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Catt warns England to expect 'very fierce' tour

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

When the England squad boarded the flight for Johannesburg last night – two flights, to be precise, thanks to the difficulty of squeezing 40-odd players plus support staff into a single business-class compartment – they were both fully equipped on the personnel front and fully armed with advice on what to expect from the world's most belligerent union nation.

Lancaster talks tackle technique to Tuilagi

Wed, 30 May 2012 16:40:48 +0100

Stuart Lancaster has warned Manu Tuilagi over his tackling technique after he faced the prospect of being banned from England's tour of South Africa.

Meyer backs his Boks to batter England

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Heyneke Meyer is very clear about his primary responsibility as coach of the South Africa rugby team – nothing but winning will suffice.

Tuilagi cleared for South Africa tour

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The England coach, Stuart Lancaster, last night received a significant helping hand from the Rugby Football Union's disciplinary class when Manu Tuilagi, a clear first choice at outside centre, was cleared to play in the three-Test series against South Africa, which begins in Durban in 10 days' time.

Matt Stevens ruled out of England tour to South Africa

Tue, 29 May 2012 15:31:59 +0100

Matt Stevens has been ruled out of England's three-Test summer tour to South Africa after suffering a shoulder injury.

Manu Tuilagi and Toby Flood major concerns for England head coach Stuart Lancaster

Tue, 29 May 2012 09:06:44 +0100

Stuart Lancaster is sweating on the availability of two key players for England's South Africa tour.

Uncapped Irish trio earn chance

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Ireland head coach, Declan Kidney, is set to finalise his 29-man squad for the New Zealand tour after tonight's game against the Barbarians at Kingsholm.

Chris Ashton ditches 'Ash splash' after discussion with England coach Stuart Lancaster

Mon, 28 May 2012 10:40:30 +0100

Chris Ashton revealed he shelved his trademark 'Ash splash' try-scoring celebration after a conversation with England head coach Stuart Lancaster.

Dowson injury gives England a scare after Ashton leads rout

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Low-intensity matches are all fine and dandy at this late stage of a campaign, especially if 42,000 spectators are willing to shell out for the privilege of watching. The problem comes when the intensity level rises sufficiently to break into the "high impact" category and leaves some poor soul spreadeagled across a stretcher. This was the cruel fate suffered by the Northampton back-row forward Phil Dowson at Twickenham yesterday and as a result, he gave the England coaching team an unpleasant scare.

Hartley has bit back between teeth

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

England are playing an unusually strong hand against the Barbarians in today's end of season runaround at Twickenham. With three Tests against the Springboks in South Africa starting in Durban on Saturday week, this is a crucial loosener.

Foden talks a good game ahead of bash with the Baa-Baas

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Ben Foden was keen to make himself clear. "When you play the Barbarians, you find yourselves being pulled into their style of rugby," the England full-back said this week. "It's hard not to get swept up in it and that's when mistakes happen. We need to control the tempo of the game, to play in the right areas." It was a thoughtful appraisal of the prospects for tomorrow's contest at Twickenham. Anyone would think it was a Test match.

Christian Wade named in England squad to face Barbarians

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:49:36 +0100

Christian Wade will get a chance to press his claims for the Test series against South Africa after being named in a strong England team to face the Barbarians.

Ben Foden promises Mike Tindall fitting farewell at Twickenham

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:59:57 +0100

Ben Foden is determined to give Mike Tindall a Twickenham farewell he will never forget after the former England captain was named in the Barbarians team for Sunday's non-cap international.

Phil Dowson to captain England against the Barbarians at Twickenham

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:30:48 +0100

Phil Dowson will captain England in Sunday's non-cap international against the Barbarians at Twickenham.

Declan Kidney knows Ireland must play without fear in New Zealand

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:29:17 +0100

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney knows his side must play with no fear if they are to upset world champions New Zealand on their own patch.

O'Connor out of Australia Tests

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

James O'Connor will not be fit to play in Australia's four Tests in June, against Scotland and Wales, having failed to recover from a lacerated liver he suffered in a match last month.

Australia coach Robbie Deans expecting fired-up Scotland side

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:35:39 +0100

Australia coach Robbie Deans is expecting a fired-up Scotland side when they face off next month.

