Taylor: At Gloucester, we have a chase designed for a long kick and a chase designed for a short kick. Ideally you don’t want to change too…

England’s defensive line became compromised ahead of White’s try because their forwards seemed eager to shield Smith. An over-protective attitude can be dangerous.  Pick balanced combinations around…

Cilliers deserves praise for his part in the progress of this critical part of France’s game. Of course, it would be remiss not to mention Edwards.  Discipline…

France are the same. They go a couple of passes out and look to get on the front foot. Only then do they vary where their carries…

It is a strike rate founded on the frequency of entries into their opponents 22 and length of time spent with the ball when they are in…

Leading player-welfare campaigners have expressed concern after Tomas Francis, the Wales prop, was allowed to continue playing during Saturday’s game against England despite appearing to suffer a…

Around nine minutes previously, Daly had hit a similar kick. Biggar admitted afterwards that the pair had challenged Wales laterally. As far as up-and-down muscle, though, England…

England had 47 different instances of possession during their unconvincing win over Wales on Saturday at Twickenham. Fourteen of those ended with spills, turnovers or opposition penalties….

“It’s a big game”, said William. “We’re excited. It’s just so good to be back, it’s been quite weird watching games, and football, without the fans.” George…

Jones had suggested that Rees-Zammit was carrying an injury – “If you were a racehorse owner you wouldn’t have him out on the track,” he said –…

Jones admitted on Thursday that England had learned to win without Tuilagi, but it seems clear that he thinks his side are a more formidable outfit with…

With age and fatherhood there are fewer outbursts. Genge’s backstory has been aired enough times that it is now common knowledge, but the stories of the boy…

Of course, you would hope that Simmonds would be given scope to acclimatise in training. His dynamism is in no doubt and his breakdown spoiling would be…

Are people realistically going to fly all the way down to South Africa to go and watch one game? You would have to really mess around with…

Every year, at the end of January, an amusing checklist is circulated. Featuring blue bootcut jeans, brown loafers and Barbour jackets, it details the clothing one can…

The Six Nations has announced that it is “not entertaining any discussion” of a change in participants at the end of a week of reports suggesting that…

Are people realistically going to fly all the way down to South Africa to go and watch one game? You would have to really mess around with…

Ben Morel, the Six Nations chief executive, has always been lukewarm about the prospects fo South Africa joining the tournament. Last October, he described himself as “very…

There really are not a whole heap of ‘buts’ here… but if I were to identify a weakness, you could perhaps argue they have a lightweight back…

Global rugby chiefs will meet next month to finalise plans for a ‘world league’ that would represent the biggest shake-up of the Test game in decades. Plans…

It ended an absorbing game on a flat note, and felt stranger for how Ireland have kept the ball in hand and built pressure with their phase-play…

10. Dan Biggar (Wales)  Joey Carbery did incredibly well considering Ireland lost Johnny Sexton, and of course Marcus Smith was outstanding, scoring a try. But for me…

Had he been available, would Jonny Sexton have gambled with a kick to the corner with eight minutes to go and backed Ireland’s driving maul to give…

Conway, meanwhile, is fast becoming a player Ireland cannot do without; sensational in the air, dangerous ball in hand. You would have had long odds on those…