England Players Released to Play at Weekend!!

The England management have released three more players from the England training camp at the Pennyhill Park Hotel on Wednesday evening.

David Barnes of Bath, Mike Tindall of Gloucester and Joe Worsley of Wasps, were all made available to play for their clubs in the Guinness Premiership this weekend.

The rest of the England Senior EPS squad were released from the team hotel so that they could be rested this weekend.

All members of the revised England Senior EPS squad will then re-convene at the team hotel on Sunday, November 1 to prepare for the match against Australia on Saturday, November 7.

Lets just hope that none of these players end up on the longest injury list the England squad has seen for a long time!

Lions Tour 09 DVD!!

AWESOME!!! This behind the scenes DVD of the Lions 2009 Tour of South Africa has to be my best purchase this year! Inspirational and emotional story following the team from their Surrey training camp to that Final test victory! A MUST BUY FOR ANY RUGBY FAN!!!

Banaham Snaps Bergamasco HCUP!!

The best hit of the weekends Heineken Cup action came from Matt Banaham. The crunching tackle on Mirco Bergamasco was deemed a high tackle and Banaham was sidelined for 10 mins.

The replay shows it was a perfect hit on the Italian and hopefully 22 year old Banaham has caught the eye of the England management.

Massive Hit: Tuilagi Smashes Ben Foden!!

I Think I Felt This One!!

Geech Calls It A Day On Lions!!

Ian McGeechan has ruled himself out as coach of the British and Irish Lions when the Lions tour to Australia in 2013 just months after coaching the Lions to their first Test victory since 2001.

McGeechan is often referred to as Mr. Lions after having toured with them as coach or player seven times.

"I cannot have such an involvement again," McGeechan told the Daily Express.

"Generally you coach the Lions only once and that makes it a great opportunity for coaches as well as players."

"But I’ve been head coach four times already, plus the other tours. If I were to go for an eighth time I think I would be pretty greedy."

Perhaps this will open the door for Gatland and Edwards who were part of the coaching team for the 2009 tour.

Roberts Boost For Cardiff!!

Jamie Roberts has been given the all-clear to spearhead Cardiff Blues' bid for Heineken Cup glory this week.

The British Lions and Wales star centre had been a major doubt after needing several scans on the neck injury sustained in a clash with Scarlets wing Sean Lamont last weekend.

Roberts sat out the 21-5 home defeat with Glasgow Warriors on medical advice but will return to full training ahead of the European opener against Harlequins on Saturday.

The trainee doctor admits he still has stiffness when moving his neck to the right but he expects to be fit for the Anglo-Welsh clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Roberts, 22, said: "I've had a couple of scans on my neck and the spinal surgeon has given me the all-clear.

Roberts' return to full fitness is a huge boost to Blues boss Dai Young who is already without influential quartet Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush and Ma'ama Molitika for the home tie with Quins.

Is Borthwick A Player We Would Miss?

England captain Steve Borthwick is likely to be out for a month after a kick to the face from Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam left him with "extreme swelling" around his right eye.

Scans on the injury, though, have revealed that there is no further damage - with Borthwick expected to be back in action within two to four weeks.

A statement from the club read: "Saracens captain Steve Borthwick underwent further scans this morning on the eye injury he sustained in the club's 19-16 victory over Gloucester at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

"The scans revealed no further damage other than the extreme swelling that had already been diagnosed and as a result, he will be ruled out for between two to four weeks."

That means the 29-year-old will be cleared to play in the matches against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand in November.

I know Martin Johnson rates Borthwick but I must question his impact as a player, he does not have the same presence and ability compared to that of Johnson himself. He is not a Carling, Dallaglio or Johnson and not being selected from the Lions Tour shows that I am not the only sceptic of his quality.

Fox End of Season

The season might just be kicking off in the Northern Hemisphere but down south Fox have signed off the season with a look back at some of the better moments of the season!

Weekends Big Game London Irish Vs Wasps!

The Exiles, who are third in the table going into their first home London Derby of the season, make three changes to the starting line-up of the team that played in Leeds last Sunday.

For the second week in succession the front row is rotated as three internationals - Clarke Dermody (New Zealand), David Paice (England) and Paulica Ion (Romania), take over the starting positions. Bob Casey captains the team.

"Our players have been improving week by week and they showed a real mental toughness last weekend," said Exiles' Head Coach Toby Booth.

"They know what they have to do on Sunday to get a result. We're quietly confident of a big performance in front of our home crowd.

"London Wasps are showing signs of returning to their former glory. They have a fantastic defence and are already emerging as serious challengers for the Premiership play-offs," added Booth.

Meanwhile, Wasps' prop Phil Vickery returns to Club colours this Sunday in what promises to be a huge clash between two of the capital's sides.
Vickery's last run out was as part of the British and Irish Lions side that secured victory over South Africa in the third and final Test. He makes his first appearance for Wasps this season after a summer of recovery and rehabilitation to work through a shoulder complaint sustained on the tour.

