Sale Sharks bring in six Thai masseurs to aid recovery

Alex Sanderson, the Sale Sharks director of rugby, has never been afraid to push the boundaries to prepare his players for extreme physical and mental challenges which is why six Thai masseurs arrived at the club’s Carrington training ground this week as the team dealt with a five day turnaround between matches. While this latest Read More …

Rob Baxter says 13 Premiership clubs is too many and calls for end to rule “tinkering”

Exeter boss Rob Baxter believes a 13 team Premiership is hindering the game in England and is calling for an end to constant rule amendments in the sport insisting: “I cannot think of many changes in the last five years that have improved the game.” The current financial woes of Worcester and Wasps have raised Read More …

Diamond facing toughest 10 days of his long career as Worcester future in doubt

Steve Diamond, the most experienced director of rugby in the Premiership, is facing the toughest 10 days of his career and has asked his Worcester Warriors players to continue training despite the looming threat of closure as the club enters administration. If the Worcester players and staff are not paid their wages at the end Read More …

English clubs still to sign up for Club World Cup tournament

European rugby chiefs are driving plans to create a Club World Cup to be played every four years involving eight teams from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres but English officials insist that nothing has been signed or agreed. The Club World Cup is understood to be driven by Mark McCaffery, formerly in charge of Premiership Read More …

Nick Evans wants Harlequins to be “most admired club in Europe”

Nick Evans believes Harlequins have to deliver back-to-back Premiership titles to achieve their goal of becoming the “most admired club in Europe.” Standing in the way of the reigning champions on Saturday at the StoneX stadium are arch-rivals Saracens in the play-off semi-final and Evans, one of the sport’s outstanding attack coaches, insists his players Read More …

Licking Carl Fearns’ head and spray tans help Falcons become Eddie’s new favourite team

Newcastle have been transformed from the unloved Northern outpost of Premiership rugby to Eddie Jones’s new favourite team with four players in the England squad – matching reigning champions Harlequins and eclipsing Bristol and Sale. This has been achieved by Dean Richards’ s men despite flanker Mark Wilson, previously their only England representative, being out Read More …

Nemani Nadolo still hungry for test rugby despite quarantine rules

Nemani Nadolo, the powerhouse Leicester wing, believes the arrival of his son Ethan has “relit the fire” and is targeting another World Cup challenge with Fiji in France in 2023 despite the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nadolo admits playing international rugby with the quarantine restrictions imposed by the pandemic has been tough to Read More …

Adam Radwan can become the new Billy Whizz says Easter

Former captain Nick Easter believes Adam Radwan can deliver the same electric pace and defence breaking footwork for England that made Jason Robinson such a phenomenal attacking force at test level. Easter played alongside World Cup winner Robinson, nicknamed Billy Whizz, and the Newcastle defence coach is eager to see Radwan build on the hat-trick Read More …

Forshaw ready for game of Snakes and Ladders with Harlequins

Mike Forshaw, the mastermind behind Sale’s formidable defence, compares trying to stop Harlequins from unleashing their attacking flair tonight with a game of Snakes and Ladders. The teams clash with Sale believing they can still claim a home semi-final play off, but to move a step closer to that target they will have to shut Read More …

Wasps youngster Jacob Umaga facing online abuse

Ian Costello, the Wasps defence coach, says it’s “completely unacceptable” that Jacob Umaga has been forced off social media by abuse aimed the outside half after recent performances. Umaga had a poor game in the defeat by Harlequins but remains a member of the England shadow squad for the Six Nations and will feature for Read More …