Championship Rugby - GPR

1 major northern hemisphere rugby championship down, 2 to go!

On June 8, the Gallagher Premiership Final was played at Twickenham Stadium in London between Northampton Saints and Bath Rugby in a tight, tense final that lived up to the standard expected of two English clubs packed with experience and flair.

The teams finished the 18-game regular season tied for first place on 60 points but with Northampton taking the honors due to their superior won/loss record (12-6 vs. Bath’s 11-7). And so, after 2 thrilling semi-finals against Saracens and Sale respectively the previous weekend, Saints won a terrific game that could have gone either way until the final whistle. After 20 minutes each side had been held to a single penalty but then, disaster struck for Bath; their loose-head prop was judged to have committed a dangerous tackle on the Saints #8 and was red-carded - Bath would have to play with 14 men for the remaining 60 minutes!

Against a side the quality of Saints, Bath fans could have feared a rout and within 10 minutes Northampton scored 2 tries to go 15-3 up. But Bath scored 1 of their own after 30m and went in down just 15-10 at the half. In H2 after exchanging penalties, Bath scored a try at the 50th minute to tie the game and at 65m scored a penalty to go ahead 21-18. With 15 minutes to go Bath defended valiantly but legs were tiring and the mismatch in numbers saw Saints score the decisive try after 72m, running out the winners, 25-21.

Over 80,000 people got to watch a thrilling finale to a strong season for English rugby, despite the echoes from last year’s club problems and for one player in particular, the season couldn’t have ended more perfectly. Courtney Lawes (#6), after 17 years with the Saints played his final game for the club before moving to Brive in France next season. This after a stellar career playing for England (105 caps) and the British and Irish Lions (7 times). What a way to finish!

In the United Rugby Championship (teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and S. Africa) the regular, 18-game season finished as follows (the top 8 qualify for the knockout phase): Munster (#1), Vodacom Bulls, Leinster, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Ulster, Benetton and the Ospreys. The quarter-finals were played on June 7 and 8 with results in line with the results of the regular season: Munster over Ospreys (23-7), Bulls over Benetton (30-23), Leinster over Ulster (43-20) and Glasgow over the Stormers (27-10). Semi-finals are scheduled for June 15 - Munster vs. Glasgow and Vodacom Bulls vs. Leinster. The final will be played on June 22nd. (Live streaming on FloRugby)

France’s Top 14 finished its 26-game season as follows (the top 6 go on to the knockout phase): Stade Toulousain (already winners of the Investec Champions Cup), Stade Francais Paris, Union Bordeaux-Begles, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing ‘92. The clubs in 3rd through 6th place play quarter finals on June 15 and 16 with the winners playing in semi finals on June 21 and 22 - the winner of RC Toulon vs. Stade Rochelais will play Stade Toulousain, and the winner of Union Bordeaux-Begles vs. Racing ‘92 will play Stade Francais Paris. The final will be played on June 28th. (Live streaming on FloRugby)

Post-season Rugby heats up

As the dust settles on the European championships, attention refocuses on the semi-finals of the Gallagher Premiership this weekend when the top 4 clubs in England vie for a place in the June 8 Final at London’s Twickenham Stadium.

First off on Friday, May 31, Northampton take on Saracens at Franklin Gardens. Saints have already beaten Saracens twice this season and a hat-trick would feel very good heading to the Final next week. However, Sarries, who have been close behind Saints in the standings for the last several weeks are renowned for their experience and success in big matches and will not be intimidated by recent history. Both teams have tremendous squads with plenty of international representation, and 1 of 2 England icons will be playing their last match for their club. Saracen’s Owen Farrell is moving to France at the end of the season as is Saints’ star Courtney Lawes and, as well as leaving their clubs, they will no longer be eligible for England duty under current RFU rules. Other players to watch include for Saints: Mitchell (#9), Fin Smith (#10 vs Farrell) and Ollie Sleightholme (#11) the league’s top scorer with 14 tries; and for Saracens: 2 Vunipolas, Jamie George and Mario Itoje in the pack and Eliot Daly (#15). All in all, a tough one to call; Northampton have played great rugby all season and have home advantage, but Saracens beat Saints in last year’s semi at home and are defending champions.

Saturday June 1 sees Bath at home to Sale Sharks. Bath have been close behind Saints for the last few weeks in the standings and finished strong, beating the Saints in R18 to level them on points. Saints retained the #1 spot due to a 12-6 won/lost record vs. Bath’s 11-7 tally. But Bath earned a home game against a strong and resurgent Sale side who were #6 after R16 but finished #3. As one would expect, both teams have game-changing players in 2 very strong squads starting with another tantalizing match-up at fly-half (#10) where Finn Russell of Scotland tales on George Ford of England. Both sides have impressive back lines loaded with talent; Spencer (#9), Cokanasiga (wing), and Lawrence (center) for Bath, and Quirke (#9), Tuilagi (center) and O’Flaherty (wing) for Sale. Bath earned 11 try bonus points during the season (tied only by Harlequins) giving them a slight edge in what should be another cracking game.

Both games will be streamed on therugbynetwork.com.

The Final Four in the Premiership

As it turned out, the only changes in the Top Four of the Gallagher Premiership after the 18th and final Round of the season were in the actual order of the 4 teams there after Round 17.

Northampton Saints lost away at Bath tying the Saints on total season points (60), but Saints hung on to the Number 1 spot by virtue of 12 season wins against Bath’s 11. Saracens also lost, against Sale, and stayed in the top 4 but slipped from 2nd to 4th losing a home field, semi-final advantage. Sale gained the same number of points as Saracens during the season but, like the Saints, had 12 wins against 11, securing the 3rd spot. Both the Bristol Bears and Harlequins will be disappointed to be pipped at the post; especially Bristol who were in the top 4 after Round 16, ran in 7 tries against their London rivals on Saturday and had the best points differential in the Prem but, for both, their season is over.

The semi-finals will feature Northampton at home to Saracens on Friday, May 31 and Bath hosting Sale on Saturday, June 1, all hoping for a berth in the Final at Twickenham on June 8 in front of 80,000+ fans.

While the regular English season is over a tasty treat awaits fans on Friday, May 24 when Gloucester take on the South African Sharks in the Final of the EPCR Challenge Cup, and on Saturday, May 25 when Irish powerhouse Leinster take on French giants Stade Toulousain in the Final of the Investec Champions Cup. Both games will be streamed by FloRugby.

