals Bristol prior to their Premiership showdown on New Year’s Day. The Rugby Football Union are investigating whether confidential team information, including on-field calls and tactical insight, was passed to Bristol, who won 24-23, before the match. Sale [...]
Why England’s spate of injuries could be a blessing in disguise for Eddie Jones January 16, 2017 England’s so-called injury crisis may be lengthening bookies’ odds for a repeat Grand Slam, but it is causing little harm in the medium-term. Eddie Jones’s team can still win the tournament in the absence of some of their regulars, although it will certainly be a greater feat with Ireland confident and France having all the [...]
Scarlets 22, Saracens 22: Last-gasp Sarries seal place in European Champions Cup quarter-finals January 15, 2017 Saracens boss Mark McCall praised his side’s doggedness after a last-gasp Chris Ashton try snatched a dramatic 22-22 draw with Scarlets and sealed their passage to the European Champions Cup quarter-finals. Ashton crossed the line for the second time with the final play of the game and Owen Farrell duly converted, after Wales centre Scott [...]
Prop Joe Marler’s broken leg deepens England’s Six Nations injury crisis January 11, 2017 England’s pack for their Six Nations defence has been further weakened after Joe Marler was ruled out of the start of the championship with a broken leg. The Harlequins prop was withdrawn from Saturday’s match against Sale after feeling discomfort during the warm-up. It was initially thought he had a calf problem but scans have [...]
Chris Robshaw to miss Six Nations after England flanker undergoes shoulder surgery January 9, 2017 England head coach Eddie Jones has suffered another major injury blow less than two weeks before he names the squad tasked with retaining the Six Nations after Chris Robshaw was ruled out of the tournament. Harlequins flanker Robshaw, a mainstay of England’s flawless resurgence under Jones last year, was due to have surgery on a [...]