Ollie Phillips: Cipriani not the only Gloucester stand-out, Bath struggling for identity and Wasps’ hole at fly-half September 13, 2018 The Premiership season moves so quickly and we’re already approaching the third round of fixtures – and the third west country derby. Before you know it the The Champions Cup will roll around and November’s internationals will be upon us. England have not been playing well of late, so this period is a chance for [...]
Ollie Phillips: Cipriani not the only Gloucester stand-out, Bath struggling for identity and Wasps’ hole at fly-half September 13, 2018 The Premiership season moves so quickly and we’re already approaching the third round of fixtures – and the third west country derby. Before you know it the The Champions Cup will roll around and November’s internationals will be upon us. England have not been playing well of late, so this period is a chance for [...]
Premiership takeover: A sports lawyer explains the questions rugby union clubs are pondering September 12, 2018 The shareholders of Premiership Rugby Ltd agreed on Tuesday that the sale of a majority stake to global private equity firm and former Formula One owners, CVC Capital Partners, is not their “preferred option”. The deal would have seen CVC purchase a 51 per cent stake in the Premiership for a reported £275m. The result [...]
Premiership takeover: A sports lawyer explains the questions rugby union clubs are pondering September 12, 2018 The shareholders of Premiership Rugby Ltd agreed on Tuesday that the sale of a majority stake to global private equity firm and former Formula One owners, CVC Capital Partners, is not their “preferred option”. The deal would have seen CVC purchase a 51 per cent stake in the Premiership for a reported £275m. The result [...]
Ollie Phillips: Leicester need to manage expectations after O’Connor’s departure, Lam has Bristol aiming high and Cipriani pulling strings for Gloucester September 6, 2018 Anyone who plays Exeter away from home first game of the season are always going to be in for a rough ride. But Leicester Tigers’ crushing 40-6 defeat last weekend had far-reaching consequences, with head coach Matt O’Connor sacked just 48 hours later. Typically after one game you don’t change coach. It’s unusual behaviour and [...]
Ollie Phillips’ Premiership preview: Saracens still the side to beat but Gloucester and Leicester are on the rise August 30, 2018 The Premiership kicks off tomorrow evening when new boys Bristol take on west country rivals Bath and I’m excited as ever for a new campaign. While it’s Bristol getting things under way, it is likely to be Saracens and Exeter who duke it out at the top of the table again. Last season’s champions Saracens have [...]
Ollie Phillips: Danny Cipriani and Dan Robson need to be on England’s radar for South Africa tour March 22, 2018 Rumblings of the same old Eddie Jones – really impactful in the first couple of years before losing his way – are well and truly underway following England’s fifth-place Six Nations finish. Fantastic results and quality performances over the past two years have brought an expectation and that pressure will be weighing heavily upon Jones [...]
Six Nations 2017: France and Ireland show cunning to outfox Wales and England March 20, 2017 Scrum to France, final play, 5m out. France five points ahead and frothing with Gallic trickery. Monstrous prop, Uini Atonio suddenly needs a head injury assessment which sees France return their top tighthead, Rabah Slimani, to the field. As a prop there is no scenario of greater importance than a defensive scrum 5m from one’s [...]
Bring on New Zealand, insists England head coach Eddie Jones as he backs RFU stance to face All Blacks March 19, 2017 England head coach Eddie Jones insists his side are itching to face world champions New Zealand after backing governing body the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) stance on arranging an out-of-window match between the two heavyweights. The teams are not scheduled to play each other until the autumn of 2018 but the RFU confirmed last week [...]
British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland insists even his captain won’t be certain to start against New Zealand March 19, 2017 British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has warned that whoever he selects to be his captain for this summer’s tour to New Zealand will not be guaranteed a starting place. Gatland is set to name his skipper when he selects the squad next month and has indicated that he has six candidates in [...]