Articles
News & Opinions articles
Topical articles and commentary on rugby events around the world.
Grenoble find French flair in a structured approachFrench rugby has always had something of an issue with structure. However, this season has seen something of a revolution in little old Grenoble, where the structured rugby being coached by Irishmen Bernard Jackman and Mike Prendergast has seen the club introduce their own brand of ‘French flair’.
Savea the trump card in a deck full of acesAnother year, another title for the all-conquering All Blacks.
Saturday’s clinical 34-13 victory over Argentina set the seal on a third consecutive Rugby Championship crown with one round still to play.
Steve Hansen’s side continue to set the standard with a brilliant blend of precision, power and flair perhaps best personified by the phenomenal talent that is Julian Savea.
Premiership bosses hope money can buy happinessGraham Jenkins dissects the implications of Premiership Rugby’s new £5.1m salary cap and expanded home-grown player ‘credits’. Will the new cap keep the big-spending French and Japanese clubs at bay? And will England’s homegrown talent thrive? Or will the new rules see the emergence of a 2-tier league of haves and have-nots?
Second-best Springboks?South Africa ran the All Blacks close in The Rugby Championship this weekend, adding to their credentials as the second ranked team in the IRB rankings a year out from Rugby World Cup.
Maggie Alphonsi on her World Cup win and retirementMaggie Alphonsi, The Rugby Site contributor, talks to us about winning the World Cup, the drive that got her and the team there, and her thoughts on retirement.
Premiership is the hot ticketWith the World Cup only a year away and the RFU keen to increase the fan base, The Aviva Premiership is in the spotlight. Will we see fast, running rugby and a torrent of tries?
Premiership clubs roll out artificial turfNewcastle Falcons’ decision to install a hi-tech artificial pitch at Kingston Park makes them the second club in England’s top flight to ditch a traditional grass playing surface. The new generation of materials promises a faster and more entertaining game, and safety concerns appear to be a thing of the past.
Don't cry for ArgentinaA desperately disappointed Argentina came agonisingly close to their first Rugby Championship victory over South Africa in Salta last Saturday. And it’s not about to get any easier with New Zealand and Australia and thousands of air miles looming in the coming months.
But Argentina are not complaining. They deserve their place in this most brutal of competitions.
Bledisloe draw leaves Aussies with hollow feelingThe Wallabies denied the All Blacks a record 18th consecutive victory with a 12-12 draw in Sydney on Saturday night.
But Australia should have won.
A rare victory would have further fuelled the feel-good factor in Australian rugby generated by the Waratahs’ recent Super Rugby triumph. Instead, the Wallabies find themselves trudging to Eden Park, the graveyard of Bledisloe dreams since David Campese and Simon Poidevin spearheaded the series victory of 1986.
France 2014: Women's Rugby comes of ageThe Women’s Rugby World Cup has been a remarkable success, and things have never looked better for the women’s game. France 2014 has seen marked improvements from a number of different countries, in skills, physicality, and athleticism, as well as huge growth in spectator numbers.
.
