European Rugby
Thierry Dusautoir will make his long-awaited return to France’s starting line-up after being named in the side to face Italy on Sunday.
Wales interim head coach Rob Howley has named Dragons second rower Andrew Coombs to make his debut in the Wales starting team to face Ireland on Saturday.
Coombs will partner Ospreys’ Ian Evans in the second row who returns from injury to start the fixture.
Gloucester centre Billy Twelvetrees will make his England debut in Saturday’s Six Nations match against Scotland at Twickenham. Twelvetrees, 24, replaces Manu Tuilagi and forms a midfield partnership with Brad Barritt of Saracens.
The only other change from the starting XV that beat New Zealand 38-21 in December is Joe Marler in for Alex Corbisiero at loose-head prop.
The snow is deep and crisp and dangerously uneven by health and safety standards, and Jim Telfer is barking out instructions like a rugby regimental sergeant major.
‘Cookie’s a big b*****d,’ Telfer bellows. ‘He thinks he’s tough, OK. Drive him back into the bloody Tweed.’
His young charges do their best to obey against the accompaniment of the coach, who is now transported into a state of quasi-psychotic frenzy, shouting the mantra ‘low, low, low’.
England have suffered another injury blow ahead of their Six Nations Championship opener as centre Manu Tuilagi will miss the match due to an ankle injury.
Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll was among several senior players restored by Declan Kidney to the starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff.
Richmond centre Abigail Chamberlain will make her England Women’s debut in their Six Nations opener against Scotland on Saturday.
Chamberlain, who has played for England A and captained England Sevens, is part of an entirely different backline from the autumn Tests against New Zealand.
Scotland award a debut to wing Sean Maitland, give a first start in six years to his Glasgow Warriors team-mate Dougie Hall at hooker and recall No 8 Johnnie Beattie in their team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against England at Twickenham.
Scottish Rugby announced on Thursday that it had secured the biggest sponsorship deal in its history.
New kit partner, Macron, will come on board in the summer to become official kit supplier for all Scotland representative teams and the professional clubs, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors.
The RBS Six Nations Championship is due to kick off this weekend. The first game of this year’s tournament sees current holder Wales playing at home against Ireland this Saturday afternoon.
Scotland’s interim head coach Scott Johnson stressed at the RBS 6 Nations Championship official launch in London today that he would not “chase rainbows” during the course of the competition.
England flanker Tom Johnson has been ruled out of the Six Nations with a knee injury.
Both Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns and London Irish prop Alex Corbisiero are doubtful for the opening two matches against Scotland and Ireland because of knee problems.
Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi is also a doubt for the Calcutta Cup match with a leg injury.
Ireland have lost their South African born hooker Richardt Strauss for the entire Six Nations Championship due to an ankle ligament injury.
Following the conclusion of the Group stages in the Heineken Cup on Sunday the qualifiers and their rankings for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals have been confirmed.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has confirmed that No 8, Jamie Heaslip, will continue to captain Ireland in the Six Nations despite the return of center Brian O’Driscoll.
Kidney named an extended squad of 39, including six new caps, on Thursday for the opening game against Wales on 2 February plus a game beforehand by the B team Wolfhounds.
Springbok and Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn says he has not received a formal offer from Top 14 club Stade Francais.
Racing Metro have admitted their chances of obtaining the services of either Dan Carter or Jonathan Sexton are slim to none.
Former Crusaders wing Sean Maitland has expressed his pride in his Scottish roots after being named in Scotland’s Six Nations squad.
Harlequins, Clermont Auvergne, Ulster and Toulon have all qualified for the quarterfinals of the European Cup, but who will join them in the last eight?
Unbeaten English champions Harlequins are the only ones so far guaranteed home advantage in the quarterfinals, so with plenty to play for in Round Six here is the state of the Pools going into the final weekend of group games.
Scottish Rugby has today (Wednesday) secured a new three year sponsorship package with The Famous Grouse, Scotland’s favourite whisky. The six figure deal marks 23 years of the brand’s support for rugby in Scotland, and will see the whisky’s latest product, the Ginger Grouse, become the Official Spirit of Scottish Rugby.
Ten uncapped players have been named in interim head coach Scott Johnson’s first Scotland squad. The 35-strong squad will convene in Glasgow next Sunday for a three-day training camp ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.
It seems as if the Bulls and Springbok flyhalf has made a deal to leave South Africa after Super Rugby to continue his career in France.
A Welsh rugby star has had to pull out of an important match in France after his puppy chewed up his passport. Jason Tovey, 23, was all packed and ready to go to the airport to fly to Toulon to play for Cardiff Blues when he found his ruined passport. He said he was dreading telling his coach that he could not play in the Heineken Cup game on Saturday.
Undefeated Harlequins and Clermont can book European Cup quarterfinals this weekend with Toulon also close to securing their spot in the last eight. English champions Harlequins, bidding to make the knock-out stages for just the fifth time, already have 19 points from four Pool Three wins and on Saturday tackle Connacht where just a losing bonus point will be enough to see them through.
Italy coach Jacques Brunel has named his 30-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations and called on his players to build on their promising November test campaign.
Lock Pascal Pape will stay as captain of France for the Six Nations tournament despite the return to the squad of Thierry Dusautoir, L’Equipe newspaper reported on Thursday.
It has officially been confirmed that Bryan Habana penned the deal with the French side in the last few days.
England coach Stuart Lancaster has included uncapped pair Calum Clark and Billy Twelvetrees in his 33-man squad for the Six Nations.
South African-born former England international Hendre Fourie has been told by immigration officials that he does not have to leave Britain, despite fearing he was on the brink of deportation having retired with a shoulder injury.
Wales lock Alun-Wyn Jones says he is on course to feature in Wales’ Six Nations campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery two months ago.
Rory Kockott has admitted his yearning for international honours, be they with France or his native South Africa, was behind his desire to leave his current club Castres at the end of the season.
Scotland’s most-capped scrumhalf Mike Blair has announced his retirement from international rugby at the age of 31.
Blair was capped 85 times for his country and was captain of the side on 14 occasions.
Retired flank Hendre Fourie was good enough to play for England, but now that he has quit rugby he is set to be repatriated by the country he represented in eight Tests.
Fourie revealed on Monday that he is poised to return to South Africa, because he cannot get a visa to remain in England.
The last remaining bastion of the amateur era’s traditions looks set to fall.
I am always nervous of drawing too many conclusions from the annual burst of Autumn Internationals, especially because it’s the final round of games for all the Southern Hemisphere sides at the end of a long season. Nonetheless, there are some fascinating observations to make as many sides rebuild towards the next World Cup.