IRB rejects claim that it banned Samoan centre

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Samoa may be a small rugby nation, but it makes an awful lot of noise – especially when the brilliant centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu is in the thick of things.

Steven Shingler ineligible to play Test rugby for Scotland rule IRB

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:22:05 +0100

Steven Shingler is tied to Wales and ineligible to play Test rugby for Scotland, the International Rugby Board's council ruled in a unanimous decision.

Lancaster looks into Flood warnings

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It goes without saying that England will need every last available resource if they are to make some sense of next month's three-Test series against the Springboks in South Africa, so the national coach, Stuart Lancaster, will be very interested indeed in the injury bulletin from Leicester today. Lancaster has saddled Phil Pask, the longest-serving of the red-rose conditioning staff, with the task of discovering the precise nature of the ankle problem that kept Toby Flood out of last weekend's Premiership semi-final against Saracens – and may yet keep him off the plane bound for Johannesburg.

Australia coach Robbie Deans wary of Wales threat

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:32:05 +0100

Australia coach Robbie Deans is wary of the threat Wales will pose in the three-Test series which kicks off on June 9 in Brisbane.

Wales name four-uncapped players for training squad ahead of Australia tour

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:35:51 +0100

Wales caretaker coach Rob Howley has named four uncapped players in a 38-man training squad to prepare for next month's clash against the Barbarians and three-Test Australia tour.

Scotland reduce tour schedule

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Scotland's summer tour of the South Pacific has been cut from four matches to three after the New South Wales Waratahs withdrew from a fixture on 10 June in Sydney.

Lancaster to give young pretenders a real blooding

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Graham Rowntree, the England forwards coach, did not hesitate for a second: a three-Test series in South Africa is, he acknowledged, the toughest proposition – indeed, the nearest thing to hell on earth – that rugby has to offer. Just the place, then, for 13 uncapped tourists, some of whom have yet to play a full club season in the Premiership. Better to have an early taste of the diabolical, it seems, than be left lingering in a fool's paradise.

Danny Care returns as England squad for South Africa tour announced

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:31:11 +0100

England coach Stuart Lancaster has included 13 uncapped players in his 42-man squad for the five-match, three-Test summer tour of South Africa.

Jonny May may claim England spot for the Springbok Experience

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The parallels are freakish: England will travel to South Africa in June for a five-match tour during which they will attempt to lay solid foundations for an assault on the world title a little over three years hence – just as they did in 2000. And we all know what happened then. As every coach involved in that previous trip, from Sir Clive Woodward and Andy Robinson to Brian Ashton and Phil Larder, has subsequently asserted, it was the Springbok Experience that made everything else possible.

Exeter season catches eye of England head coach Stuart Lancaster

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:30:49 +0100

Exeter's memorable season that has been highlighted by Heineken Cup qualification for the first time could soon receive recognition from Stuart Lancaster.

Catt eager to grasp his big England chance

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Mike Catt had tentative plans to spend the next year circumnavigating the rugby globe, picking up fresh coaching ideas from major union-playing nations before embarking on the next stage of his career. If he plays his cards right in his native South Africa next month, the World Cup-winning centre may spend the next four years travelling on the Twickenham budget.

Mike Catt still sees role for Wayne Smith in England set-up

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:14:16 +0100

Mike Catt believes England head coach Stuart Lancaster could still tap into the expertise of Wayne Smith - despite the New Zealander turning down the chance to be involved in the national set-up.

England make Catt call after Smith's snub

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

England finished the Six Nations with a striking air of optimism, largely generated by the holy trinity in their back-room team. Suddenly, they find themselves facing a five-match, three-Test tour of Springbok country – as demanding a summer schedule as they have ever undertaken – with what might be called a trinity of holes: no full-time attack coach, no specialist defence strategist and a gap in the line-out where Leicester's Tom Croft used to be.

England coach Stuart Lancaster content despite setback in recruitment process for assistant

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:55:44 +0100

England head coach Stuart Lancaster is convinced his plans are still on course despite a second setback in his bid to recruit an additional assistant.

Women, rugby, Twickenham? Yes, game on!

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Two England rugby players face off on the turf at Twickenham stadium. The taller one sprints forward, does a graceful sidestep and zips easily past a bulky forward to the try line.

