Ollie Phillips: The squad is exciting but it’s still classic Eddie Jones January 21, 2022 When I saw the England squad Eddie Jones had named for the Six Nations on Tuesday evening, I was actually pleasantly surprised. It is good to see head coach Eddie Jones picking in-form players this year, though I must say the squad seems rather predictable. The return of Owen Farrell is no surprise. Jones is [...]
Premiership Rugby to return to terrestrial on ITV with live games and highlights January 20, 2022 Premiership Rugby has agreed a deal to show live matches and highlights on ITV in a move that ends the English top division’s exile from free-to-air television. BT Sport will remain the primary broadcast partner but ITV will simulcast a handful of live games each season, including the Premiership final, and air a weekly highlights [...]
England coach Eddie Jones: ‘Make me look an idiot’ January 19, 2022 Eddie Jones yesterday told his dropped England stars to “play at a level that makes me an idiot if I don’t pick them” as he announced his wider squad for the upcoming Six Nations. Notable absentees from the training group, who will meet in Brighton next week, include Saracens back-three player Elliot Daly and Bath [...]
Championship rugby club chairman: ‘Increase funding to clubs’ January 18, 2022 Richmond’s chairman has called on the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to solve the Championship’s increasingly insurmountable financial barriers to promotion to the top division. The RFU has cut funding for already cash-strapped second-tier clubs from around £550,000 each per year to less than half that this season. It is another hurdle to promotion for Championship [...]
Ollie Phillips: Connacht an underrated threat in this European weekend January 14, 2022 Though quarantine restrictions on foreign travellers have been lifted in France, we’re never quite sure – until players actually take to the field – that European games will go ahead. It’s a sign of the times we’re living in and events of Round 2 – where postponed games were awarded 0-0 results – will no [...]
Gloucester Rugby: One of the Premiership’s great enigmas January 11, 2022 Until Saturday, it had been an awfully long time since Gloucester had won away to Saracens; more than 4,800 days, to be exact. And while the Cherry and Whites may one day look back at their 25-24 win as the peak of their season, they’ve already established themselves as a club with a culture few [...]
Premiership Rugby: Cap changes hint at continued silly signing season January 11, 2022 Not often will you find a top quality rugby player moving from one club to another mid-season, even less frequently will you find them doing it at any point for anywhere near the value of a football transfer. That said, every few years there’s a seemingly silly season of signings where some of the best [...]
Premiership rugby: Snappy team-by-team report card at half-way point January 9, 2022 The weekend’s Premiership action marked the halfway point of the season. While some teams have found themselves in familiar positions, this year has also seen some surprising performances. Here is our half-term report. Leicester Tigers – A* It was going perfectly for the Tigers, who had gone the entire season without losing – until Sunday. [...]
Ollie Phillips: Habits die hard as the Premiership reaches half way January 7, 2022 After this week’s Premiership action, each of the 13 teams will be halfway through their seasons. Some have outperformed my expectations, like Gloucester, and others have – thankfully – lived up to my predictions, like Leicester. The Premiership, though, despite its lack of relegation and jeopardy, has proven that habits are hard to break in [...]
British & Irish Lion Williams joins rugby outfit Cardiff January 6, 2022 Cardiff Rugby have announced the signing of British and Irish Lion Liam Williams. The Wales full-back will join the United Rugby Championship club next season. Williams, 30, started his career at Scarlets before joining Saracens in the English Premiership. The back-three player, who has 72 caps for his country, then returned to Scarlets, where he’s [...]
