Cipriani set for Rugby World Cup heartache August 26, 2015 SALE fly-half Danny Cipriani is expected to be the highest-profile casualty when England head coach Stuart Lancaster confirms his final squad for next month’s Rugby World Cup today. The versatile 27-year-old is set to miss out on the home tournament, with Lancaster tipped to pick George Ford and Owen Farrell as fly-halves and Mike Brown [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015 injuries are a leveller but Ireland should still prevail over Argentina October 15, 2015 The Welsh injury list may be more substantial, but Ireland’s is surely more critical. Against France, talismanic captain Paul O’Connell was stretchered off, while Johnny Sexton limped from the field of play and remains a doubt for Sunday’s clash with Argentina. The back row looks bare too, with freight-train flanker Sean O’Brien banned, [...]
Rugby World Cup: Australia are underdogs for England clash, insists Michael Cheika September 29, 2015 Australia coach Michael Cheika insists his side are the underdogs for Saturday’s pivotal Pool A clash at Twickenham despite England staring down the barrel of World Cup elimination following their calamitous defeat to Wales. Cheika’s preparations were dealt a blow yesterday after experienced No8 Wycliff Palu and giant second row Will Skelton were ruled out [...]
Stuart Lancaster’s England reign summarised in stats: did he do better than Rugby World Cup disaster suggests? November 11, 2015 England are on the hunt for a new head coach after the RFU and Stuart Lancaster decided it was best for both parties for him to step down following a disastrous World Cup campaign. The World Cup ignominy will linger long in England fans' memories, but how did how did the rest of his time [...]
Clean bill of health for Australia from coach Michael Cheika as Wallabies prepare for Rugby World Cup final October 26, 2015 Australia coach Michael Cheika is confident he will have a fully-fit squad at his disposal when he plots the downfall of defending champions New Zealand in Saturday’s World Cup final at Twickenham. Full-back Israel Folau and No8 David Pocock both missed Australia’s quarter-final victory over Scotland with ankle and calf injuries respectively but came through [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015 analysis: Who came out on top off the pitch – England, the All Blacks or Australia? November 2, 2015 An Australia v New Zealand final was a great spectacle for the fans and the sport, but with such a distinct lack of home nation representation,there was a nagging feeling of ‘what if?’ for England fans. Their early exit in the group stages came as an unwelcome surprise to sponsors and brands alike, with some [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015: England head coach Stuart Lancaster not expecting a squad mutiny October 11, 2015 Under-fire England head coach Stuart Lancaster is not expecting his players to twist the knife when rugby bosses kickstart their review into their dismal World Cup showing today. A 60-3 thrashing of minnows Uruguay on Saturday evening did little to lighten the mood surrounding a harrowing World Cup exit which saw England become the first [...]
Ireland bid for first ever Rugby World Cup semi-final berth ruined by wily Argentina October 19, 2015 Ireland coach Joe Schmidt admitted that his under-strength side lacked the necessary nous and knowhow to overcome a wily Argentina after the Pumas wrecked their chances of a first ever World Cup semi-final berth yesterday. An early blitz and tries from centre Matias Moroni and wing Juan Imhoff saw Argentina surge into a 17-0 lead, [...]
Why the Rugby World Cup’s economic impact is nothing to get excited about September 18, 2015 The economic benefits of international sporting tournaments to national economies have been loudly trumpeted, not least by sporting bodies themselves. Whilst UK investors might witness some short-term movement in the markets following the Rugby World Cup, history suggests that the true lasting value on the UK economy is likely to be limited. Yes, the [...]
Stuart Lancaster is a sponge of a rugby man and will thrive in new Leinster role, says former England centre Will Greenwood September 5, 2016 Former England centre Will Greenwood has backed Stuart Lancaster to prove a huge success in his new role after being appointed as a senior coach at Pro12 side Leinster for the remainder of the season. Lancaster left his role as England head coach in November 2015 after a dismal World Cup campaign which saw the [...]