Loyal All Black Smith torn over England coaching role

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

A few days before the World Cup final between New Zealand and France in Auckland last October, the All Blacks coach Wayne Smith quietly confirmed that while his long association with the silver fern would end at the final whistle, he had every intention of returning to international rugby in time for the next global gathering, in England in 2015. What he did not know then, and does not quite know yet, is whether he could work with a side good enough to relieve his own country of the Webb Ellis Cup.

Wayne Smith weighing up offer from Stuart Lancaster to join England

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:28:58 +0100

Wayne Smith will decide whether to accept an offer from Stuart Lancaster to join the England coaching team within the next 10 days.

Shane Williams urges local youngsters to remain in Wales

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:52:10 +0100

Shane Williams understands the attraction of big-money moves to France but has urged Wales' young stars to continue to ply their trade in the principality.

Australia star James O'Connor a doubt for Scotland and Wales Tests

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:49:08 +0100

Melbourne Rebels and Australia star James O'Connor is in doubt for the Test matches against Scotland and Wales in June due to a lacerated liver.

Hopley anger as RFU decides to play dumb

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It is laughably ironic that the Rugby Football Union, unable to keep even the most sensitive documents under wraps during the gruesome aftermath of last year's failed World Cup campaign, should now be refusing to divulge the details of two separate investigations into a leak that left the English game sloshing around in the sporting sewer. Not everyone is laughing, though. The players' union, infuriated by the governing body's newly discovered gift for secrecy will use all means at its disposal to push for disclosure.

Untested Youngs could join brother on England's tour

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Leicester's rookie hooker Tom Youngs could make his England debut before starting an Aviva Premiership match for his club after being pencilled in for the summer tour of South Africa.

England confirm mid-week fixtures during tour of South Africa

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:27:22 +0100

England's three-Test summer tour of South Africa will include midweek matches in Kimblerley and Potchefstroom against SA Barbarians teams, it was confirmed today.

Farrell says 'no thanks' to life with England

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The feelgood factor may be nice while it lasts, but it leaves a bad feeling when it suddenly disappears. Andy Farrell, the former Great Britain rugby league captain who took his first steps as a Test coach during the Six Nations and was instrumental in restoring England's reputation in the eyes of supporters who pretty much gave up on them during five weeks of World Cup purgatory last autumn, yesterday severed his links with the national team. A little over a fortnight after setting its course for the home global tournament in 2015, the red-rose hierarchy now finds itself wondering where to turn next.

Lloyd Burns may need surgery after announcing retirement

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:47:36 +0100

Wales international Lloyd Burns is facing the possibility of heart surgery after being forced to retire from rugby. forced

Knee surgery puts Roberts out of Australia tour

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The Wales centre Jamie Roberts is to have surgery on his injured knee and will miss the remainder of the season. The British and Irish Lion is expected to be out for six months and will miss Wales' three-Test tour of Australia in June.

Binned, banned and a medal sent by post

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

There is just one quibble Bradley Davies has with the opprobrium over the violent "tip" tackle on Ireland's Donnacha Ryan that made him briefly the most talked-about man in the recent Six Nations' Championship, and eventually the forgotten outsider of Wales's Grand Slam. "I've had criticism off the coaching staff, which is fair enough," Davies says. "Everyone's got a right to criticise me, and what I did was not a good advert for the game. But some of the comments were harsh; there was no intent to inflict hurt on Donnacha and I'm really glad he made a full recovery and went on to have an outstanding Six Nations."

Stuart Lancaster: Thinking outside the Springboks

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

It is a small mercy for which we can all be thankful: there are 37 full international matches separating England from their home World Cup in 2015, not 39. It sounds so much better, somehow: "The 39 Steps" would have been too unnervingly Hitchcockian. Not that Stuart Lancaster, the newly appointed main man charged with making just a little more sense of the next global gathering than his predecessor, Martin Johnson, made of the last one, is expecting things to go entirely smoothly over the next three and a half years. There are, in true thriller fashion, some nasty shocks in store.