Named in the starting XV, Vickery is one of two changes to the side that secured victory over Worcester at Adams Park last weekend, as John Hart takes the number eight jersey in place of Dan Ward-Smith. Ward-Smith moves to the bench and is joined by Ben Broster who makes way for Vickery.

"We have been delighted with the progress the squad have made through the first three rounds of the Guinness Premiership," said Director of Rugby Tony Hanks.

"To see the new players settle and our experienced and young aspiring guys really take our game forward has been pleasing for all involved. Three wins out of out three is a fantastic start but we know the bar is raised again this week against a very sharp looking London Irish team.

"Vicks has worked hard this summer to get through an injury and a hard fought Lions Tour. He is fired up and ready to make a comeback in a game which I think will be our biggest test yet. There is a great feeling amongst this group and they are relishing the challenge of Sunday's game."

Collins Making Big Hits in Magners League!!

Sackey Makes Return for Wasps!!

Some better news for Martin Johnson this week as England wing Paul Sackey makes a welcome return from his broken leg for Wasps who make three changes in total for Sunday's game against Worcester.

Full-back Lachlan Mitchell replaces the injured Mark Van Gisbergen while Tom Varndell comes in for Davi Lemi who will be out for six weeks.

Worcester Warriors director of rugby Mike Ruddock has made just one change with hooker Chris Fortey replacing Tongan powerhouse Aleki Lutui.

Prop Callum Black has recovered from a knee injury and is named among the replacements for Worcester.

Flutey out for 3 Weeks!!

Brive centre Riki Flutey has been handed some encouraging news in that he will only miss three weeks of the Top 14 due to a shoulder injury.

The England international was on Thursday feared to be sidelined for 3 months and miss England's Autumn Internationals after it was confirmed he required an arthroscopy.

But according to his Top 14 outfit, the problem is not as serious as first feared and can be rectified by keyhole surgery.

Flutey Injury Worry!!

Riki Flutey faces the possibility of a long lay off with a troublesome shoulder injury.

He has been warned an operation could rule him out for three months, including England's Tests against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.

"I'm having an arthroscopy," Flutey told the Daily Mirror. "They will either find it just needs a bit of a clean-out or it's a big tear which means surgery and three months out.
But I can't go on the way I have been, sore and niggly. I can't go out and play at 80%. I need to get sorted."

Flutey made his Brive debut in last weekend's Top 14 clash with Clermont Auvergne but the British & Irish Lion admitted that he should never have played in the game.

Harlequins Bad Boys Again!!

Harlequins are yet again taking all the headlines for the wrong reasons as Lock George Robson has been suspended for six weeks by the RFU for headbutting an opponent.

Robson, 23, was sent off for striking Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson 46 seconds in to their 26-15 defeat on Saturday.

Robson will be sidelined from Quins' next four Premiership games, including matches against Leicester and Bath, plus two Heineken Cup encounters.

Four weeks is the minimum penalty for striking an opponent with the head, with 12 weeks the highest punishment.

Nicky Robinson Top Dog of Opening Weekend!!

Nicky Robinson made an excellent debut for Gloucester at the weekend inspiring his new team to an opening day 24-5 defeat of rivals Bath. Head coach Redpath believes Robinson has the credentials to oust British & Irish Lions pair Stephen Jones and James Hook for the Wales number 10 jersey

ITS BACK THE GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP!!

After a long off season with plenty of headline grabbing stories for all of the wrong reasons, we can now put the scandle behind us as this weekend sees the start of the 09/10 Guiness Premiership Season.

Sale Sharks kick off the Guinness Premiership season this evening at home to Leicester Tigers for the first time in four years after they beat Newcastle Falcons 26-25 back in September 2005.

Saturday sees Saracens face off against London Irish in the first game of the double header at Twickenham. The Exiles take on Brendan Venter's side at Twickenham (2.30pm ko) and head coach Toby Booth has made only two changes to the starting XV that beat Heineken Cup champions Leinster last week.

I expect Northampton to be a suprise package for the new season and they kick their season off against Worcester Warriors on Sunday.

Neil Backs Leeds Carnegie will play their first game since promotion on Sunday against a Newcastle team led by Carl Hayman. Newcastle have named five debutants as they look for life after Jonny Wilkinson.

The other Sunday game in the opening weekend sees Gloucester take on the summers "Bad Boys" Bath.

Monthly Review!!

Jerry Collins on life in Wales!!

The former All Black enforcer Jerry Collins has moved from the south of France and Toulon, and is now part of the Ospreys in Wales, alongside the likes of Ryan Jones, Shane Williams, and Marty Holah.

J.C. who left New Zealand in search of a different way of life and a new challenge, admits that he doesn’t think he'll ever play for the All Blacks again.