French rugby and the URC near the end of the 2023/24 season

In France’s Top 14 elite professional league, 23 games have been played with 3 to go. The last regular season game is played on June 8th after which the top 6 teams will move to the playoffs. The top 2 automatically have a place in the semi-final; the other 4 play two “quarter-finals” on June 15 with the winners playing the top 2 clubs on June 21 for a place in the final on June 28. Like the other professional competitions in the northern hemisphere, finishing the season as #1 in the league doesn’t mean you’re the champion. You have to win the final to claim the trophy.

After 23 games, Stade Toulousain are on top, in excellent form having dispatched England’s Harlequins last weekend in the semifinals of the Investec Champions Cup. Only 7 points separate them from their closest challengers, Stade Francais Paris (who they beat handily on 5/11) and Union Bordeaux-Begles, which with 3 games and a possible 15 points on offer, is a slim margin. RC Toulon, Racing 92 and Stade Rochelais round out the top 6, for now.

The URC, fielding 16 clubs from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, South Africa and Italy have played 16 of 18 games and play their last regular season game on June 1. The current top 8 (who will qualify for the quarter-finals) are separated by just 12 points and by a further 4 points from #s 9 & 10. Glasgow Warriors are #1 currently, closely followed by Leinster (who will meet Stade Toulousain in the Investec Final) and Munster. The Bulls and Stormers from South Africa, Ulster, Edinburgh and Benetton (from Italy) round out the top 8. Quarter-finals will be played the weekend of June 8, semi-finals on June 25 and the Final on June 22.

To watch on TV, the Rugby Network (the rugbynetwork.com) covers the English Premiership and MLR: while FloRugby streams the Top 14 and URC games with some southern hemisphere action if you like it.

Closing in on the Knockout Phase

The Gallagher Premiership reached the penultimate stage of the regular season last weekend resulting in some, but not complete clarity about how the knockout phase will start. With one weekend to go, seven teams still have a chance to play in the semi-finals on May 18. By Sunday evening, there was 1 change in the top 4 (Quins supplanted by Sale), pursuing the Northampton Saints, Saracens and Bath, and the Leicester Tigers’ season was effectively concluded with the defeat at Sale giving them no mathematical chance of reaching the Top 4.

However, there are permutations that give a handful of teams a long-shot chance of achieving the final four, depending on the results of Round 18 to be played on May 18, as follows:

1) If Saints win or draw against Bath, they finish the season at #1 with home field advantage against the #4 team. If Saints lose (with no BP), Saracens could take top position with a Bonus Point win against the Sale Sharks. 2) If Saracens lose or draw, they still finish in the Top 4. 3) If Bath wins or draws, they are in; if they lose, they could be bumped by an Exeter Chiefs BP win at Leicester Tigers but NOT by a similar result by Harlequins against the Bristol Bears as Bath have a substantially better Points Difference. 4) If Sale wins against Saracens, they are in; a draw leaves them vulnerable to BP wins by Exeter Chiefs or Harlequins while a loss leaves them vulnerable to basic wins by the same clubs. Therefore, the biggest upset at this late stage of the season could be heavy losses by Bath (#3) and Sale (#4) and strong wins by the Chiefs and Quins.

Some of the recent games in the Premiership have seen a lot of tries, a welcome antidote to the statistically effective but visually monotonous kick-tennis that has been popular in international rugby in recent years. But, one reason for the outbreak of try-scoring has been the lack of depth in some squads. Given the number of games that elite players have to play (league; internationals; cup games; etc.) some clubs have been accused of fielding second-team squads for games they believe to be of lesser importance. Saints thrashing of Gloucester 90-0 at the weekend has been cited as evidence of that; the west country team is out of the running for the Premiership semis and is preparing for the final of the EPCR Challenge Cup at Tottenham Hotspur in N. London on May 23rd. Spectators want to see tries and a well-executed running game is a treat to watch but 90-0? The 64 points scored in Harlequins loss to Stade Toulousain in the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup were terrific entertainment. Value for money (and tickets are becoming more expensive as time goes by) is another topic for rugby’s senior management to discuss, and soon.

European Rugby Semi-Finals this weekend

The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions reach the semi-final stage this weekend with some tasty matches in store.

The Champions Cup features two English clubs playing the cream of Ireland and France respectively; the Premiership has not had a club in the Final since Exeter won in 2020 so there’s a lot riding on this weekend from an English pride point of view. Northampton Saints travel on May 4th to Croke Park in Dublin, a storied stadium in Irish history, to play Irish powerhouse Leinster in front of 82,000 spectators while Harlequins journey to Stade Toulousain in southern France on Sunday, May 5th to take on a powerful team packed with international players and supported by devoted local fans.

The English clubs are very good at scoring tries: Northampton have scored 60 tries in the Premiership (winger Ollie Sleightholme having bagged 11) and 31 in this tournament (#4). Quins have scored 63 tries in the prem and 32 in the Investec CC (#3). But so are their opponents, especially Stade Toulousain who rank #2 in France’s Top 14 currently and are #1 in points scored. They have also scored 40 tries in the Investec competition ranking them #1 overall. Leinster it must be said have not played their best this season but as proof of their quality, rank #2 in the URC with 3 games to play.

In addition to Sleightholme of Saints, players to watch this weekend will include his teammate, Courtney Lawes; for Leinster,James Low, Tadhg Furlong, Caelan Doris and Jamison Gibson-Clark; for Quins, Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Andre Esterhuizen and Tyrone Green; and in Toulouse, Cyril Baille, Antoine Dupont, Romain N’Tamack, Thomas Ramos and Englishman, Jack Willis.

The presence of devoted hometown support could tip the scales for Leinster and Toulouse but both the English clubs have the skills and depth to win - either way the final on May 25th at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in N. London should be a treat.

At the same time on May 4th, the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup are being played with South Africa’s Sharks playing Claremont Auvergne at the Twickenham Stoop followed by Italy’s Benetton Rugby visiting Gloucester in England. That Final (the winner automatically plays in next year’s Champions Cup) will be played also at Tottenham Hotspur’s North London stadium on Friday, May 24

All these European cup games will be available on FloRugby’s streaming service.

And not to forget, the last 2 Rounds of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby season will be played May 10/11 and May 18, with the semi-finals on June 1 and the final on June 8, shown on The Rugby Network streaming service.