Praise be! The RFU go for a man who is an actual coach

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The first point to be made about the new England head coach, Stuart Lancaster, is that he is... a coach. Now, there's a novelty. Almost precisely four years ago, the Rugby Football Union sacked Brian Ashton – perhaps the finest coach in Europe; indisputably a coach who had just guided the national team to a World Cup final, closely followed by a runners-up finish in the Six Nations – and, in its infinite wisdom, replaced him with an individual who had no experience of running a whelk stall, let alone a professional sporting set-up. It was not so much a high-risk strategy as a simple-minded, wholly illogical affront to common sense.

Cohen breaks ranks with the widespread chorus of welcome

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Stuart Lancaster's appointment as England head coach was greeted with near-unanimous acclaim, though World Cup winner Ben Cohen was a notable dissenter.

'Pride, passion and fearlessness': Lancaster outlines his three-point plan

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

England's recent rugby history has been about as harmonious as Ancient Rome in the reign of Caligula, but when the great and good of Twickenham came to appointing a new head coach to guide the national side through to the home World Cup in 2015, there could not have been more of a consensus. Stuart Lancaster's appointment was unanimously supported, not only by the five men who interviewed him, but also by the management board which endorsed their choice.

Stuart Lancaster confirmed as permanent England coach

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:41:51 +0100

Stuart Lancaster described his appointment as England head coach as "an honour and a privilege" as he spelt out what he feels is needed for the team to claim World Cup glory on home soil in 2015.

Bite ban puts Hartley's England spot in danger

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Dylan Hartley, far and away the best hooker in England, will be available for this summer's daunting three-Test series in South Africa, despite being found guilty yesterday of committing one of rugby's deadlier sins. The Northampton forward was banned for eight weeks for biting the Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris on the finger during the concluding Six Nations match at Twickenham 11 days ago – a light punishment for an offence carrying a maximum suspension of four years.

England hooker Dylan Hartley suspended for eight weeks for biting opponent

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:03:32 +0100

England hooker Dylan Hartley tonight voiced his disappointment at his eight-week suspension for biting.

Warren Gatland offered Lions role

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:31 +0100

Wales coach Warren Gatland has received an offer to lead the British and Irish Lions on their tour of Australia next year, Press Association Sport understands.

Mouritz Botha: For the joker it's time to get serious

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Conversing calmly on what it is like to be a South African playing rugby for England, Mouritz Botha says: "I don't know how to put this but I'm probably the proudest non-English Englishman there is. Both times we played at Twickenham in the Six Nations, I got really emotional during the national anthem, you feel the emotion rising up inside you. I had to really take a deep breath to settle it down. I'm really proud to be playing for England and really proud to live in the country."

Final member of coaching team commits to Wales

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:02:01 +0000

The Welsh Rugby Union have tied up all of their Grand Slam-winning coaching team to long-term contracts after forwards coach Robin McBryde signed a deal though to the 2015 World Cup.

Lydiate shock after tackling his way to Six Nations' player award

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

He can shear a sheep in three minutes and knock down a Frenchman in a flash.

Stuart Lancaster says he has qualities to be England coach

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:42:52 +0000

Stuart Lancaster believes he has all the qualities the Rugby Football Union will be looking for in the new England head coach - his next job is to convince them.

Lancaster leaves door open for Cipriani return

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Stuart Lancaster, the caretaker England coach who finds himself within a few well-chosen words of securing the job on a full-time basis, knows Danny Cipriani of old. Quite what he makes of the new version rather depends on the prodigal fly-half behaving himself on his return to Premiership activity after two seasons in Australia. Cipriani will end his Super 15 duty with the Melbourne Rebels in July and head for Sale in time for the start of the European season.

Chris Robshaw says Stuart Lancaster is 'right man' for England job

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:47:52 +0000

England captain Chris Robshaw has called for continuity and thrown his support behind interim head coach Stuart Lancaster to secure the top job on a permanent basis.

Dylan Hartley could face lengthy ban after alleged biting incident

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:38:01 +0000

England hooker Dylan Hartley could be hit with the second significant ban of his professional playing career.

Warburton to see specialist

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

The Wales captain, Sam Warburton, will see a specialist today regarding the shoulder injury he suffered against France on Saturday.

So, should it be Lancaster or Mallett?

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Q: Credentials, credentials. If Nick Mallett, the man of the world, has them in spades and Stuart Lancaster, the man in the background, has none to speak of, why is there a debate?

