Red Roses In Bloom For Grand Slam Decider
It is a truism in sport that you can only play the opposition in front of you. So it was at Twickenham when the ‘Red Roses’ England Women’s team inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Irish to set up a decider in Bordeaux against France – English teams can win in Bordeaux, n’est-ce pas? Ask […]
England’s Lights Shine Brightly In France
You need to experience at first hand the scary moments when the French rugby touchpaper is lit and attackers seem to come at you from all sides with bewildering speed. I remember this when England played France in 1992 in the gladiatorial Parc de Princes, French backs and forwards poured through imaginary gaps in the […]
Chalk and Cheese in thrilling Six Nations weekend
We can safely say that the Rugby World Cup will be epic. Enough teams have worked out that high intensity attacking rugby will be the only way to win. Some sides are fine-tuning their approach and we saw that this weekend. One or two others are yet to start…
The stuff of Sporting Champions
When Ireland won at Twickenham in their first match following England’s Rugby World Cup triumph in 2003, we joked that only Ireland could peak the best side in the world after the World Cup had ended!
England’s Rugby Realities (2)
Just as we are all ruminating on the right structures to give England rugby success, some fascinating takes have appeared in the press on the England coaching job by Rob Baxter and then Mark McCall.
England’s Rugby Realities
I said it was complicated and in a whole generation of English rugby, only three groups have ever been really successful and all three had the same characteristics.
Six Nations – a (dis)passionate look back.
Rugby romance, drama and crass stupidity at the close in Cardiff was a stunning feature of an ultimately predictable Six Nations as France and Ireland were streets ahead of the rest. I am not one for shouting at the television, and hardly when Wales is playing Italy.
Frustration and Pride in equal measure as 6 Nations glory beckons Les Bleus
The 2022 Six Nations Championship lurched into its final weekend with no shortage of drama. I say that because there was immense frustration as well as variations on the level of discipline needed to succeed at this level.
Ireland raise the bar and the roof as England mull over style change
It may not have been a World Cup but Ian Foster, the All Blacks coach, emphasised that they want to win every match. If other teams, including most notably England, needed to understand the levels they need to attain, look no further than Lansdowne Road on Saturday.
Irish Repeat Success In Europe But No Racing Certainty
Some say that Ireland is God’s own country and certainly the rugby gods smiled on them with a clean sweep of European wins this past weekend, a triumphant National team this autumn and the good news goes on, it’s no coincidence.