16 down and 2 to go - a Gallagher Premiership update

As the end of the season nears, every game is crucial with bonus points of enhanced value for each of the 7 Premiership clubs still in meaningful contention.

Round 16 started Friday with Bath (2nd in the table) at home to perennial contenders Saracens (#3). The visitors started aggressively and were 12 points up at the half, another try prevented in the 41st minute by a dramatic last gasp tackle on the goal line. Bath came back strong in H2 and despite stalwart defense by Saracens had tied the score (12-12) by minute 63. The hosts were gutted to concede a penalty in front of the posts in the 73rd minute and despite great support from the local crowd in the final moments, lost 12-15. Bath picked up a losing BP but slipped to 3rd behind Saracens who gained 4 pts for the win, and are now 2nd.

Bristol Bears (#4) have been on a tear of late but looked out of sorts for more than 60 minutes when visiting the Leicester Tigers (#8). Up 19-0 after 63 minutes, the Tigers looked to be cruising but that was it for them; The Bears scored in the 68th, 74th and 79th minutes, converting all 3 to run out 19-21 winners. Ironic that Handre Pollard, the South African nemesis of England’s semi-final at the World Cup last October should have missed a conversion in the 49th minute for Leicester. The losing BP for Leicester is probably not enough to rescue their season, now 9 pts back from 4th place with just 2 games to play.

Game 3 of the weekend saw Harlequins (#5) play host to Northampton Saints (#1) at Twickenham, a fitting venue for two of the most exciting sides in the Prem. Appropriately, Quins opened the scoring in the 2nd minute with a cross-field kick putting in the winger for a try but Saints responded 15 minutes later with a try from Sleightholme, the top scorer in the Premiership. In a match where Harlequins scored 6 tries and Saints scored 4, the lead changed hands a couple of times, with Saints briefly leading (26-27) at minute 62. Quins were a man down when they relinquished the lead but back at full strength they pushed Saints continually and went out winners 41-32. Saints earned a BP for their 4 tries and Quins took home 5 but remained in 5th place, tied on points with the Bears who have a substantially higher points difference.

Sale visited bottom club Newcastle who were still looking for their first win of the season and left the hosts with little to celebrate. Newcastle hung tough for the first 52 minutes (14-14) but after that appeared to tire and Sale’s firepower saw them score three unanswered converted tries and run out the winners (14-35). Sale took 5 points from the win, moving them into 6th place with a shot at the Final Four.

The final match of Round 16 took place in Gloucester (#9) where the Cherry & Whites took on the Exeter Chiefs (#7). While Gloucester’s Premiership Season has not been their best, they play in the semi-finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup on May 4 against Benetton Rugby which, if successful, would be a good end to the season. Meanwhile, Exeter proved too strong, opening up a quick 17 point lead in H1 and never looked like relinquishing it; at the final whistle, Exeter won 17-38. Exeter gained 5 points including a bp for 5 tries, keeping them in 7th place with an outside chance of a top 4 finish and a place in the knockout phase.

So, the top 7 places in the Prem with two Rounds left are: #1 Northampton Saints (55); #2 Saracens (51); #3 Bath (50); #4 Bristol Bears (49); #5 Harlequins (49); #6 Sale Sharks (47); #7 Exeter Chiefs (45). Next Round May 10 and 11.

THE RUGBY SPECTATOR - a feast of International rugby in 2024

With the European club rugby scene drawing to a close, rugby spectators in the northern hemisphere might think there will a quiet. and thus boring “off season” looming. But, as the world community of rugby strives to make the game more accessible, more widespread and competitive, fans can look forward to a lot of great matches in the upcoming summer and autumn International Series.

Note that the southern and northern hemisphere teams have off-seasons during their opposite numbers’ regular season, so as a result, the northern countries travel (south) in their summer, and the southern countries go north in theirs.

All of the major international teams will be in action between June and November with the addition of some 2nd level countries who are very keen to enter the top ranks of world rugby. So for the fans who can actually attend or have access to streaming services, the following countries will be in action: South Africa; New Zealand; England; Argentina; Ireland; Fiji; Australia; Scotland; France; Japan; plus Georgia; the USA; Portugal; Chile and Uruguay. The Home teams have the following schedules:

South Africa - July 6 vs. IRE; July 13 vs. IRE; July 20 vs. Portugal; August 31 vs. NZAB; September 7 vs. NZAB

New Zealand - July 6 vs. ENG; July 13 vs. ENG; August 10 vs. ARG; August 17 vs. ARG; September 28 vs. AUS

England - (June 22 hosting WAL vs RSA in London); November 2 vs. NZAB; November 9 vs. AUS; November 16 vs. RSA; November 24 vs. JPN

Argentina - July 5 vs. FRA; July 12 vs. FRA; August 30 vs. AUS; September 6 vs. AUS; September 20 vs. RSA

Ireland - November 8 vs. NZAB; November 15 vs. ARG; November 23 vs. FIJI; November 30 vs. AUS

Australia - July 6 vs. WAL; July 13 vs. WAL; July 20 vs. Georgia; August 10 vs. RSA; August 17 vs. RSA; September 21 vs. NZAB

Scotland - November 2 vs. FIJI; November 10 vs. RSA; November 16 vs. Portugal

France - November 10 vs. JPN; November 16 vs. NZAB; November 23 vs. ARG

Japan - June 22 vs. ENG; July 13 vs. Georgia; July 21 vs. Italy; October 26 vs. NZAB

USA - July 5 vs. Romania; July 12 vs. SCO; (July 19 hosting NZAB vs. FIJI); August 31 vs. Canada.

Other Matches; Scotland play Canada in Ottawa, July 6; Chile in Santiago, July20; and Uruguay in Montevideo, July 27. The Barbarians will play FIJI in London on June 22, and WAL play the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on July 19.

Most of the matches involving southern hemisphere teams will be shown on FloRugby (florugby.com subscription required) and several other northern hemisphere games too. Hopefully the USA matches will get good coverage - details to follow.

THE RUGBY SPECTATOR: European Club updates

With the international calendar on pause after a highly entertaining and successful Six Nations (at least for some), focus returns to the club games being played across Europe. With the three major competitions being deep into the second half of their seasons, and the Champions Cup in the Round of 16, the pressure is on for would-be contenders to get the job done.

