Rugby

8:30 AM GMT Eddie Jones has accused his critics of “disrespecting the players and the game” on Sunday after facing repeated questions about England’s playing style en-route to winning the Autumn Nations Cup. Jones admitted that his team had not been at their best and lacked sharpness as England beat France 22-19 at Twickenham with

6:50 PM GMT The sight of Owen Farrell handing out winners’;; medals to his England teammates — having taken 95 minutes and two halves of extra time to put a hugely inexperienced France to bed — was a fitting, surreal end to the most bizarre of years. This match between England and France saved the

4:54 PM GMT England won the Nations Cup final in the most dramatic way on Sunday, as Owen Farrell landed a “golden point” penalty in sudden-death extra time to secure a 22-19 victory over a young French team who had been seconds away from a glorious Twickenham triumph. Farrell converted a Luke Cowan-Dickie try with

2:22 PM GMT Fiji’s powerhouse wing Nemani Nadolo marked his return to international rugby with a hat-trick of tries as they celebrated a late entrance into the Nations Cup with an emphatic 38-24 victory over Georgia at a wet Murrayfield on Saturday. Fiji forfeited their three pool matches due to coronavirus cases in their squad

8:21 PM GMT Coach Wayne Pivac has said better days are ahead for his side after a tough Autumn Nations Cup, and the blooding of younger players will ultimately benefit the team as they look to “have a crack” at the Six Nations next year. Wales won only three of their 10 tests in 2020,

Dec 5, 2020 No. 8 Taulupe Faletau proved the creative spark as three tries in the final 22 minutes helped Wales hold off a spirited fight from Italy to secure a 38-18 victory in Llanelli on Saturday and fifth place in the Autumn Nations Cup. It was a far from perfect display by Wales, whose

2:55 PM GMT England prop Mako Vunipola has been ruled out of the Autumn Nations Cup final against France at Twickenham on Sunday due to a calf injury. The Saracens forward suffered the injury against Wales last week and has not recovered in time. 1 Related “Mako picked up an injury in last week’s game,”

5:58 AM ET The Wallabies’ year that started so promisingly has ended with another deflating Tri Nations draw with Argentina. The Wallabies and Pumas finished deadlocked at 16-16 on Saturday night after fullback Reece Hodge missed with a long-range last-minute penalty goal attempt – yet again. Hodge also had the chance to boot Australia to

1:03 PM GMT France coach Fabien Galthie named an inexperienced and youthful team as expected to face a seasoned England side in the Autumn Nations Cup final, making six changes for Sunday’s clash at Twickenham. An agreement between the federation and the Top 14 meant that no player could be involved in more than three

11:57 AM GMT Anthony Watson will replace injured Bath teammate Jonathan Joseph on the wing for England’s clash against France in the Autumn Nations Cup final on Sunday in the only change from the team who beat Wales last time out. Watson, who overcame his own injury to start on the bench against Wales, came

4:04 AM GMT Wallabies coach Dave Rennie says he feels no obligation for his side to entertain in Saturday’s Tri Nations finale, instead setting his sights on a “quality performance” to round out his first season in charge. Australia face Argentina at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday night, the Tri Nations crown all but out of

4:09 PM GMT Fit-again captain Johnny Sexton will return when Ireland take on Scotland in their Autumn Nations Cup clash at the Aviva Stadium after coach Andy Farrell named the squad on Thursday. Sexton was forced off the field with a hamstring problem that he sustained in their opening win over Wales and replaces the

2:34 PM GMT Debutant Jaco van der Walt is one of six Scotland changes to face Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup at the weekend as coach Gregor Townsend rung the changes after their home loss to France last month. South African-born Van der Walt has been training with the team over the last month

3:28 AM GMT Disgraced Pumas skipper Pablo Matera has been reinstated as captain but will not face the Wallabies in Saturday night’s final Tri Nations clash in Sydney. Matera was sensationally stripped of the captaincy and stood down from the Bankwest Stadium Test, along with teammates Guido Petti and Santiago Socino, after racist tweets at

1:13 AM GMT ESPN staff Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika hasn’t given up hope of one day returning to the role, despite a lack of success across his closing years in charge and an ugly fallout with Rugby Australia. Speaking to The Australian, Cheika has clearly lost none of the self-belief that helped fire the

10:50 PM GMT The fallout over the Argentina rugby team’s much-criticised tribute to Diego Maradona extended further on Tuesday, with some Argentines saying they will boycott the side because of what they consider an inadequate homage to the late football icon. The Pumas, as the rugby team are known, wore what looked like black electrical

10:00 PM GMT Rugby has improved its position on racism but the sport is a reflection of society and there is still work to do, England coach Eddie Jones said on Tuesday following the sanctions handed out to three Argentine players. Pablo Matera was stripped of the Argentina captaincy and suspended, along with team mates

7:09 PM GMT Rugby’s Nations Cup will reach its conclusion this weekend, as England face France in Sunday’s final, but anyone expecting a diversion from the stodgy fare on show for the last month is likely to be disappointed, according to England coach Eddie Jones. England have collected dominant victories over Georgia, Ireland and Wales,