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I’ve got to be a dog at the breakdown, says Willis

By BEN JAYCOCK TOULOUSE flanker and renowned jackaler Jack Willis has pinpointed the breakdown as the decisive battleground ahead of today’s heavyweight clash w

Sale buried by a second-half try landslide

By GARY FITZGERALD Leinster ...........................43pts Tries: Sheehan 9, Keenan 43, Baird 53, Ioane 56, O’Brien 63, Osborne 79 Conversions: Byrne 10, 54,

Quins lacking the launchpad Furbank needs

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK GEORGE Fur-bank is a gem of attacking full-back with the skills and elusive running to spark a backline. It was con

At the top level, Saints’ young guns have a bit to learn

NICK CAIN WHEN the European Cup reaches the last eight thankfully it has shed the hangers-on who finish in the lower end of their domestic leagues and have been

Ulster march into final four with style

■By BEN JAYCOCK ULSTER moved to within one game of a first European final since 2012 with an impressive victory over La Rochelle in the Challenge Cup quarter-fi

Montpellier cash in on Connacht’s error count

■By GEORGE LAWRENCE Penalty: Gilbert 3 CONNACHT’S Challenge Cup campaign came to a disappointing end as they suffered a heavy defeat at the Septeo Stadium, with

Resolute Dragons to push Zebre out keep cool of picture

■By TOM CROUCH Zebre ....................32pts Tries: Trulla 24, Bertaccini 35, Krumov 78, Quattrini 80 Conversions: Da Re 25, 36, 80 Penalties: Da Re 12, 62 Dr

Chiefs looking for fast start

■By BEN JAYCOCK EXETER Chiefs head to Treviso braced for a fast start from Benetton, with director of rugby Rob Baxter warning his side to match the hosts’ inte

Borthwick needs help on selection

STEVE Borthwick has been England manager for over three years now, and he has a similar win record (at roughly 60 per cent) to both Stuart Lancaster and Martin

DREAMTEAM

SLOOT, THE FORMER CAMBRIDGE FLANKER NOW PLAYING FOR BLACKHEATH, SELECTS THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST... 1. Jake Ellwood – At Cambridge, Jake was un

Limit Champions Cup to the top six

Letters THERE have been comments that the lack of relegation in the Prem leaves clubs nothing to play for. However clubs outside the play-off places are still p

Will Furbank get the ball at Quins?

MONEY talks and it must have been screaming at George Furbank to entice the England fullback to The Stoop from Northampton. Saints, under Phil Dowson, are a pro

England too good

I’M excited by the start of the women’s Six Nations, but it is only really the France game that presents a challenge to England. I want us to keep winning and e

Lawes is the man

I MUST admit I do not watch any ProD2 rugby so I’m not sure what sort of shape Courtney Lawes is in – but if he’s anything like the player we saw at RWC23 then

I’d love to offer help to WRU, says Jones

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW TWENTY years have come and all but gone since a Welshman from Blaina prepared Manchester’s champions-elect for their cor

It’s time for one real champion to disappear

EUROPE’S match of the season kicks off on the banks of the Garonne this afternoon, the champions of Europe (Bordeaux) versus the champions of France (Toulouse).

Nottingham fight back to secure Matt Gallagher Cup

■By CÓILÍN DUFFY Nottingham .....33pts Tries: Christian-Goss 20, Cherry 32, 40; Yarnell 66, Parks 77 Conversions: Parks 21, 33, 40, 67 Coventry ..........26pts

Blues stun Worcester to move up to second

■By JEAN BULL Worcester Warriors .......14pts Tries: Chapman 39, Trewin 68 Conversions: Eden 40, 69 Bedford Blues ................. 28pts Tries: Caqusau 19, Day

Cambridge turn up the heat on Ealing

They put everything into pressure. ■By STEVE WHILE Ealing went away with the expected five points, a defiant Cambridge pushed them all the way at Grantchester R

We are still in the race for play-offs, says Cattle

■By MIKE SINCLAIR C Pirates ...........57pts Tries: Nelson 13, Yates 26, 39; Price-Thomas 35, Elderkin 44, Relton 48, Becconsall 52, Ribbons 59, Everett 70 Conv

Caldy secure their league status for fifth year in a row

By JOHN By LUKE Caldy .................20pts Tries: Wynn 11, Gallagher 55, Owen 67 Conversion: Wilkinson 10 Penalty: Wilkinson 73 Hartpury ...........17pts Trie

Bracken in for hat-trick to steer the Mob home

■By LUKE JARMYN L Scottish .........19pts Tries: Clayton 24, Wilkinson 45, Law 61 Conversions: Honey 46, 62 Ampthill ........... 48pts Tries: Bracken 11, 30, 57

Doncaster take their time to get up to pace

By GUY WILLIAMS Doncaster .........31pts Tries: Olowofela 8, Bainbridge 44, Rokoduguni 49, 72; Edwards 56 Conversions: Dolly 8, 44, 56 Richmond ......... 10pts

Italy add England to their list of scalps

U18s Six Nations Festival By BEN JAYCOCK U18 Men ENGLAND finished their Six Nations Festival with a disappointing one win from three outings after falling to a

Red Roses blown away as France run riot

U18 Women FRANCE completed a perfect U18 Women’s Six Nations Festival campaign with a dominant 75-7 victory over England, running in 11 tries at Wellington Coll

The Championship deserved better

MENTION of Coventry’s famous 19-18 win over Newcastle in the old Courage League One 30 years ago – equivalent to the modern day Championship – got me diving for

Sorry, Mako, but you can’t play for Tonga

BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points RUGBY MATTERS THE rumbustious heart on his sleeve no nonsense Mako Vunipola has always been a

Duelling French aristocrats

RUGBY in France has never been more popular. The television audience for the final Six Nations match against England peaked at nearly nine million viewers, virt

Super Albion hot kicks on get their route 66

■By PADDY MARSH Plymouth A ......66pts Tries: Wigginton 4, 20; Williams 10, Raivalitia 24, Oulton 29, 52; Jenkins 34, Stewart 55, Stone 65, MacAndrew 75 Convers

Titans get the board thundered up in huge 80-pointer

■By DAVID BEDDOWS Rotherham T ..80 Rams ................... 7 ROTHERHAM TITANS trampled over Rams, to move within touching distance of promotion, with two games