England’s Gallagher Premiership has completed 14 of 18 rounds and one of several teams could still finish the regular season on top. While Northampton Saints lead with 49 points, another 5 teams are 9 points behind or less. Given that only the top 4 go to the semi-finals on June 1st, the narrow gap between #1 and #6 means the competition is wide open, promising a thrilling end to the season. Next Round is played April 20 and 21 and the current rankings are 1) Saints 49; 2) Bath 44; 3) Saracens 42; 4) Harlequins 42; 5) Bears 40; 6) Exeter 40; 7) Tigers 39; 8) Sale 37. Key matches up in Round 15 on April 20 and 21 include: Saints (#1) vs. Leicester Tigers (#7); Exeter (#6) vs. Bath (#2); and Sale Sharks (#8) vs. Harlequins (#4). Semi-finals to be played June 1 and the final, at Twickenham, on June 8.

TV coverage - The Rugby Network (therugbynetwork.com)

In France, the top 14 has completed 20 Rounds of 26 (14 teams playing each opponent twice, home and away). Round 21 will be played April 20 with the 2 top matches featuring league leader Stade Francais Paris vs. Bayonne (#10) and RC Toulon (#4) at home to Stade Toulousain (#2). Current standings are 1) SFP 63 pts; 2) Stade Toulousain 60; 3) Racing ‘92 52; 4) RC Toulon 51; 5) Stade Rochelais 51; 6) Union-Bordeaux-Begles 49. The top 6 teams after the final Round on June 8 go to a knockout format. Teams 3-6 play each other in quarter-finals, the winners playing teams 1 and 2 in the semi-finals (June 20 and 21). The championship final will be played at Stade de France on June 28.

The United Rugby Championship (URC) has completed 13 of 18 Rounds, the next to be played April 19 and 20. This combination of sides from South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy comprises 16 clubs in total of which 8 will go to the Quarter-finals on June 6 and 7. Currently, Irish powerhouse Leinster leads the league with an 11-2 record and 54 points (including 10 bonus points). The rest of the top 8 at this stage are: Glasgow Warriors 10-3, 49 pts (9); Vodacom Bulls 9-4, 45 (9); Munster 8-1-4, 43 (9); DHL Stormers 8-5, 39 (7); Benetton Rugby 8-1-4, 37 (3); Ospreys 7-6, 35 (7); and Ulster 7-6, 35 (7).

TV coverage - Flo Rugby (florugby.com)

The Investec Champions Cup has entered the Round of 16, knockout stage of this annual competition between the top teams of Europe and South Africa. On April 5, 6 and 7 the quarter-final picture is coming into focus as teams take timeout from their domestic league obligations and meet top-class talent from other countries. Results this weekend include: Harlequins beat Glasgow Warriors 28-24 and will face Bordeaux-Begles who saw off Saracens 45-12; Leinster beat Leicester Tigers 36-22 and will face Stade Rochelais who beat the DHL Stormers 22-21 in South Africa. Exeter Chiefs who beat Bath 21-15 will play the winner of Stade Toulousain and Racing ‘92; and the Vodacom Bulls, who beat Lyon 59-19 play the winners of Northampton Saints vs. Munster. Note the home team is always the higher ranked club from the pool stages. These quarter-finals are played the weekend of April 11, the semi-fnals the weekend of May 4, and the Final on May 25.

TV coverage Flo Rugby (florugby.com)

Major League Rugby (MLR) in the US has completed 6 Rounds of its 16 game regular season which finishes in late June. The 12-team League is divided into 2 conferences of 6 teams, Western and Eastern; each team plays the other teams in its conference twice (home and away) and plays each of the teams in the other Conference once. The top 8 teams will qualify for the playoffs - details to follow. As of Round 6, the Seattle Seawolves head the Western Conference with a 5-1 record and 24 points, ahead of the Houston SaberCats who have 23 points but a game in hand. In the eastern Conference, last year’s champions, the New England Free Jacks lead the conference having only played 5 games but with a 4-1 record and 19 points, ahead of NOLA Gold who are 3-2 and 15 points.

TV coverage The Rugby Network (the rugbynetwork,com) and Fox Sports 1 or 2, depending on the match.

Round 5 Six Nations - Ireland repeat and the battle for second delights

With Scotland unable to beat the Irish in Dublin (and few do), some of the suspense was taken out of the weekend but entertaining rugby was on display in Cardiff and Lyon and some teams have much to be happy about.

In the first match of this final day, Wales hosted an Italian side full of brio after their win against Scotland in Rome and they started where they left off. Wales were immediately under the gun and only their resolute defense stopped another wipe out. Wales were down by 11 at the half and saw Italy score again in the 45th minute. However, reminiscent of the Scotland defeat in Round 1, Wales scored 3 tries in the second half, the last in the 81st minute, no doubt rattling Italian nerves. But Wales “won” the wooden spoon and Italy had their best Six Nations tournament with back to back wins. Final score WAL 21 - ITA 24.

Game 2 was effectively the decider; if Ireland won, the trophy was theirs; if Scotland won, the door would be cracked open slightly for England if they could beat France. The reality was, in a lower scoring game where with Ireland’s stifling game and errors by Scotland, the hosts were in front after 17 minutes and never looked back. A lineout error gifted Ireland an early try, up 7-6 at the Half. A penalty and a crash-ball try at minute 64 was all Ireland needed despite last-minute heroics by Huw Jones who scored under the posts for Scotland at minute 76. Final score IRE 17 - SCO 13.

The final game, though meaningless in terms of the Six Nations trophy was the highlight of the weekend for rugby fans. A France team that had got their mojo back after a weak start to the championship took on a revitalized England, fresh off their victory over Ireland at Twickenham. Both sides started briskly with France having the initiative in H1 going in 16-10 at the break after England scored a 40th minute try under the posts. In H2, two more quick tries from England put them ahead 16-24 before France steadied the ship with two of their own in minutes 55 and 59. England scored again (74m) to go ahead 31-30 but Ramos slotted a penalty in the last minute to squeak out the win 33-31. Seven tries and some flowing, breathtaking rugby by both sides. A great finish to the tournament.

Six Nations notes: Ireland repeat as Champions but did not repeat their Grand Slam, losing to England in Round 4; England give fans much needed hope, finishing 3rd but with a new, refreshing style to their play; Wales finish last going 0-5 but their squad was hampered by retirements and absences and included a lot of young players - 4 new caps, 7 with under 5 appearances and another 4 with under 10 caps so far. This was a development year. Scotland will be disappointed but did beat England for the 4th time in a row for the Calcutta Cup.

