Highly rated coach walks out on Saracens to pave the way for a reunion with the England set-up

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Matt Stevens

Matt Stevens ruled out of England tour to South Africa

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

Christian Wade named in England squad to face Barbarians

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.

Mike Tindall’s appeal should have been dismissed out of hand

Ben Foden promises Mike Tindall fitting farewell at Twickenham

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

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

Australia coach Robbie Deans expecting fired-up Scotland side

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

The IRB have ruled Shingler is eligible only for Wales

Steven Shingler ineligible to play Test rugby for Scotland rule IRB

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.

Australia coach Robbie Deans said Shane Williams will be Wales' main threat

Australia coach Robbie Deans wary of Wales threat

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

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.

<b>England rugby team in black</b><br/>
The England rugby team opted for black away shirts at last year's World Cup. Black shirts are synonymous with New Zealand, and the decision, again for marketing reasons, was seen as disrespectful to the hosts of the tournament.

Chris Hewett: England look to a Springbok Experience

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 it all possible.

Gloucester's spring-heeled wing Jonny May is tipped to go on tour

Jonny May may claim England spot for the Springbok Experience

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.

Shaun Edwards has been linked with a move to the RFU

Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards to join London Irish

Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards is to join the London Irish coaching staff after the Grand Slam winners' summer tour to Australia.

Wayne Smith has turned down the chance to join the England set-up

England make Catt call after Smith's snub

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.

Brock James: Clermont's No 10 was in glorious form with the boot against Saracens

Weekend preview: James wants to put boot in Irish hopes of retaining Cup

Only a fully paid-up member of the Institute of Clairvoyants or an absolute fool would wager a penny piece on the outcome of tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final between Clermont Auvergne, the form side in France, and Leinster, the form side in Europe.

World Cup winning coach Wayne Smith is expected to give England his decision in the next 10 days

Loyal All Black Smith torn over England coaching role

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.

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