Ollie Phillips: My Premiership Rugby awards gong time The season is over, Leicester Tigers are champions and I have enjoyed it completely. The lack of relegation has created new interest for me, and we’ve seen some real bolters, like Henry Arundell, earn an international chance on the summer tours. But now that all has been said and done, here are my Premiership awards. [...]
Ollie Phillips: Leicester versus Saracens final rounds off great season weekly column South west London will be the centre of the rugby world this weekend when one of the most competitive seasons of Premiership action reaches its climax. You’ve got Leicester Tigers, buoyed by brilliant home form this year, and have a serious amount of off-field emotion in tow. And you’ve got Saracens who are hated by [...]
Ollie Phillips: Saracens have the ability to defeat champions Harlequins weekly column Should Saracens beat defending champions Harlequins in their Premiership semi-final this weekend, they’ll be the first team to reach the showpiece Twickenham final at the first attempt following promotion from the Championship. Mark McCall’s men have come back into the top flight with a vengeance this season. And while they’ll be disappointed to have missed [...]
Ollie Phillips: Leinster should sneak tight Champions Cup final May 27, 2022 It’s going to be tight, Champions Cup finals usually are, but I think Leinster will win their fifth title tomorrow in Marseille. They have the physicality, they have the depth, and they’re stacked with match winners. They’re the favourites for sure. That said, it would be foolish to completely write off Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle [...]
Ollie Phillips: Quins’ attacking mentality is good for rugby May 20, 2022 Twickenham Stadium will host its second Harlequins home fixture of the season tomorrow and a win for Tabai Matson’s side would guarantee them a spot in the top four. I don’t see a situation where Quins don’t make it but, until it’s certain, there’s work to do. They’ll entertain Gloucester in front of around 50,000 [...]
Ollie Phillips: Whoever wins in Dublin will go on to win the Champions Cup May 13, 2022 Last Weekend’s European rugby quarter-finals were a brilliant watch, and I was enthralled by the Champions Cup penalty shootout win for Toulouse against Munster, but this weekend I expect the performance levels to increase further. This is the pinnacle of the club game and the teams are just one win away from the finals later [...]
Ollie Phillips: A Leicester Tigers European triumph would be incredible May 6, 2022 If Leicester go on to win the Champions Cup this season I think it will be one of modern rugby’s greatest stories. From an extremely poor season just two years ago to the quarter-finals of Europe, while also heading up the Premiership table, is testament to Steve Borthwick and his ability to nurture a squad [...]
Ollie Phillips: My five-man shortlist for Premiership player of the season April 29, 2022 With just three regular rounds of Premiership action remaining before we can turn our thoughts to the semi-finals, it’s worth highlighting some of the players who have stood out for me this season. While I have tried to lean away from those who have been away for weeks on end with international duty, in one [...]
Ollie Phillips: I’d want to avoid Harlequins in the semi-finals at all costs April 22, 2022 No matter whether I were Leicester Tigers or Saracens, I would want to stay well clear of Harlequins in the Premiership playoffs. No disrespect to Gloucester, Northampton Saints or Exeter Chiefs, but Quins have proven that they’re a danger in the knockout stages of the domestic league – even if they went out of Europe [...]
Ollie Phillips: Four English sides should make it to top European quarters April 8, 2022 As the first leg of the European Champions Cup round of 16 begins this evening, I am confident that all but one of the English sides will progress through to the quarter-finals. While some of the ties look mighty close, there’s enough grit and flair in the Premiership to make the difference. It also helps [...]
