For the sake of those culled, the Burgess experiment needs to work

- August 11, 2015

Should the Sam Burgess experiment fail this weekend, he may receive a slightly frosty reception when he heads back to Bath to join those that have already been culled from England's World Cup squad.Ok, so it's unlikely anyone will actually make a fuss of it, but the fact is two

Bristol’s renewed pain again highlights farcical play-off system

- May 28, 2015

You could not have written last night's script. Chris Pennell, Worcester's favourite son and a man who stood by them throughout relegation despite being one of the best operators in his position in the country, scores a last minute try, and Ryan Lamb nervelessly slots the conversion to draw the

Rejection of exiles shows Lancaster’s long game for England

- May 20, 2015May 20, 2015

As Stuart Lancaster revealed his wider training squad for the Rugby World Cup later this year, much of the talk at today's press conference surrounded who hadn't been included: is this the definitive end of the World Cup road for the likes of Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon, based abroad

Cross country comparison is pointless – England’s foreign player rule must remain

- April 23, 2015

The clamour for England to relax their rule on picking foreign-based players has reached a new nadir in recent weeks, firstly with the form of Nick Abendanon, and most recently the news that Australia will now pick players based abroad, if they have 60 or more caps and have played

Myriad of safety concerns are a real problem in Rugby World Cup year

- February 18, 2015February 18, 2015

It may not have been the most memorable opening two rounds of a tournament in terms of the quality of rugby played, but the 2015 Six Nations has had fans and pundits chattering away like few before it. Worryingly, most of the talk has been around several concerning safety issues.Week

Have England found the answer to their great midfield dilemma?

- February 11, 2015

Heading into last weekend's game between Wales and England, the mood was nervous amongst England fans. As has seemingly been the case since 2003, the midfield was the main cause for concern. The inexperienced duo of Luther Burrell and Jonathan Joseph were up against what has become one of the

Salary cap, central funding, relegation: the Premiership and its baggage

- January 8, 2015

By all accounts, it has been a superb first half of the Premiership season. As we are regularly reminded, the number of tries and points scored, as well as the number of fans flooding the gates at grounds, are up. For the most part, it is one of the most

We must not sacrifice a competitive Premiership by scrapping the cap

- December 22, 2014December 22, 2014

Saracens CEO Edward Griffiths last week spoke of the club's desire to scrap the salary cap, calling it a "handbrake" on English rugby and claiming that he had the backing of several other Premiership clubs in doing so.You suspect that London Welsh were not one of them. The Welsh

As the Champions Cup thrives, the Challenge Cup dies

- December 10, 2014

A brilliant weekend of Champions Cup action saw an almost clean sweep for English sides and plenty of tense, 'proper' European encounters with momentum swinging this way and that in several pools.Attendances were high as fans flocked to see their favourite players back in action in domestic rugby after

Amongst a smattering of positives, a central dilemma remains for England

- December 3, 2014

It's becoming difficult to find new, interesting ways to write this, but with another series of matches under their belts, England are no closer to knowing what their preferred centre partnership is. Four players featured in the 12 and 13 shirts over the autumn, and none of them guaranteed themselves