Final standings: 1) Ireland; 2) France; 3) England; 4) Scotland; 5) Italy; 6) Wales.

Round 4 of the Six Nations - things aren’t quite so simple now

The penultimate Six Nations weekend kicked off in Rome where Scotland, who had earned second place in the table after 3 rounds took on Italy. Pundits who thought Scotland might have a scrap on their hands were right and the game was full of speed and attacking flair from both sides. Even so, Scotland looked firmly in command by half-time leading 22 pts to 10. Scotland also scored in the 1st minute of H2 only to see it disallowed and Italy in the form of debutant Louis Linagh (son of the legendary Australian Michael Linagh) scored a peach of a try - Italy’s second from a grubber kick. At minute 56, Italy went ahead and never looked back, despite a 77th minute try from the visitors. Final score Italy 31 - Scotland 29; Italy ecstatic at beating an in-form Scottish side in front of their deserving and ardent fans, and Scotland earning what may be 2 precious bonus points despite the loss.

England hosted Ireland at Twickenham in what is always one of the most anticipated contests. On this occasion, Ireland have been playing flawless rugby and many an England fan might have been wondering what sort of beating would be administered by the men in green. England with a new-look, more attacking side played with exuberance and without fear, and despite an early try from Lawrence found themselves down 8 - 12 at HT. Low stretched Ireland’s lead with a try just after the break but a Furbank try at minute 47 kept England in touch. Earl took England into the lead with another try only to see Low score again to push Ireland up by 2. Ireland held on under a huge push from England until the last minute of the game when replacement 10, Marcus Smith scored a drop goal from in front of the posts. England win 23-22, ending Ireland’s hopes of a repeat Grand Slam but whose 1 losing bonus point keeps them well in charge of the table.

Sunday’s game saw Wales host France in Cardiff. Both sides have had a tough Six Nations thus far and would redemption be at hand? Not for the Welsh despite a resolute 1H which saw them attack and defend hard against a sometimes confused French team. At HT the score was 17-20 so there was everything to play for and the score continued to ebb and flow until the 65th minute. Then, whatever they prefer for a half-time snack kicked in and they just took off. Gone were the nerves and errors of rounds 1-3 and they ran in another 3 tries in the last 15 minutes. Final score Wales 24 - France 45; no BPs for Wales but a welcome 5 points for France.

The table as of Round 4 is: 1) Ireland 16 pts; 2) England 12; 3) Scotland 11; 4) France 11; 5) Italy 7; 6) Wales 3.

So everything comes down to Saturday, March 16 when all 3 final matches are played consecutively. WAL play ITA in Cardiff for the wooden spoon, followed by IRE at home to SCO, and FRA hosting ENG. Of the top 4 teams, if IRE beat SCO, the Six Nations silverware is theirs. ENG win if they beat FRA with a bonus point and IRE lose without a bonus point. SCO can win the whole thing by beating IRE by more than 76 points and ENG lose to FRA. If SCO beat the Irish by 76 points or more, the French would need to beat ENG by that margin plus 1 to take the trophy as they are tied on poInts and point difference with SCO right now. Got it?

A Big Weekend for Rugby in America

While the Six Nations combatants take a week off (with 2 matches remaining), attention switches to the US where the rugby season starts in earnest.

First off, the Major League Rugby (MLR) season starts on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3 with 6 matches in this first round of Season 7. There have been several changes over the off-season with 2 teams dropping out and 3 new teams being formed or changing their home location. On Saturday, NOLA plays Old Glory DC, Houston plays Utah and Seattle take on San Diego. On Sunday, Miami plays Chicago and RFC LA take on the Dallas Jackals but of particular interest will be the competition between last season’s champions, the New England Free Jacks and the new Anthem Rugby Carolina team in Charlotte, NC. Most matches can be seen on The Rugby Network.

Also on The Rugby Network at 9:00 AM Pacific on Saturday, The Cal Golden Bears play Army at West Point. The teams last met one year ago in Berkeley when the home team won. This is TRN’s Collegiate Match of the Week.

Simultaneously, the World Rugby SVNS tournament plays Round 5 at Dignity Health Stadium in LA. On March 2nd and 3rd, 12 teams representing Ireland, Spain, Argentina and South Africa (Group A); New Zealand, Samoa, USA and Australia (Group B); and Fiji, Canada, France and Great Britain (Group C); will play 2 group matches. The top 8 teams will go to the QFs for the first knockout stage followed by the semi-finals and Final. Argentina are currently top of the Men’s table ahead of Ireland and Fiji (tied for 2nd) and New Zealand. The Women’s tournament will run concurrently with the Men’s event with Australia currently in top place followed by New Zealand and France. After 7 Rounds (the last 2 are in Hong Kong and Singapore) there will a final contested between the top 8 teams in Madrid, May 31 to June 2. The matches will be streamed on Peacock and on Rugby Pass TV.

There is extra spice for players and fans of 7-a-side rugby this year as the Olympics will feature a 7s tournament reintroduced in 2016. The Olympics will be held in Paris between July 24 and August 11 and will feature 329 events! The Rugby will start 2 days before the Opening Ceremony and finish the day after with the winners receiving the first gold medals awarded at this year’s Olympiad. There will be 12 teams in each of the Men’s and Women’s competitions; Fiji will be going for a 3rd gold in a row in the Men’s and hosts France, Australia and New Zealand will be favorites in the Women’s event.

Despite the break in action in the Six Nations tournament and a long break in the English Premiership, there is much rugby being played in Europe. The United Rugby Championship is hard at work with another 8 matches in this weekend’s Round 11 (of 18). On Friday, Edinburgh beat the Ospreys 19-15 and moved into 4th place while Munster beat Zebre Parma 45-29 and moved into 5th. Those rankings could change over the weekend depending on the other results; Leinster (#1) play at Cardiff; Glasgow (#2) play at Benetton; and the Vodacom Bulls (#3) are home to SA rivals the DHL Stormers. The URC is streamed live with replays available on FloRugby.

In France, the Top 14 plays Round 17 (of 26) with Stade Francais Paris (#1) playing Section Paloise - Pau (#5) and Stade Toulousain (#2) playing Castres Olympique (#3). These games are streamed live with replays available on FloRugby.

Round 3 of the Six Nations Tournament 2024

After a week off, the premier Northern Hemisphere rugby tournament was back on display with 3 tough matches that confirmed expectations, disappointed some fans and concluded with a big, welcome surprise.

