With Danny Cipriani you get what you expect – on and off the pitch

Danny Cipriani is consistent on and off the pitch. With ball in hand the outside half has always been able to unlock defences with handling and vision that few of his rugby generation can match. Off the pitch, he is a walking accident waiting to happen. He even opted out of Britain to escape his Read More …

Gatland and Umaga need to get their acts together in front of media

Warren Gatland bemoans the recurring questions about “Warrenball” while Sonny Bill Williams steps in to deflect attention from Tana Umaga over that infamous Brian O’Driscoll incident in 2005 In this age of carefully choreographed press conferences and limited access to players governed by ever increasing media management teams assigned to major rugby outfits, isn’t it Read More …

London Welsh are just the latest to fall into the money trap in English rugby

London Welsh insist they should have been given more time to save their professional section and remain in the English Championship. The Rugby Football Union insist they gave the Welsh three deadlines and none of them were met with the money to save the club. It means that Welsh follow the sad path taken by Read More …

Goode is too good to leave out but not according to Eddie Jones

For Alex Goode, the Saracens full-back, the start of 2017 has been a major disappointment with England head coach Eddie Jones leaving the reigning Premiership Player of the Year out of the training squad currently in Brighton and also the elite player squad. It is latest in a series of slaps in the face Jones Read More …

Why I do not believe Steve Hansen’s idea for a North v South match will come off

An English rugby writer has poured cold water on Steven Hansen’s proposal of an annual match between the Six Nations and Rugby Championship winners because he says World Rugby won’t agree to it. Officials have held talks about the scheduling of rugby after the next World Cup, with proposals to align the northern and southern Read More …

Time to give Andy Murray a break from national service

It should not have been a surprise to anyone who has watched Andy Murray’s amazing tennis year that his body finally started to give way during the Davis Cup semi-final loss to Argentina at Glasgow. It was remarkable that Andy had not hit the physical wall earlier having started the year by losing in the Read More …

Angelique Kerber attempting to become the next big “thing” in women’s tennis

Angelique Kerber has done her best to become the new face of women’s tennis, adding the US Open title  to the Australian Open triumph she celebrated at the start of a crucial year for the sport. Defeat in the Wimbledon final to Serena Williams and a silver medal at the Rio Olympics preceded this 6-3,4-6 Read More …

My Predictions for the Aviva Premiership 2016/17

My predictions for the final Aviva Premiership table positions at the end of the regular season; 1)Saracens; The arrival of Schalk Burger is massive for the club and he will take some of the ball carrying load off Billy and Mako Vunipola and Maro Itoje. Sean Maitland is a very useful utility back but most Read More …

London Irish and a backline featuring four high profile coaches

When London Irish finished second from bottom of the Premiership in 1998 even their staunchest fan would have stared blankly if you had suggested the team featured four players who would become key figures in the future of the English professional game. However, that is exactly what has transpired, with Conor O’Shea, captain of the Read More …