Recap: La Rochelle vs Sale Sharks | Heineken Champions Cup

Super Rugby semi takes: Chiefs' wings are ABs, Hoskins horror show

Tk 1 hour ago

It is going to be interesting seeing some of Razor’s selections this year, wing included. Telea has gone, Clarke has not had a great year, Sevu goes missing in the big tests, Jordan will play 15. Narawa, Carter, Tavatavanawai have all put their hands up with great SR form.

Penarol claim Super Rugby Americas title with win over Dogos

Carlos 1 hour ago

And yet another year where I haven’t seen one minute of any game. Or maybe I did catch 30 seconds of highlights on YouTube….

Three Premiership final battles that would have influenced Steve Borthwick

Mark 2 hours ago

Borthwick patently has his favourites, and the current England team are largely in his own image, dull, boring and one dimensional.

Don’t expect the ugly sisters to suddenly become cinderalla at midnight!!

Johann van Graan: The Bulls boy who would be England's king

Hammer Head 2 hours ago

I agree. It’s a pity though that none of the best are back home coaching our franchises.

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RedWarriors 2 hours ago

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

I was actually at the match. Leinster were the outstanding team in the league stage. Leinster’s squad depth meant the Bulls could only nick a late win in Pretoria against an understrenght Leinster. Simple put, Leinster are significantly better this year compared to last. The Dublin match last year was a big win by Leinster. Yes they won by a point in the RDS three years ago but thats not relevant to yesterday.

As Leinster are such a dangerous team, it forces an opponent to focus on a strategy to undermine them and that way get their game on the pitch. Leinster allowed that against Northampton. But that was not going to happen again. The Bulls attack in last 10 minutes of the first half was as savage as anything in the URC this year. Yet Leinsters coaching plan repelled them allied to savage commitment from the players. The defense was outstanding, pressure at breakdown outstanding. Leinster did not win the European cup but arguably at their best this year no other European team could reach that height. They reached that yesterday. Leinster completely removed Bulls ability to hurt them.

And Croke Park….100 years ago the Brits fired machine guns into spectators injuring 100s and killing loads. No Irish team ever performs badly there. Same with Irish supporters. Opposition players might as well be Brit Tommies with machine guns.

I think a great Leinster team, played a great game plan, to the height of their power in a horrible stadium for opponents. If Bulls score before half time they were back in the match. They went down, but they went down fighting.

Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

JW 2 hours ago

Well it might fly in the direction his leg his kick but you just watch the ball closely it’s wobbling all over the show lol even his kick for Clarke was awkward just lucky it bounced right into his hands.

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Top16 3 hours ago

43-year-old Ma'a Nonu scores first try for Toulon in 7 years

Marrant. Vous parlez du top 14 uniquement parce que Nonu a marqué un essai.

Ok, c'est une très grande star du rugby avec une belle longévité au très haut niveau. Mais pas un mot sur les affluences et l'ambiance dans les stades français ce week-end ?

Quand on regarde le Super Rugby, l'URC ou la PR rien d'équivalent à l'horizon.

Dommage car je pense qu'il y a une relation de cause à effet entre la rentabilité des Ligues et l'attrait du public (donc des diffuseurs).

L'argent que tous envie au top 14 vient pour des raisons plutôt claires à mes yeux.

Mais bon….

Jordie Barrett hints at Leinster return after lifting his first club trophy

RedWarriors 3 hours ago

He has played and behaved brilliantly in Leinster. It was lovely to see him getting a huge cheer when he got his medal yesterday.

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CV 4 hours ago

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

Have you seen the lineups of the French clubs? The only team Leinster struggled against in the group stage was La Rochelle, who are rebuilding for next season. They were ranked 9th in the Top 14 when Leinster beat them. That is how strong the Top 14 is. I hope they play Bordeaux next season, that’s going to be one hell of a game.

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

IkeaBoy 4 hours ago

All absolutely fair.

They were universally hailed as chokers last year in the CC final despite being a drop goal away from beating Toulouse. A Toulouse team that went on to drop 60 PTS on UBB in that years top 14 final.

I can't understand Irish fans who seem to think we'd be better off without a dominant Leinster?

Adam Beard: 'It’s a bit clichéd, but you only have one life. You want to experience things.'

JJ 4 hours ago

One of those players that you don’t realise how good they are until they’re not there. The stats on Squidge rugby were incredible. Wales’ lineout in 2023 with Beardy 91%, without Beardy 71%. In 2024 it was 92% and 73%. I guess it’s odds on that Montpellier will draw the Ospreys in the European Challenge Cup.

Johann van Graan: The Bulls boy who would be England's king

PB 4 hours ago

Also Franco Smith, Deon Davids and Mzwandile Stick

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SK 4 hours ago

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

Jake White banging hard on the same drum ignores some fundamental realities. This same Bulls team beat full strength Leinster in 2 semi finals and Munster accounted for them in another. Northampton took them down this year in the Champs cup. Munster won the URC away in SA and Glasgow did it last year. The team didnt show up, they didnt perform and they barely fired a shot. In fairness Leinster also didnt allow it and played magnificently. Yes Leinster are top class but they are beatable and the Bulls were really poor on Saturday. White doesnt need more resources to win the URC. He doesnt need to build some sort of Galacticos. He needs his team to do the job in the final. Right now they are the biggest chokers in the comp.

Johann van Graan: The Bulls boy who would be England's king

PB 4 hours ago

There are no shortages to be Bok coach. van Graan, Nienaber, and Franco Smith have all had stellar coaching stints. Then there are also Rassie’s projects that he is grooming like Stick and Davids.

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PB 4 hours ago

Rassie Erasmus releases 11 players as he trims to 45-man Springbok squad

Boks:

Ox, Boan, (JH Wessells)

Marnus, Marx, Bongi, (JH Wessells and Escom)

TdT, Wilco, Fouche, Asenathi, Koch

Eben, Kleyn, Wiese, Moerat

Lood, Mostert, RG, Nortje

Kolisi, Marco v Staden, Kwagga

Tshituka, JL du Preez, ( Wiese, Mostert and Nortje)

Wiese, Roos

Faf, Williams, Reinach, vsn den Bergh

Sacha, Pollard, Libbok

Arendse, Mapimpi, Hooker

de Allende, Esterhuizen, Willemse

Kriel, Hooker

Kolbe, Moodie, Edwil vd Merwe

Fassi, Le Roux, Willemse

A powerful, versatile squad with depth and options in every position.

With the likes of PSDT, Malherbe, Augustus, and Hanekom to join later, the depth is scary!

Edinburgh's Boan Venter appears to turn back on Scotland call-up

PB 4 hours ago

Boan is 29, so arguably 5 years left in his possible test career. A bok cap will mean more to him than 10 Scottish caps. And besides there is every chance that he can be in the reckoning for the 2027 WC

Ox, Steenekamp, Venter, and Mchunu. Wessels can then still play his dual role