First off was a visit by Wales (0-2) to Dublin to play the ascendant Irish (2-0). Given the spotty Welsh performance of late (a tremendous comeback in Round 1 against Scotland only to lose by a point and a 2-pt loss to England) there was hope for a good display if not a win. However, down 17-0 at HT, Wales were never really in it and lost 31-7. A bright spot was the Wales defense which at times looked impenetrable but the score tells the whole story. Ireland now have 3 bonus point wins and look very tough to beatt.

England traveled to Edinburgh hoping to change the recent run of losses against Scotland (last 3 meetings) and for the first few minutes looked great. Scotland obliged by being disjointed and careless in H1 (0-10) but were more committed in H2. Careless play from England and a few favorable bounces saw the Scots pull ahead with Russell looking cool, calm and collected at 10 and wing Duhan van der Meuwe scoring a hat trick. A bonus point win for Scotland (30-21) revitalizes their 2024 campaign and England have more thinking to do.

On Sunday, Italy (0-2) went to Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille to take on the hitherto disappointing French (1-1). In a low-scoring match the French looked well in control until the last minute of H1 when center Jonathan Danty was red- carded for a dangerous tackle. The ensuing penalty saw Italy down just 10-3 at the break. In H2, Italy were behind until the 70th minute when a try took them to 13-13 and a last-minute penalty gave them a chance to win for the first time in France. But the makeable kick clanged off the upright - 13-13 final score.

Ireland stand alone at the top of the table after 3 games with 15 points and an 81 point differential. Scotland are 2nd, with 9 pts (7 pd); England 3rd with 8 pts (-4); France 4th with 6 pts (-17); Wales 5th with 3 pts (-27); and Italy 6th on 3 pts (-39).

Next up: Saturday, March 9 sees Italy host Scotland in Rome and England host Ireland at Twickenham. Sunday, March 10 Wales host France in Cardiff.

Six Nations 2024 - Round 2

The second week in this powerhouse Northern Hemisphere tournament went much as anticipated but with some controversy and an improvement. But first, the results:

Scotland kicked off the weekend at home to France with hopes at Murrayfield running high after their historic win in Cardiff a week earlier. Scotland started strong and stayed ahead for 69 minutes, helped by France losing front-row Antonio to the bin either side of half-time and captain Alldritt to injury in the 50th minute. But despite France’s lack of organization, especially at the lineout, Scotlaned were unable to pull away and late in H2 after a miserable period of kick-tennis, France scored a terrific try to take the lead. Scotland thought they had scored a late (82nd minute) try to win but after much debate, the ball was deemed “held up” and France walked out winners by 20 pts to 16.

England hosted Wales at Twickenham after a close win over Italy the previous weekend and were looking for a convincing performance to woo the England faithful. Matters were not helped by England losing 2 members of the scrum in the first 16 minutes, the second of which saw Wales awarded a penalty try. Despite having 13 men on the field, England scored a Ben Earl try in the 19th minute but George Ford fluffed his lines and never got to kick the conversion. Wales went in at the break up 14-5 very much on the front foot. H2 saw a different England, catching up with a 63rd minute try and then going ahead with a 71st minute penalty. England’s impenetrable defense in the last 5 minutes saw them run out winners 16-14.

Ireland hosted Italy at the Aviva in Dublin and, confirming their superior world ranking (against all other northern European sides), routed the Azzurri in a one-sided contest 36-0. Ireland proved ruthlessly efficient in a game where Italy were prevented from showing any of the spark they demonstrated against England last week. Recycling speed, a stifling defense and powerful carries put the other 3 teams they have to play on notice that Ireland really want a Grand Slam repeat. Who will stop them?

Controversies: 1) A lengthy period of kick tennis in the Scotland/France game tested the patience of spectators and raised questions about whether rule changes are needed. Current law states that players in front of their kicker are offside until the catcher moves 5 meters or passes the ball - ergo the receiver is more inclined to kick the ball back knowing he/she will not get far before being tackled. Amendment of that rule might encourage receivers to run at the kicking team rather than give away possession. 2) George Ford failed to convert England’s 1H try after moving slightly to his left before running up to kick the ball. Even that slight movement allowed Wales to charge down the kick and they got to the ball before he did kicking the ball off the tee.

Good news: The first scrum in the Scotland/France game came in the 23rd minute!

Six Nations table after 2 Rounds: 1) Ireland (2-0) 10pts (incl. 2 bonus points); 2) England (2-0) 8pts, 0bp; 3) Scotland (1-1) 5pts, 1bp; 4) France (1-1) 4pts, 0bp; 5) Wales (0-2) 3pts. 3bp; 6) Italy (0-2) 1pt, 1bp.

Next matches: February 24 - Ireland vs. Wales and Scotland vs. England. February 25 - France vs. Italy

The Six Nations Tournament under way - February 4, 2024

So, the first weekend of Six Nations rugby is complete and the markers have been laid down for what should be another terrific, but predictable competition.

France hosted Ireland on Feb. 2 in Marseille and lost to a rampaging Irish side which, like Les Bleus, seem determined to push the RWC’23 disappointment far behind them. In a highly entertaining match, France were under pressure right from the start and losing lock Willemse after just 30 minutes when he incurred his second yellow (automatic red card) made the climb back into contention impossible. Never getting their nose in front, France lost 17-38 and so were denied even a losing bonus point and sit bottom of the table after 1 round.

England traveled to Rome to face Italy in the Stadio Olimpico and were mightily relieved to run out winners, 24-27. England’s new look side included 5 new caps (3 starters and 2 subs who played) but seemed to contain much of the old playbook - 2 or 3 phases, then kick downfield. Italy, in contrast, played some inspired attacking rugby and went in at half time up 17-14; this was the performance the team was hoping to provide at the World Cup, but didn’t. England woke up in H2 and played some better rugby but the opposition will be stiffer from now on (starting with Wales at Twickenham on Feb. 10).

Scotland have not beaten Wales in Cardiff for 22 years so Saturday’s game was momentous in more ways than one. The game itself was literally a game of 2 halves: Scotland dominated in H1 and Wales seemed confused and powerless to do much about it, going in 0-20 at the break. With Scotland scoring another try in the 43rd minute (0-27) it looked all over but Wales disagreed. A volley of tries and penalties took Wales back to within a point but a victory was not to be. However, pride was restored in the highly entertaining come back with Wales losing 26-27, but walked off with 2 bonus points which could prove important later in the tournament..

