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 [...]
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 [...]
