WRU chiefs should eat humble pie over empty Wales rugby stadium Sport Business The redeeming factor for Wales in their 28-52 loss to Argentina in Cardiff is that only 50,000 had to watch it inside the Principality Stadium. That’s not because the team’s national arena has a 50,000-seat cap for this game, or because renovation works forced the closure of a stand. It was because millions of Welsh [...]
Ollie Phillips: My Autumn Nations Series end-of-term report for home nations Sport With just one fixture remaining of this year’s Autumn Nations Series it is fair to say that the four home nations have had varied results. While strong performances on the continent from France, and even Italy at times, show growth across the Channel it appears that back home the four teams – whose players are [...]
Borthwick vows to push on after England end losing run Sport Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie scored two apiece in a resounding nine-try win.
Cheer up England rugby fans, you could support Wales November 22, 2024 England may be on a bad run, but Wales are looking as if they’re looking into a deep abyss. Ollie Phillips writes that sacking Gatland, however, is not the answer. You’ve got to go back to 1973 to find an England rugby team who lost four home matches on the bounce. Steve Borthwick’s team have [...]
Fortress Twickenham breached: England in a dark, dark place November 18, 2024 England’s 29-20 loss to South Africa was their fifth defeat on the bounce. Fortress Twickenham has been breached and Eddie Jones is up next for Steve Borthwick. If deep-pocketed disruptors really were to tempt more than 100 players away from their clubs to form a LIV Golf-style rugby competition as mooted last week, they’d be [...]
Time for England’s wilting roses to blossom against Boks November 15, 2024 When penning this column the niggling thought in my mind is that there’s no possible way that England beat the Springboks. Steve Borthwick’s wilting roses are struggling across the board, and shipped a record points total against a southern hemisphere side at home under his tenure in last week’s loss to Australia. Meanwhile South Africa, [...]
Inside the Boks: Why South Africa send strongest message in sport November 11, 2024 For world champions South Africa rugby means more than just 80 minutes once per week. So why are the Boks pushed by culture and a desire to guide a nation? When Vinicius Jr’s off-the-ball antics in this season’s Clasico caught the attention of fans, some suggested it contributed to his failed attempt to win a [...]
Pressure mounts on Gatland after 10th Wales loss in row November 10, 2024 A new wave of pressure is mounting against Warren Gatland after his Wales outfit extended their winless run to 10 games against Fiji on Sunday in the Autumn Nations Series. The Pacific Island nation toppled Wales 24-19 to win their first ever rugby match in Cardiff, and did so despite a red card for Semi [...]
Is Borthwick’s England tenure reaching a critical point? November 10, 2024 When Max Jorgensen crossed the tryline for Australia on Saturday, it condemned Steve Borthwick’s England to a defeat in which they shipped over 40 points at home. The 37-42 loss to the Wallabies is tied second for the most points the hosts have ever conceded at Allianz Stadium. While it fell short of the 53 [...]
Don’t listen to Andy Farrell. Ireland WILL want All Blacks revenge November 8, 2024 For 108 years there was only one winner when New Zealand and Ireland met on a rugby field. But results versus the All Blacks have shifted.