‘Gloucester Rugby won’t be at panic stations yet, but Skivington on thin ice’ November 17, 2023 Derby day defeats are never savoury affairs but for Gloucester fans their 45-27 loss to Bath last Friday, having led 20-10 at half-time, will have sent waves of worry across the Cotswolds. I am never one to push the panic button early when it comes to sacking coaches or making changes at the top, and [...]
‘Premiership Rugby MUST make most of storylines to solidify league’ November 10, 2023 This weekend’s Premiership action sees the first of the major derbies in English rugby: Gloucester versus Bath. The Kingsholm terraces will be packed and jeering, and the opposition players taking abuse for 80 minutes. This is the kind of storyline and cauldron Premiership Rugby needs to build upon following the Rugby World Cup. The league [...]
Andy Farrell should lead the British and Irish Lions on a tour which could humiliate Australia November 3, 2023 The World Cup is over and South Africa are champions, but given the schedule over the next four years I am already looking at the 2025 Lions tour to Australia. Australia are in freefall. It is a cesspit of uselessness at the moment where no one quite knows where to go and what to do. [...]
Ollie Phillips: All Blacks, Springboks, England and a new dawn October 27, 2023 Beating the Springboks turned out to be a step too far for Steve Borthwick’s England despite the level of experience they took into the Rugby World Cup. But on Saturday, when the Springboks take on New Zealand in the final in Paris, I think the South Africa train will run out of steam. There’s so [...]
Springboks should dismantle England by 20 points in World Cup October 20, 2023 Watching South Africa edge France in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday evening was extraordinary, maybe one of the very best games of oval ball I have ever seen. And I am in no doubt that the Springboks will beat England this weekend, despite my run of poor predictions last week in the quarter-finals. South [...]
Ireland will beat New Zealand and finally win World Cup knockout October 14, 2023 The pool stage of this Rugby World Cup provided some corking matches for fans new and old to get their teeth into, and I expect all four quarter-finals this weekend to be equally show-stopping. The big game of the weekend for me sees Ireland take on New Zealand on Saturday night in Paris. It’s hard [...]
Premiership needs stability to build on competitive foundations October 13, 2023 Though there are fears of the Premiership’s return on Friday being overshadowed by the World Cup quarter-finals, it is good to see the domestic season back again. Saracens will go in as favourites because they are the holders but each squad seem to have developed well in the long off-season that a World Cup year [...]
‘It’s all on the line this weekend at the Rugby World Cup’ October 6, 2023 This is the crunch point, where those nations who have not yet secured their spots in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup find out whether they’ve got any bottle. Because when everything is on the line, and there is no get-out-of-jail-free card in the following week, you really see what you are made of. [...]
Wales momentum could take them to Rugby World Cup final September 29, 2023 If you’d have asked me two months ago whether Wales would get out of their Rugby World Cup pool, I’d have been sceptical. But having watched them in Lyon on Sunday as they dismantled Australia by a record score, I genuinely think there’s a possibility of them making the final this year. Their quarter-final will [...]
Wales can leave Australia on brink at Rugby World Cup September 22, 2023 So many pairs of eyes are on the battle between South Africa and Ireland at the Rugby World Cup this weekend given it is world No1 versus world No2, and a match many are predicting to be a warm-up for the final. But I am fascinated by Sunday’s meeting between Wales and Australia. The Wallabies [...]
