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Lancaster's short lived honeymoon

Stuart Lancaster’s honeymoon at Twickenham was short lived. Following his appointment on March 29th he has shown his inexperience and naivety in failing to secure the services of both Andy Farrell and Wayne Smith. Once might have been unlucky, twice raises some serious questions.

Win: Sam Warburton's Running Lines from Set Piece

Be in to win an advanced copy of Sam Warburton’s new video Running Lines from Set Piece.

My best years are only just beginning

Richie McCaw comes back from injury in Week Ten of the Super 15, more excited than ever and still in search of the perfect game.

Battle of the Coaches

In the strange world of European rugby two Irish coaches try to outwit each other in the first Heineken Cup semi, whilst two New Zealanders butt heads in the second semi.

Ulster and Clermont to meet in the Heineken final

Forget the occasion, forget the opposition, clear heads are needed in the semi-final of a major cup competition says Brian Ashton.

Jimmy Cowan cashes in at England’s expense

Jimmy Cowan will be a folk hero down Gloucester way but just what sort of value will he bring to English rugby.

100 is special and 10 is better than 12

Dan Carter talks about his 100th game as a Crusader, reflects on the pros and cons of playing number 12 and picks his best New Zealand Super Rugby team.

Shane Williams on The Rugby Site

Shane Williams talks about why he got involved in The Rugby Site and what skills and tips he wants to pass onto players and coaches about how he plays the game. " The Rugby Site is a perfect opportunity for me to give back to the game and to share what I have learned over the years. Some of it is self taught and some of it is from coaches handed down over the years, it might not be handbook stuff but its what I believe in"

Ireland needs Schmidt to come along for the trip

Irish rugby has been transformed in recent years and credit should go to the IRFU for the structures they have put in place which have made this possible. The top players have by and large been retained by the Irish provinces, and the successes of Munster and Leinster in winning four of the last six Heineken Cups reflects this. At national level Ireland has won Triple Crowns, a Grand Slam and provided the captain for the last two Lions tours. However, there is still a sense that this golden generation have underperformed on the international stage.

Ulster hold together as a team by not using their bench

Last weekend Ulster proved that too many coaches send on replacements as an exercise in self-justification.

When Lineouts Go Bad

A young Sean Fitzpatrick once copped a mouthful of abuse after missing Andy Haden at lineout practise. He soon found out the keys to a good lineout are a lot of hard work and a quick set-up.

Refs and Scrums

Martin Castrogiovanni explains why he thinks refs need to listen to props more.