Next up: (Feb. 10) Scotland vs. France; England vs. Wales; (Feb. 11) Ireland vs. Italy.

Rugby in the Media - January 30, 2024

Despite poor coverage of rugby union by US newspapers during last Fall’s Rugby World Cup, there is a lot more for the armchair viewer to get excited about as we move into 2024. True, rugby is a minority sport in sports-obsessed America but as the growing number of players and spectators agree, there is much in this sport to find attractive - simply put: effort, excitement and ethics.

Matchday coverage: 2024 will be a busy year for rugby in America: the now 12-team MLR (Major League Rugby) kicks off its 7th season in February and the Summer Olympics in Paris, France will bring the USA Rugby 7-a-side team into the spotlight, a code where American talents (size, speed and athleticism) excel.

MLR will be shown on The Rugby Network, a subscription-based streaming service which also shows England’s Gallagher Premiership, Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby in England, Collegiate Rugby Association of America, National Collegiate Rugby and U-23 games.

The Olympics will be broadcast by NBC through cable and Peacock, their subscription streaming service which will offer the widest coverage of events.

For American rugby fans and the large expat community here in the US, live games in the Gallagher Premiership (England), United Rugby Championship (clubs from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa and Italy), Investec Champions Cup (top European Clubs) and the Six Nations Tournament can be seen in their entirety.

Gallagher Premiership: The Rugby Network URC: Flo Rugby Investec Champions Cup Flo Rugby Six Nations Peacock*

* Please note, a few weeks ago I read Flo Rugby would be streaming the Six Nations games starting on February 2. However, it appears that despite nothing being displayed on their sports menu as of today (January 30th), Peacock will be showing the matches, kicking off with France vs. Ireland in Marseille this Friday.

Documentaries: In the style of Drive to Survive (Formula 1 racing), Break Point (tennis), Last Dance (Michael Jordan) and Beckham (David Beckham), Netflix recently launched a rugby documentary, “Six Nations: Full Contact”, an 8-episode “behind the scenes” look at the 2023 Six Nations Rugby championship between the major European rugby nations.

Scheduled for a February 1 release, RugbyPass TV (via rugbypass.com) will air “Whistle Blowers” a feature about the lives and experiences of elite-level rugby referees, talking about the recent World Cup and the unwelcome attention referees sometimes get - to the point where they hang up their whistle. Great viewing for anone interested in this critical side of the game. No refs? No match.

Finally, for people in the US (or elsewhere) if you’re interested in knowing more about the game, especially how it’s played, its origins and its ethos, please take a look at my book “Scrums, Lineouts & Tries. Rugby Union, America’s newest, oldest game”. Available in soft cover or E-book on Amazon, it will help you make sense of this intense, uncompromising but strangely honorable game. https://store.bookbaby.com/book/scrums-lineouts-and-tries

Premiership, Six Nations and MLR -January 28, 2024

England’s Premiership Rugby competition, back for 1 weekend will take a long break, until March 22, for a couple of reasons:

First, the Six Nations Tournament kicks off on Friday, February 2nd with France at home to defending Grand Slam champions, Ireland. For the next 6 weeks (until March 16th) the European nations of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy will compete for honors in the Northern Hemisphere’s premier rugby competition. Many elite players representing their country in the 6 Nations play for English clubs so the majority of Premiership matches played during this period would be absent key contributors. 

Second, the Premiership season, without the teams who withdrew last year (Wasps, Worcester and London Irish) only has 18 regular season games plus semi-finals and final, down from 26 a year or two ago. Hence the ability to take a break. Top players can experience a less intense season, reducing the risk of fatigue-based injuries, and spectators avoid the dilemma of watching club or country. Win-Win.

So, the Gallagher Premiership resumes on March 22 - 24 for the final 6 games of the regular season. With ⅔ of the games played, Northampton Saints (44 pts) have opened up a lead (albeit only 7 pts) over the next 7 teams ranging from 30 - 37 pts.. Even Gloucester, considered almost out of it until today’s emphatic victory over Sale, are in with a chance of making the Final Four. Of the main contenders, Harlequins lost a squeaker to Leicester on Friday but stay in 2nd place from Bath who also lost (against Bristol in a 100 pt try fest). Defending champions Saracens jumped into 4th from 6th after beating Exeter while Sale dropped to 7th from 5th. Looking to the semi-final spots after 6 more games - it’s wide open!

In Major League Rugby in the US, just ahead of the kick-off of the 2024 season, MLR, USA Rugby and World Rugby announced creation of a new expansion team, Anthem Rugby Carolina which will immediately compete in the competition. Restoring the League to 12 teams, Anthem will allow MLR to pursue a 2-Conference system while acting as a specific focus for development of a better pathway for players to top-flight international rugby.

The new season starts on March 1 and new franchise Anthem will take on last season’s champions, the New England Free Jacks on March 3. Welcome to the MLR! 

In France’s Top 14, Round 13 of their 26-round season sees Racing 92 at the top of the League ahead of today’s game against Stade Toulousain (#6). Interestingly, while Racing, Union Bordeaux-Begles and the Toulouse club all qualified for the knock-out segment of the Investec Champions Cup, Stade Francais Paris (currently #2) and RC Toulon (#4) both performed poorly and failed to move on.

The United Rugby Championship plays Round 10 the weekend of February 16 - 16.

European Rugby picks the last 16

Round 4 of the Investec Champions Cup was played last weekend with 12 matches deciding the 16 teams that would go on to the knockout stage in early April and the 8 which would shelve their hopes of European glory for another year *.

4 teams qualified from each of the 4 Pools, the top 2 in each having home field advantage for the next round. The matches have been decided by ranking the teams 1-16, the order based on the team’s ranking in their Pool AND the number of points they have collected. The matches will pit #1 vs. #16; #2 vs. #15; etc. The winners of the 8 matches on April 5-7 will play the Quarter Finals the weekend of April 12-14.

Pool 1 results: 1) Union Bordeaux-Begles 2) Vodacom Bulls 3) Lyons 4) Saracens. The South African Bulls not only beat Pool leaders Union Bordeaux-Begles but jumped into 2nd place with their bonus point 46-40 win. Lyon dropped to 3rd having lost to Saracens 39-24, that win in London giving Saracens the 4th and final spot. Bristol Bears lost to Connacht 27-10 and finished a disappointing last in the table.

