Rugby

12:12 PM GMT The Wallabies at last have options at No. 10 but the team is crying out for one or more of them to stamp their authority on Super Rugby AU in the same way that Richie Mo’unga made an irresistible All Blacks case across the Tasman with the Crusaders. The opportunity is there

9:49 AM GMT A lobby group composed of players, officials, referees, coaches, medical experts and teachers has been formed to campaign for improved safety in the sport they describe as “broken.” Spearheading Progressive Rugby are former internationals, including Canada’s Jamie Cudmore, who is involved in a long-running legal dispute with his former club Clermont Auvergne,

12:25 PM GMT England and Wasps flanker Jack Willis will consult a specialist to determine the full extent of a knee injury that could end his season, the Premiership club’s coach Lee Blackett said. Willis injured his knee after he was twisted out of a ruck by Italy’s Sebastian Negri during England’s 41-18 Six Nations

12:20 PM GMT Scotland prop Zander Fagerson will miss the rest of the Six Nations after being handed a four-match ban following his red card against Wales, organisers said after a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. Fagerson, 25, was sent off in the second half of Scotland’s 25-24 loss at Murrayfield on Saturday, having made contact

Feb 16, 2021 High-profile Queensland Reds recruit Suliasi Vunivalu has been dropped just days out from his would-be Super Rugby AU debut for allegedly pushing a security guard in a Brisbane pub. The champion NRL winger had arrived at Ballymore fresh off a premiership with the Melbourne Storm as Rugby Australia’s big-ticket item. But on

12:03 PM GMT Ireland coach Andy Farrell has said he expects captain Johnny Sexton and scrum-half Conor Murray to be available for their Six Nations trip to Rome to face Italy on Feb. 27. The half-back pairing missed Ireland’s 13-15 defeat to France on Sunday through injury with Sexton failing to clear return to play

12:03 PM GMT As the countdown to the return of Super Rugby AU enters its final week, all eyes will soon turn to the debut of Australia’s latest code-hopper: Suliasi Vunivalu. Despite some mid-season uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic last year, particularly during Rugby Australia’s crippling financial slide, Vunivalu later proved to be a man

5:05 PM GMT France’s bid to end a more than decade-long Six Nations title drought picked up further steam with a scrappy 15-13 victory over injury-hit Ireland on Sunday, their first win in Dublin in almost as long. The Irish dominated the opening quarter in a wet Aviva Stadium but could only manage a solitary

7:04 PM GMT Wales roared back from a 17-3 half time deficit to complete a remarkable 25-24 Six Nations win over Scotland on Saturday, in a crackling encounter that saw momentum shift time and again. – Play ESPN’s Rugby Pick’em for FREE Winger Darcy Graham darted onto a clever chip from Ali Price to score

4:27 PM GMT England put last week’s Scotland defeat behind them with a six-try 41-18 Six Nations victory over Italy at Twickenham on Saturday as Anthony Watson scored two tries and Jonny May claimed a memorable one with an astonishing, acrobatic leap. – Play ESPN’s Rugby Pick’em for FREE Italy took a shock second-minute lead

3:20 PM GMT England’s rugby Premiership will not feature relegation this year and will increase to 13 clubs next season to accommodate the winners of the second-tier Championship, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said on Friday. There will also be a one-year suspension on relegation from the Championship, but in a blow to ambitious clubs

2:45 PM GMT The second round of the Six Nations is usually where we get a decent gauge of where the power lies in this championship. First round matches usually offer a raised eyebrow, but by the second batch of games, the leading pack separates out from the rest of the field and we can

12:05 PM GMT France coach Fabien Galthie made two changes from the team who beat Italy, with Damian Penaud starting against Ireland at the Aviva stadium on Sunday ahead of Teddy Thomas on the wing. Anthony Jelonch also comes in for Dylan Cretin in the third row as Galthie looks to adapt to the Irish

11:45 AM GMT Billy Burns and Jamison Gibson Park have replaced the injured Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray for Ireland’s Six Nations clash with France on Sunday at the Aviva in Dublin. Ulster’s Iain Henderson will captain the side for the first time and will be joined by Tadhg Beirne in the second-row. – Play

10:43 AM GMT England wing Anthony Watson has struck out at criticism surrounding some of the England players taking the knee calling it “a double standard.” Watson, 26, was one of 16 England players to take the knee ahead of their match against Scotland but has faced criticism over his decision to do so. –

9:50 AM GMT England centre Jonathan Joseph has been handed a two-week suspension for breaching COVID-19 government rules. Joseph and his Bath teammate Elliott Stooke, alongside Wasps’ Gabriel Oghre were all charged by the RFU for “off-field infringements of the Government’s National Covid-19 Rules and related to mixing of multiple households, with two players travelling

12:22 PM GMT Wales have made five changes for their trip to Scotland on Saturday in the Six Nations. Aaron Wainright, Gareth Davies, Liam Williams, Nick Tompkins and Owen Watkin all start as Wales battle a growing injury list. 2 Related Willis Halaholo is included on the bench and will make his Test debut if

11:00 AM GMT England have made five changes for their Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday at Twickenham. Following their opening round loss to Scotland, England have handed starts to George Ford, Mako Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Kyle Sinckler and Courtney Lawes. Ollie Lawrence and Mark Wilson, who both started in their championship opener, drop