Rugby

Feb 28, 2025, 08:56 AM Open Extended Reactions England skills coach Kevin Sinfield has confirmed that the team will persist with playing Marcus Smith at fullback. Smith has been deployed at fullback rather than his preferred position of fly-half in England’s last two Six Nations games. The 26-year-old has made just five starts at No.

Feb 27, 2025, 05:38 PM Open Extended Reactions Ireland centre Garry Ringrose was given a three-match ban by an independent disciplinary committee on Thursday for a dangerous tackle during his team’s 27-18 win over Wales. Ringrose was initially shown a yellow card for the infringement before it was upgraded to a 20-minute red when video

Feb 27, 2025, 04:06 PM Open Extended Reactions England lock George Martin will miss the remainder of the Six Nations with knee and shoulder injuries, skills coach Kevin Sinfield has said. “Unfortunately he won’t play any further part in the Six Nations for us. He’s actually got two [injuries] — the knee, which has been

Feb 27, 2025, 11:03 AM Open Extended Reactions Double Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones will reunite with head coach Rassie Erasmus in the Boks’ management team from March 1, following a short stint with England. Erasmus unveiled his management team on Thursday, with the three new additions to the coaching and management

Feb 27, 2025, 11:06 AM Open Extended Reactions (L-R) Conor Murray, Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony will join Johnny Sexton in retirement this year. David Rogers/Getty Images Ireland veterans Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray have confirmed they will all retire from international rugby after this year’s Six Nations. While O’Mahony and Healy — Ireland’s most

Feb 27, 2025, 10:09 AM Open Extended Reactions A row has erupted between England and Exeter over winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s shoulder surgery and the availability of Rugby Football Union doctors. Exeter head coach Rob Baxter suggested that Feyi-Waboso’s procedure was delayed due to the lack of RFU doctors over the Christmas period, a claim that

Feb 26, 2025, 12:30 PM Open Extended Reactions The third week of the 2025 Six Nations saw Wales put out a much better performance despite losing to Ireland, while England earned their first win over Scotland in four years. So which players went a step towards cementing their place in the British & Irish Lions

Tom HamiltonFeb 25, 2025, 12:39 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Wales have received a boost ahead of their final Six Nations matches after Dewi Lake was added to

Tom HamiltonFeb 24, 2025, 12:00 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions The 2025 Six Nations continued in round three as Ireland beat a spirited Wales side in Cardiff, England

Feb 22, 2025, 08:59 PM Open Extended Reactions France star Antoine Dupont has praised his team’s reaction to their dramatic defeat to England a fortnight ago after they thrashed Italy at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and urged the need for focus ahead of their clash with Ireland on March 8. After a record-breaking afternoon

Feb 23, 2025, 04:57 PM Open Extended Reactions France captain Antoine Dupont led his side to a 73-24 rout of hosts Italy as they ran in 11 tries in an action-packed Six Nations triumph on Sunday, bouncing back in style from their one-point loss to England in their last game a fortnight ago. Dupont was

Feb 22, 2025, 08:59 PM Open Extended Reactions Steve Borthwick has said his team “found a way to win a tactical arm-wrestle” after England edged Scotland 16-15 at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Borthwick has spent much of the last year taking positives from close defeats so he was not in the mood to apologise for

Tom HamiltonFeb 22, 2025, 08:11 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions England know how fickle the fortunes of Test matches are. They’ve been on the wrong side of these

Feb 22, 2025, 08:42 PM Open Extended Reactions Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said he was “so proud” of his team after Saturday’s agonising 16-15 defeat to England at Allianz Stadium ended a run of four straight victories against their hosts and all but killed off any thoughts of winning the Six Nations. The visitors outscored

Feb 22, 2025, 06:53 PM Open Extended Reactions Finn Russell missed a last-minute conversion that would have given Scotland a record fifth successive Calcutta Cup win on Saturday, allowing England to claim a tense 16-15 Twickenham victory that keeps them in the hunt for the Six Nations title. England looked safe with a six-point lead

Feb 22, 2025, 04:20 PM Open Extended Reactions Ireland edged past a valiant Wales 27-18 on Saturday to win the Triple Crown and maintain their hopes of a record third straight Six Nations title. Wales came within a whisker of ending their losing streak — now at 15 games — with Ellis Mee’s leap over

Feb 22, 2025, 05:30 PM Open Extended Reactions Ireland coach Simon Easterby admitted that his side were made to sweat to the last as they eked out a 27-18 victory over hosts Wales in an enthralling Six Nations clash in Cardiff on Saturday and remained on course for a hat trick of titles. Ireland were

Feb 22, 2025, 05:30 PM Open Extended Reactions New interim Wales coach Matt Sherratt wanted his side to be fearless in their Six Nations clash with champions Ireland and, despite a 27-18 defeat in Cardiff on Saturday, believes there is much to build on after a display full of heart and ambition. Wales, who have