Rugby

3:22 PM BST Fly-half Antoine Hastoy will make his debut when France face Australia in the series-deciding third test in Brisbane after coach Fabien Galthie made seven changes to his starting lineup on Thursday. Racing 92 winger Teddy Thomas, who did not feature in the first two tests, will replace Gabin Villiere in the team.

3:04 PM BST British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has accused South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus of “trying to wind us up” after he insinuated the tourists were scared to face South Africa ‘A’ again on Saturday. Erasmus, who is “good friends” with Gatland, has tried, unsuccessfully, to get a second clash

11:59 AM BST British & Irish Lions lock Alun Wyn Jones will start from the bench against the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday after a remarkable return to the tour party following a dislocated shoulder. Jones had been ruled out of the tour after being injured in the 28-10 victory over Japan in

11:53 AM BST Tomos Williams has been recalled to the Wales starting XV as one of seven changes by coach Wayne Pivac for their international with Argentina in Cardiff on Saturday. The scrum-half impressed off the bench in last weekend’s 20-20 draw between the sides, and will form a half-back pairing with Cardiff teammate Jarrod

5:14 AM BST ESPN staff Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has made seven changes to his starting side for the decisive third Test against France on Saturday night, the biggest of which sees Tate McDermott replace Jake Gordon at scrum-half. The Queensland No. 9 will make his first run-on Test start, at home in Brisbane, alongside

9:33 PM BST Wing Sbu Nkosi and centre Lukhanyo Am scored first-half tries as a strong South Africa ‘A’ side inflicted a first defeat of the tour on the British & Irish Lions with a 17-13 win in what was dubbed an unofficial ‘fourth test’ in Cape Town on Wednesday. Lions coach Warren Gatland had

1:30 PM BST British & Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones will return to the squad after making a remarkable recovery from dislocating his shoulder against Japan in June, coach Warren Gatland announced on Wednesday. Jones had been ruled out for the rest of the tour after sustaining the injury on June 26 but passed

2:09 PM BST France on Tuesday night dished out multiple Test rugby lessons to a Wallabies team that continues to learn things the hard way, paving the way for a thrilling finale to the series in Brisbane this weekend. Denied a drought-breaking win on Australian soil last week, the French were thoroughly deserving of their

10:05 AM BST ESPN staff Quade Cooper played 70 Test for the Wallabies, but that apparently is not enough to earn you Australian citizenship. The New Zealand-born Cooper took to Twitter on Tuesday to detail his latest failed attempt, calling out the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs and the attending public servant, Shannon. “Awkward

12:32 PM BST Ireland will host New Zealand in one of four international tests announced by the Irish Rugby Football Union for Andy Farrell’s squad in October and November. The Irish will face the All Blacks at Aviva Stadium on Nov. 13 for the first time since losing to the New Zealanders in the quarterfinals

6:09 PM BST South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and flyhalf Handre Pollard could both return to the squad after COVID-19 infections in time for the Springbok’s first test against the British & Irish Lions, South Africa Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said on Monday. Both are among a group of six players who remained behind

10:01 AM BST Warren Gatland has made 12 changes to the British & Irish Lions side that beat the Sharks 71-31 on Saturday, with Anthony Watson, Chris Harris and Dan Biggar the only players retained. “We’re pleased to have arrived in Cape Town as we near the halfway stage of the Series,” Gatland said in

1:39 PM BST The British & Irish Lions will make a decision on whether Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones will re-join the squad in South Africa in the next 24 hours after coach Warren Gatland described his recovery from a dislocated shoulder as “remarkable.” Jones has been training with Wales in the last few days

10:49 AM BST South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has tested positive for the coronavirus, along with five other players in the squad, ahead of the three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions. The South African team will resume training on Sunday after six rounds of COVID-19 testing and a six-day preventative self-isolation period cleared

9:49 PM BST Hooker Ronan Kelleher grabbed four tries and Ireland capped eight new players as many of their younger fringe men seized the opportunity to impress in a 71-10 thrashing of the United States at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Having weathered a Japanese attacking blitz last week, Andy Farrell’s men were equally lethal

5:30 PM BST Debutant winger Adam Radwan and hooker Jamie Blamire, on his first start, both scored hat-tricks and it was a special day for flyhalf Marcus Smith as a shadow England team racked up 10 tries in a 70-14 demolition of Canada at Twickenham on Saturday. Joe Cokanasiga, who scored two last week, added

5:59 PM BST The British & Irish Lions have called up England’s Marcus Smith for the tour of South Africa as injury cover for Finn Russell, who is nursing an achilles problem, and the young flyhalf admits he is “shaking” at the prospect of realising a rugby dream. The Lions made the announcement as Smith

4:18 PM BST Wales missed a last-minute penalty to draw 20-20 with Argentina, who had been reduced to 14 men for most of the match on Saturday in the first of two tests at the Principality Stadium. Substitute flyhalf Jarrod Evans had a chance to win the game but went wide with his kick after