Pool 2: 1) Stade Toulousain (4-0) 2) Harlequins 3) Bath 4) Racing ‘92. Ulster could have pinched 4th place had they been able to beat Harlequins at the Stoop but lost 47-19, that result opening the door for Racing ‘92 who beat Cardiff 48-42 in Paris. Bath lost to Stade Toulousain 31-19 in France allowing Quins to take their bonus point win to 2nd place and home field advantage.

Pool 3: 1) Northampton Saints 2) Exeter Chiefs 3) Glasgow Warriors 4) Munster. Northampton finished 4-0 with a 26-23 win over Munster who with a losing bonus point secured 4th place in the Pool. Munster’s single point denied Aviron Bayonnais even a chance of qualifying despite their 40-17 win over Exeter. Glasgow’s 29-5 win over RC Toulon snuck them into 3rd place.

Pool 4: 1) Leinster 2) DHL Stormers 3) Stade Rochelais 4) Leicester Tigers. The most open Pool before the weekend saw some juggling in the order of merit. Leinster saw off the Leicester Tigers 27-10 in Ireland and finished 4-0 while the Stormers beat Stade Francais Paris in the City of Light to secure 2nd place. Stade Rochelais took the Sale Sharks out of contention with a 37-24 win in London and vaulted over Leicester for the 3rd place position.

So, 6 English, 5 French, 2 South African, 2 Irish and 1 Scottish team go back to the mat in early April. Meanwhile, the Premiership resumes and the Six Nations starts on February 2. Much to enjoy.

• Note that the 5th place team in each ICC Pool will qualify for the Round of 16 in the EPCR Challenge Cup, The European Professional Club Rugby tournament started in December 2023 and plays its R16 the same weekend of April 5-7. It includes clubs from all over Europe including, for the first time, the country of Georgia.

Investec Champions Cup takes shape

After Round 3 of the Investec European Rugby tournament, 8 of the 16 knockout places have been decided and the other 8 are dependent on the final Pool stage contests this coming weekend (January 19-21).

In Pool 1, Union Bordeaux-Begles at 3-0 and Lyon at 2-1 but with 5 bonus points, have booked their spot in the knockout phase. The Vodacom Bulls can guarantee their spot with a bonus point result against Pool leader Bordeaux-Begles while further progress for Bristol Bears or Saracens, tied at 1-2 and near-identical points difference will depend on results against Connacht and Lyon respectively. Bristol arguably have the easier fixture.

Pool 2 sees Stade Toulousain (3-0), Bath (3-0) and Harlequins (2-1) all qualified for the start of the knockout phase in early April. The 4th spot will go to Ulster if they can win away at Quins; failing that a strong win by Racing ‘92 (0-3) against Cardiff (0-3) would put the French team through.

In Pool 3, Northampton Saints (3-0) and Exeter Chiefs (3-0) have qualified. Munster (1-1-1) seal a spot with a win against Northampton but a loss without a bonus point leaves them vulnerable. Glasgow Warriors (1-2) need a win against RC Toulon (0-3) to avoid being overtaken by a big win by Aviron Bayonnais (0-1-2) against Exeter. If Toulon beats Glasgow, get your slide rules out to calculate who goes forward.

Finally, in Pool 4, only Leinster have clinched an R16 berth, with 4 other teams having a shot for other 3 spots. The DHL Stormers (2-1) and Leicester Tigers (2-1) are tied for 2nd but have different tasks this weekend; the South Africans play Stade Francais Paris (0-3) in Paris while Leicester play at home to Leinster. While a win by the Tigers would rewrite the standings, the more likely outcome is the 4th spot being decided by Sale (1-2) at home to Stade Rochelais (1-2). It is unlikely but not impossible that both of those teams get into the R16.

The Gallagher Premiership restarts on January 26, France’s Top 14 on January 27 and the URC on February 16. The Six Nations tournament kicks off with France vs. Ireland on Friday February 2. 6 Nations Television coverage will be provided by FLO RUGBY, NOT NBC’s Peacock streaming service (I guess they spent all their money on live streaming an NFL wild card game).

Bursting into the New Year

The first weekend of 2024 saw several top-flight matches as clubs entered the second half of their seasons with a lot to play for,

In the English Gallagher Premiership, the weekend’s matches proved just how open a tournament this is with Northampton Saints moving back on top after a thrilling 42-36 win over Exeter Chiefs. Exeter’s young, outperforming team raced to 26 point lead after 24 minutes earning a 4-try bonus point before Saints had even warmed up. But, in a testament to Northampton’s players and coaching staff, the visitors gradually reeled them back in and scored plenty of tries to walk away with a 5-point win. Victories for Harlequins and Bath took them to 2nd and 3rd respectively while Sale’s strong run was dented by a loss to the Bristol Bears. Only 4 points separate the top 4 but the gap is widening for teams lower down the table - no time to waste! - the next round is January 26-28.

For the next 2 weekends, Rounds 3 and 4 of the Investec Champions Cup will be played across Europe. After Rounds 1 & 2, Pool 1 sees Bordeaux and Lyon in the top 2 spots; Pool 2, Stade Toulousain and Bath; Pool 3, Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs; and Pool 4, Leinster and Leicester Tigers. After the final match on January 21, the top 4 in each Pool will go to the Round of 16 to be played in mid-April. From there it’s knockout until the Final on May 25th in London.

America’s Major League Rugby (MLR) is only 2 months away from the start of its 7th season with 18 rounds of matches scheduled between the 11 teams in the League, ending in late June. The top 8 teams will participate in a championship series during the summer. Two teams left the League during the off-season - the New York Ironworkers and the Toronto Arrows - one team has changed venue (Atlanta’s team has moved to LA) - and one expansion team (the Miami Sharks) kicks off its inaugural season. MLR’s organizers will be looking for an exciting series to boost spectator interest ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics (7-a-side), the LA Olympics in July 2028 and, of course, the US-hosted Rugby World Cups in 2031 (Men’s) and 2033 (Women’s).

Skills development: in the Exeter/Saints match up this weekend, a Saints player threw what can only be called a “bounce pass” to a colleague out on the wing it was not going to reach him but, as afficionados of the game know, a bouncing rugby ball can go anywhere and the advantage is with the attacker. As the commentary team mentioned, it was a nightmare to defend and led to a crucial 7 points for Northampton in this thriller of a match. Apparently they practice this.

Six Nations: England and Ireland are set to announce their squads for the upcoming international tournament which kicks off on Friday, February 2.