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 [...]
Ollie Phillips: Sale Sharks top the league for 2022/23 signings so far April 1, 2022 This season of Premiership rugby is so exciting and engaging to watch, but some of the planned transfers mean I already cannot wait for next year. After Sale Sharks confirmed the signing of Tom O’Flaherty from Exeter Chiefs, it made me think just what the north west club could achieve in 2022-23. The signature of [...]
Ollie Phillips: England rugby chiefs stuck between rock and hard place over Eddie Jones March 25, 2022 It has been a challenging week for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) following the conclusion of another disappointing Six Nations for England and Eddie Jones. The expectation, which the RFU have helped to foster, is that England should be the best team in the world. But the reality, as winning just two games at the [...]
Ollie Phillips: England need to target French emotion in Six Nations March 18, 2022 France face the ultimate challenge tomorrow. Winning a Six Nations Championship is hard enough, but to win one when there’s just the English between you and a Grand Slam is even harder. Super Saturday is one of the great days of international rugby outside of the World Cup. Three games, five of the six highest [...]
Ollie Phillips: I would have Ireland down as favourites March 11, 2022 When you look at the England and Ireland squads on paper ahead of tomorrow’s Six Nations match in London, I do think that the away side might nick it. It’s all about what is going on up front and I think that’s where Ireland have the edge. They’ll no doubt be targeting England’s line-out, which [...]
Ollie Phillips: Corker of a weekend ahead of us in the Premiership March 4, 2022 While an absence of promotion and relegation in Premiership Rugby may be the talking point within the sport, it’s hard to deny that the lack of jeopardy has produced some cracking rugby this season. With Saracens in second on 54 points and Northampton in ninth on 42, it’s incredibly tight for the three play-off places [...]
Ollie Phillips: Key returnees could spice up England v Wales clash February 24, 2022 It’s not one of the hardest predictions I have had to make during this year’s Six Nations but I just don’t see any result other than a comfortable England win when they play Wales on Saturday. A large part of that, I think, comes down to Eddie Jones now picking a team around his No10 [...]
Ollie Phillips: Super Six Nations could be bettered by Boks February 18, 2022 This really is a belting Six Nations Championship. We may only be two weeks in but what a set of performances we have seen across the opening six games. France are just massive. They’re a group of juggernauts ripping balls, rucking hard, carrying everywhere. They’re just so good to watch. They might just be one [...]
