Power Ranking Europe’s Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of October 17-19

With Europe’s premier competition under way, this ranking takes on different feel this week. Unless a team in the second tier Challenge Cup is dominating their domestic league and winning big in Europe, they fall out of the picture, with weight given to performances in the major tournament. In some cases, it’s clear the Challenge Cup is not being taken seriously anyway. Bordeaux Begles, for instance, may have rocketed into the upper echelons of the Top 14 at home, but in Europe failed to find the required motivation to beat an average Edinburgh side on their own patch. Stade Francais... 

The Contenders to Be England’s Wingers for the 2014 Autumn Internationals

England kick off their 2014 Autumn Internationals against New Zealand at Twickenham on 8 November with an eye firmly on laying down a marker for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. With the rest of the team fairly settled, it is the wingers who will have to fight hardest for places in England’s Elite Performance Squad (EPS), to be announced on 22 October. Injuries have cost Marland Yarde and Christian Wade dearly over the past year, while Saracens pair Chris Ashton and Dave Strettle are in fine form. Wade, Ashton and Strettle all gave timely reminders of their ability in the first weekend of the... 

Best XV from European Rugby Champions Cup for Weekend of October 17-19

European rugby is back and back with a bang. Last–minute winners, jaw–dropping tries, bone–crunching tackles and some fine individual displays helped the Champions Cup get underway in style. On the evidence of the first weekend, trimming the competition from 24 to 20 teams has helped ratchet up the intensity from the start. Only the Ospreys were granted a truly one–sided romp against Treviso. Everywhere else you looked, games were being scrapped over tooth and nail for the right to get a foothold in some horribly–tough pool sections. Saracens, Munster and Clermont... 

Biggest Hits in World Rugby for Weekend of October 17-19

The first weekend of the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup didn’t fail to impress as the continental elite united once again but from here on under a new banner. The competition’s name might have changed but the quality of the collisions at hand has remained, and it only seems right that Toulon’s Mathieu Bastareaud features in our first-ever ERCC highlight reel. He took out some of his trademark aggression on the Scarlets defence this weekend, while Clermont also tried their best to hurt Saracens on their trip to Allianz Park. David Strettle got his account off to a thumping... 

Power Ranking Europe’s Top 15 Club Teams After Weekend of October 10-12

The opening shots are about to be fired in Europe’s new competitions as the Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup kick off this weekend. With some members of this ranking playing in the lesser of the two, we should see some serious movement next week. But the last round of domestic action before continental warfare breaks out saw a few shuffles of the pack as the lead changed hands in France and the PRO12 while one of the English title challengers came unstuck. Let’s have a look at the ups and downs. Begin Slideshow  Read More →

Biggest Hits in World Rugby for Weekend of October 10-12

Ben Tameifuna took little time in making his presence felt upon returning to the ITM Cup stage this weekend, showing Bay of Plenty exactly what Waikato have been missing during his absence from the line-up. The Chiefs prop completed a five-week suspension for his shove on referee Glen Jackson earlier this year, and he wasn’t the only Waikato player to make a big impact. Scrum-half Brad Weber, a player of quite opposite stature, made a similar impact when waving his way to the try line against Bay of Plenty, fending his way through with a brawn far past that which his frame might suggest. Meanwhile,... 

Best XV from World Rugby for Weekend of October 10-12

Domestic action around the world took centre stage this weekend, so for this XV we have studied the best performances from the Currie Cup in South Africa, the ITM Cup in New Zealand and the main leagues across Europe to see who stood out. Tries, points tallies and reports of fine performances all go into the mix to produce this team of the weekend, which does not house many household names from the southern hemisphere with most of them enjoying some time off after the Rugby Championship’s finale. No such lay-offs for Europe’s big names, however, as league action prepares to make way... 

Why Toulon Have the Best Chance to Win the European Rugby Champions Cup

They may have lost Jonny Wilkinson, but Toulon are still the team to beat in the European Rugby Champions Cup this season. As the statistics show, the French outfit is currently performing at the highest level. While the World Cup-winning former England fly-half was the public face of Toulon’s Top 14 and Heineken Cup wins last season, it was the strength across the pitch that saw the French side lift two trophies. And while it is virtually impossible to replace the metronomical kicking ability of Wilkinson, Toulon may be stronger without the trusty left-footer. That sounds an almost outrageous... 

What Wasps’ Move to Coventry Means for the Club and the Premiership

The writing was on the wall for Wasps fans when the club dropped the “London” from their moniker before the start of the season but a move to Coventry means more than just alienating their supporters. In reality, the club has exiled itself from the capital for most of the last 12 seasons, playing their home games at Adams Park in Wycombe, 25 miles from their training base in west London. Wasps are part of the rich history of London-based clubs, winning two Heineken Cups in the mid-2000s and finishing as league champions on six occasions—three of which came in the modern-day Premiership. But... 

Semi Kunatani Decides to Showboat, Gets Clattered by Scotland’s Lee Jones

Fiji defeated Scotland 40-7 on Saturday, but no one can accuse the Scots of not playing hard to the bitter end.  In the Pool C match at the IRB Sevens World Series on the Gold Coast, Fiji man Semi Kunatani was seemingly en route to an easy try.  He impressively ran through the Scottish defence, and sensing that he could coast in and showboat a bit, he casually slowed his run.  In came Scotland’s Lee Jones, who wasn’t keen on his antics. Jones destroyed Kunatani before he could complete the try.  Scoreline notwithstanding, Kunatani will likely be leaving the... 

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