England to place faith in house of Lancaster

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

If Stuart Lancaster, one of life's more enthusiastic target-setters, embarked on this Six Nations tournament with a Grand Slam in mind, he missed the mark by a fraction, thanks in no small part to Courtney Lawes' uncannily accurate impersonation of a seven-stone weakling in the closing stages of the game against Wales. If, on the other hand, he was thinking merely of railroading the Rugby Football Union into a fundamental rethink over their choice of full-time England coach, he hit the bullseye, dead centre. That rethink is now under way. It should not take long.

Robinson's future hangs in the balance

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Andy Robinson has entered a period of introspection over his future as Scotland head coach after his players searched for the positives from a Six Nations campaign which ended with them in last place in the table.

Jones hails advent of Wales' new golden age

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Seventies revivalists beware. Adam Jones may have a haircut which reminds of the perm of that era but he has had enough of that decade being thrown in his team's face. Like the majority in Wales, he wants this hat-trick of Grand Slams to draw a line. Move on, is the message. There is so much to see here.

Robinson in soup as Italy avoid spoon

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 01:59:38 +0000

Scotland suffered the ignominy of a Six Nations whitewash after Italy inflicted their seventh successive defeat. In what could be the final game for their head coach, Andy Robinson, Scotland had Nick De Luca and Jim Hamilton sent to the sin-bin. Mirco Bergamasco kicked a penalty and Giovanbattista Venditti scored a converted try in De Luca's absence. Kristopher Burton then dropped a goal after 77 minutes.

Merv the Swerve would have said this was deserved

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

Mervyn, you feel, would have approved. That wonderful Wales No 8 of the 1970s, Mervyn Davies, who died on Thursday, knew that Grand Slams seldom come easy and the victory yesterday was as hard-fought as any. But now Wales believe they have a side which will, in time, come to bear comparison with those of the famed "decade of the Dragon", of which Davies was so integral a part.

Wales triumph to sound of the Seventies

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

In the grandstand Gerald Davies shed tears of joy and grief, while down on the pitch the young men decked in red celebrated Wales's third Grand Slam in eight seasons. Mervyn Davies would have been more than proud. Like all his countryman he would have been euphoric. This was a triumph cast in the image of Merv The Swerve, the nation's most iconic captain who passed away two days before. Wales dug deep when they had to, swerved when they had to and from the morass of French negativity they picked out their immortality. It says so much about this team's achievement that the talk wasn't just of revenge for the one-point loss to the same opponents in the World Cup semi-final four months ago. There were simply too many positive emotions to allow bitterness to dominate the aftermath.

Cole-fired pack drive England past tiring Irish

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

The set-piece domination was reminiscent of indignities suffered at England's hands by woeful Australian sides of recent memory but very rarely by opponents closer to home. When Ireland have lost at Twickenham in the Six Nations it has never been done by halves: 50 points shipped in 2000, 45 in 2002, 33 in 2008. But green has been the dominant colour; this was England's second win in the last nine championship meetings, home and away. Lacking their injured talisman, Brian O'Driscoll, and Paul O'Connell, and playing a fourth match in four weekends due to their rescheduled trip to Paris, the Irish, but for a run by Keith Earls here or there , were not a force.

Six of the best: Six Nations highlights

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

This was the best Championship since the Five Nations became Six in 2000. England's dominance in 2003 and Wales's emergence from the doldrums in 2005 and Shane Williams-inspired attack of 2008 have their claims, but 2012 has entertained and intrigued all round.

England stride to second as pack dominates Irish forwards

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:17:47 +0000

England clinched second place in the RBS 6 Nations championship with a comprehensive victory over Ireland that was founded on a destructive scrummaging performance.

What World Cup? Wales celebrate 6 Nations Grand Slam

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:03:51 +0000

Wales won their second RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam of Warren Gatland's coaching reign as they conquered Europe five months after reaching the World Cup semi-finals.

Italy v Scotland player ratings

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:55:59 +0000

Following the contest between Italy and Scotland we take a look at how the individual players performed.

Roman conquerors: Italy hand Scotland 6 Nations wooden spoon

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:49:22 +0000

Scotland suffered the ignominy an RBS 6 Nations whitewash and the wooden spoon after Italy inflicted a seventh successive defeat on Andy Robinson's side in Rome.

We must prevent French pack winning ugly, says Rees