Tag Archives: Six Nations 2016

Refreshingly honest. That’s the best way to describe England, Lions and Exeter Chiefs lock Geoff Parling. All professional rugby players are well drilled when it comes to dealing with the media and the mass of questions that comes their way on a regular basis, which can lead to the same predictable answers being plodded out time and time again. However, …

With only a year to go until the Lions series in New Zealand, there appears to be no sign of any appointment of a new Lions coach to take charge of next year’s expedition. John Spencer, a former England wing and the latest individual to take up the mantle of team manager for a Lions tour, is due in New Zealand …

Centuries and centuries ago, in the beautiful countryside of the lands that now make up Georgia, the game of ‘Lelo burti’ or ‘field ball’ was played. Teams could be of any size and usually consisted of the male populations of neighbouring villages. The aim of the sport would be to move a heavy ball across a stream or river in between …

Currently centrally contracted to the FFR, it appears Virimi Vakatawa is likely to shun numerous offers from Top 14 clubs to re-sign with France’s national governing body, despite the chance to earn more money elsewhere. Vakatawa, a surprise inclusion in Guy Noves’s first squad for the Six Nations, established himself as a regular with the country’s sevens side before making the …

Outrage at the rising cost of Premier League tickets caused thousands of devoted Liverpool fans to campaign against these changes. After many weeks of action, Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, caved in to all their demands. Now the time has come for rugby fans to stand up for the sport they love. FSG had previously announced plans to introduce £77 match …

There have been frequent calls for relegation and promotion to be introduced between the two European international competitions, the Six Nations and the European Nations Cup – which features the top teams from the second tier of European rugby. Now with Italy picking up the wooden spoon once again, having lost every game in the 2016 Six Nations, is it …

Ireland-Scotland was one of the best matches of the tournament. Ireland finally showed they can actually play rugby, even if it seemed they had to remind themselves of it from time to time, and Scotland are definitely the form side right now. The Scots lost the match mainly through their own indiscipline, and Ireland were the stronger side on the day. Yet the …

The headlines in the media over the past week have been dominated by ‘Marler-gate’ and whether what has transpired in the aftermath of the incident is at odds with the ‘spirit’ of the game. So is that ethereal notion at threat or is the very esoteric character of rugby alive and well? Many fans were angered with what Joe Marler …

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 …

Today could potentially be a historic day for English rugby as the Eddie Jones’ England side look for the country’s first grand slam since 2003, but whilst an important step forward, it should only be just the start. Any victory in Paris is in itself impressive. Wales won there last year and Ireland in 2014, but the last time England …

In winning the 2016 Six Nations England have shown all the potential needed to become world beaters. The championship reaches its conclusion this weekend with the final round of matches. The title is already in the bag for England and their sights are now set on securing the Grand Slam, when they take on France in Paris on Saturday. The arrival …

France versus England will be fascinating not just because it is England’s first major chance to show that they have taken their game to a new level and win a grand slam for the first time since 2003, but also because the two sides are so similar and yet simultaneously so different. England and France have the biggest rugby player …

A lot has been said and written about Craig Joubert’s performance on Saturday at ‘HQ’. A lot has been harsh, inaccurate and has lacked an understanding of how referees approach games. It was evidently clear Joubert would have felt a lot of pressure coming into this test match having made that decision which knocked Scotland out of the World Cup. …

The Joe Marler incident has encapsulated a key point of difference between the Eddie Jones era and the previous Stuart Lancaster regime. The moment the words “Gypsy boy” left Joe Marler’s mouth he must have regretted it, given his half-time apology to Samson Lee. Nevertheless he said it and as a professional rugby player and role model to many thousands …

Daire O’Driscoll discusses the reaction to Joe Marler’s “gypsy boy” comment during England’s 6 Nations clash with Wales. Rugby fans and World Rugby like to portray their sport as a bastion of sportsmanship and higher moral conduct. World Rugby’s memo urging referees to clamp down on “football culture” and referee Nigel Owens’ perpetual reminder to players that they are not on a soccer field highlight …

Michael Noel Brown, fullback for the English National Rugby Union team and a lightning rod for criticism and scorn everywhere else the game is played. Is he one of the best full-backs in the world? Yes. Is he an upstanding guy that leads with exemplary actions on the field? Not so much. You see Mike Brown, like most professional rugby …

Maurice Brosnan analyses Ireland’s line-out issues. Of the countless areas that the departure of Paul O’Connell was going to effect, the-line out was always going to suffer most. O’Connell was a master of that particular set-piece, a dedicated student constantly trying to perfect its efficiency. Since his departure Munster and Ireland have had their line-out troubles. Both these sides use …

The England men’s team has dominated the headlines recently because of their unbeaten run to a Six Nations Championship title and a potential Grand Slam next weekend, but we shouldn’t forget that the national women’s team has done exactly the same thing. After a 32-0 thrashing of Scotland, a surprisingly narrow victory against Italy, a colossal battle with Ireland, that …