Rugby World Cup Groups 2015: Key Storylines in Pool B

South Africa are the top seeds in the pool, and they are joined by Japan, Samoa, Scotland and the USA. This is a group of aspirational teams and future hosts, an enigmatic rugby superpower, a tight battle for knockout qualification and a decorated veteran seeking one final prize for his country. Here, Bleacher Report highlights five stories to follow in Pool B.   Begin Slideshow  Read More →

Rugby World Cup Groups 2015: Key Storylines in Pool A

Australia, England, Fiji, Uruguay and Wales make up Pool A of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and the pool is looking like the most fascinating of all. With the group featuring three of the world’s top five teams, as per World Rugby rankings, at least one heavyweight will exit the tournament at this stage. This is a group of unlucky teams, home comforts, veterans seeking redemption and big-name cross-code... 

England Rugby Must Abolish Overseas Player ‘Exceptional Circumstance’ Clause

England rugby union coach Stuart Lancaster has confirmed that France-based stars Steffon Armitage of Toulon and Nick Abendanon of Clermont Auvergne will not feature for England at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. This was after declining to exercise the “exceptional circumstances” clause: an add-on to England’s policy of not selecting those playing club rugby overseas. England, in deciding... 

4 Key Factors That Will Decide the 2015 Aviva Premiership Semi-Finals

The Aviva Premiership has four teams still vying for the 2015 crown. Bath and Leicester Tigers, and Northampton Saints and Saracens will meet this weekend in the semi-finals with a place in the final at Twickenham on May 30 at stake. Bath against Leicester will be determined primarily by the weather at the Recreation Ground, and secondly by the two fly-halves. Meanwhile, Northampton vs. Saracens will... 

Comparing Rugby Sevens with 15-Man Rugby

The 2015 HSBC World Sevens series reaches its climax and culmination this weekend at Twickenham. With England hosting the 2015 Rugby World Cup and sevens being included in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, this year’s edition is the most high-profile ever. But how do sevens and the 15-player game compare?   Rugby Sevens Faster, more exciting, more skilful: No one can deny that sevens is a faster,... 

European Rugby Champions Cup Team of the Tournament 2014-15

2014-15 European Rugby Champions Cup winners Toulon built their success around teamwork and defensive cohesion, but individuals still starred for them and their nearest challengers, Clermont Auvergne. In selecting this team of the tournament, priority has been given to those players who had a consistently significant impact on the tournament, particularly in the knockout stages. Toulon have six players... 

European Rugby Champions Cup Awards for 2014-15

The 2014-15 European Rugby Champions Cup provided months of entertainment and fascinating rugby before Toulon’s 24-18 victory over Clermont Auvergne on Saturday. Here, Bleacher Report dishes out the awards for the tournament, with honourable mentions, and, in one case, a dishonourable mention. The five categories are: Most Disappointing Team of the Tournament Best Team Performance of the Tournament Best... 

Ranking the Four European Champions Cup Semi-Finalists

The semi-finals of the European Champions Cup will see Clermont Auvergne take on Saracens and Toulon face Leinster. With just four teams remaining, who is best placed to win the trophy? Which team were “New Zealand-esque” at the weekend, who will have to “improve immeasurably” to progress? Ranking these four teams has taken into account the strengths of each squad, their winning... 

Top 5 Performances from the European Champions Cup Quarter-Finals

The European Champions Cup returned with a vengeance after the break for the Six Nations. Which players most affected the outcome of the matches? Whose performances were especially commendable because of their lack of recent first-team action? And who was the player of the round? The players ranked between second and fifth on this list were very hard to separate, so preference has been given to the... 

Predicting England’s 30-Man Squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup

England’s focus turns to the 2015 World Cup following their fourth consecutive runners-up spot in the Six Nations. The 2015 Six Nations was the last truly competitive international arena for players to stake a claim to be in the 30-man squad England will select hoping to win the World Cup on home soil later this year. Thirty-man squads are hard to gauge in terms of positional breakdown, so here... 

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