Tag Archives: ken owens

Despite naming a 41-man Lions squad on Wednesday, coach Warren Gatland found no place for England captain Dylan Hartley. The Northampton Saints hooker was always facing a battle to be named in the panel for the tour of New Zealand, but Gatland has instead opted to pick fellow Rory Best, Ken Owens and fellow England international Jamie George as his …

With the Lions squad announcement drawing ever closer, speculation is sky-high as to which players will get the nod from Warren Gatland. With 37 seats on the plane to New Zealand available, there is going to be a wealth of talent left behind. Former England flyhalf and Pundit Arena columnist Andy Goode has selected the squad he would bring, and …

Picking a captain for a Lions tour is no easy task, particularly when your chosen man will be fronting up against the best side in the world and arguably the greatest rugby team in history. Yet it is a choice that coach Warren Gatland must make shortly, and it is proving to be one of the most contentious selection topics …

England captain Dylan Hartley is staring down the barrel of a summer of rest and relaxation as the evidence suggests he is not yet guaranteed his place in the British and Irish Lions squad to face New Zealand. The recently concluded Six Nations was an opportunity for Lions hopefuls to impress upon head coach Warren Gatland their credentials for the …

With the Six nations finishing with a thoroughly entertaining and fascinating final round of fixtures, the dust now begins to settle and all talk has already turned to who Warren Gatland will pick for the upcoming Lions tour of New Zealand.  At this stage, and with Gatland set to name his squad in under a month, it seems reasonable to …

After a feast of rugby over the last two months, focus now turns to club action as well as the impending Lions tour. However, before we consign Six Nations 2017 to memory, we select our team of the tournament. _____ 15. Stuart Hogg Rob Kearney was solid and Halfpenny kicked well, but there was no real competitor to Scotland’s magician …

Wales have announced their team for their final Six Nations match of 2017 against France, and interim coach Rob Howley has decided to remain with the 23 man squad who dispatched Ireland 22-9 last weekend. Hooker Ken Owens will win his 50th cap, while Taulupe Faletau will start on the bench having just returned from injury. While Wales will surely be …

By virtue of the decision to schedule games on Friday night, Six Nations fans face into another fallow Sunday in this season’s Championship. While Friday night fixtures are popular among fans at a domestic and European level, Six Nations organisers face opposition to their staging. In any event, the lack of action allows rugby fans time to reflect on the weekend’s results …

For some time now, the guys over at rugby.net have compiled lists detailing the best players in the world. Using mathematically generated data, they claim to objectively rate players from each of rugby’s elite competitions. Using their Rugby Net Rating Engine, thy interoperate an array of statistics, give them a weighting according to the competitions in which they were recorded and publish them using …

This weekend we were treated to two brilliant Six Nations fixtures. England and Wales played out one of the most physical games seen this season, while France and Scotland offered up a hugely entertaining spectacle in Paris. Ireland’s demolition of Italy will inevitably bring questions over their future participation in the tournament, particularly as Georgia’s demand for inclusion has grown louder in …

The second in a series looking at the best options from each country for each position, this article analyses the options Warren Gatland and his coaching team have at hooker for the upcoming British and Irish Lions 2017 tour of New Zealand. It is assumed that three hookers will initially be chosen in the preliminary Lions squad, as was the …

Wales interim head coach Rob Howley has named his XV for Saturday’s must win clash against South Africa. The under pressure Howley has turned to, more or less, the side that beat Argentina 24-20 two weeks ago as Wales seek to end a disappointing campaign on a high. Dan Lydiate replaces Sam Warburton at 6, who is ruled out with …

With Wales set to kick-off their autumn campaign on Saturday against Australia, we look at Rob Howley’s likely starting XV for the clash.  _______ 15. Liam Williams (if fit) Wales’ best player during the summer series against New Zealand, the 25-year-old has continued his fine form into the new season. Left the field early with an ankle injury during the Scarlets’ …

Wales coach Warren Gatland has named a battle-hardened team for the first test against New Zealand on Saturday. In a team packed with plenty of caps, the New Zealander has also sprang a couple of surprises: Gethin Jenkins, Wales’ most capped player, comes in at loosehead in place of Rob Evans, while Scarlets skipper Ken Owens replaces Scott Baldwin at hooker. …

Wales coach Warren Gatland will today name his XV for his team’s clash against England on Sunday. Both teams will use the match as preparation for their respective summer tours to New Zealand and Australia next month. Here’s the XV I feel Gatland should pick for Sunday’s game: 15. Liam Williams Williams has suffered an injury-interrupted season but has impressed …

After Eddie Jones and his England team triumphed against France on Saturday, winning their country’s 13th grand slam in the process, heads will inevitably turn now to England’s next challenge. However, there’s another hurdle for England to overcome before they test themselves against World Cup finalists and current Rugby Championship trophy holders Australia. England have replaced their annual Barbarians fixture …