Capped for the All Blacks 48 times, the powerful loose forward was a lethal tackler and one of the more intimidating players in world rugby. His unhappy season in Toulon meant a drop in his form slightly, but he has other priorities now, as he discussed with the BBC.

So'oialo: I deserve to be benched!!

The All Black Back Rower Rodney So'oialo has admitted that New Zealand boss Graham Henry was right to drop him from the starting line-up for last weekend's Tri-Nations clash with Australia.

So'oialo has been a mainstay of the All Blacks' back row for the past four years but he was surprisingly left on the bench for the game in Sydney, with Kieran Read playing at No.8 instead.

It was a disappointment for So'oialo but the decision did not take him by surprise given his recent struggles to shake off the affects of a troublesome neck injury.

"I felt I was slightly off the pace because I was out of the game for a while," he said. "Being put on the bench last week I thought was a terrific decision because I was slightly out of pace. I fully support them in their reasoning for putting me on the bench."

So desperate is he to rediscover his best form, So'oialo has now requested that he be allowed to line out for his province, Wellington, twice in the next week.

Flood Aims for November Return!!

The Leicester and England fly-half Toby Flood hopes to return to action in November after surgery on his ruptured left Achilles.

Flood suffered the lower leg injury in the Heineken Cup semi-final win over Cardiff Blues in early May.

The 24-year-old told BBC Radio Leicester: "The timescale is about six months and I'm inside that bracket and so we're working towards that.

"The rehab's gone well, but the guys are in pre-season now and to watch that from the sidelines is difficult."

Halfpenny wants Williams Record!!

BLUES flier Leigh Halfpenny is setting his sights on eclipsing the great Shane Williams as Wales’ record try-scorer.

Halfpenny is ready to roar again in the 2009-10 campaign, having put his mixed Lions experience behind him.

The wing sensation returns to Blues colours in tonight’s pre-season game with Northampton at the Cardiff City Stadium, having shaken off the injury which caused his early exit from South Africa.

But Halfpenny still describes the time he had with the Lions as the best of his career and wants to put to use with the Blues what he learned next to Brian O’Driscoll and company.

“Obviously I’d like to take over the record from my mate Shane, but it will be difficult,” replied Halfpenny.

“Shane’s worked so hard to get where he is, but that is my biggest goal in a Wales jersey.”

He went on: “I’ve been lucky enough to play next to one of my idols in Shane.

“He’s someone I aspired to be like as a youngster. With my kicking, I always watched Neil Jenkins and Jonny Wilkinson. But I wouldn’t have minded being in a side with Jonah Lomu when he was in his prime – he was just unbelievable.

“I’d probably say in terms of rugby he was on a par with Usain Bolt is in athletics – a complete level above and nobody could cope with him.”

Dallaglio included in RFU Task Force (A Team)!!

Rugby's image has been hit by incidents such as Harlequins' fake blood injury, eye-gouging, and the suspension of five Bath players for drug-related issues.

The Task Group will conduct a thorough review of all issues in the game in an effort to clean up the sport.

A series of recommendations will be delivered by 30 September.

The group will be led by RFU president John Owen and also includes RFU elite rugby director and ex-England fly-half Rob Andrew, Bath prop and players' union chairman David Barnes, Worcester owner Cecil Duckworth OBE and chairman of London Irish Andrew Coppel.

RFU chief executive Francis Baron said: "The RFU has been very clear that we needed to act quickly at a game-wide level to ensure that recent events can never happen again.

"The Image of the Game Task Group includes the people we believe can help us do that and we will also work closely with the International Rugby Board (IRB) in support of their initiatives in this area.

"This is not a Disciplinary panel set up to take action against clubs and players, the RFU Disciplinary process will handle that should it be necessary. Nor will it be a talking shop.

"It will be focussed on the issues at hand and actionable solutions. We will do whatever it takes to rebuild the reputation of the sport and that work starts now."

He added on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I've been inundated with emails and letters from people who are concerned and do not understand how, at the top end of the game, things seem to have gone wrong in terms of our core values.

"They are looking for us to put it right and that is what we are going to do. The Task Group is determined to take action to restore the good image of rugby union."

The objectives for the Task Group are:

1. To review the impact of recent disciplinary cases on the standing, reputation and image of rugby union.

2. To consider any other evidence of 'cheating' or 'gamesmanship' supplied to the Task Group involving any of the following:

- Fabricated blood injuries

- Feigned injuries to enable substitutions or gain an unfair advantage

- Other medical interventions with players to gain an unfair competitive advantage

- Events of 'gamesmanship' to gain an unfair competitive advantage

- Unfair interference with the opposition team's operations.

3. Assess the impact of recent events on the game in England and on our commercial partners who support it

4. Review the recommendations of the 'Core Values Task Group' and recommend any additions necessary to incorporate any matters arising out of the above issues

5. Review the management reporting lines in professional clubs and recommend a model for club governance to ensure proper accountability for implementing the Task Group's recommendations

6. Review and update all existing 'Codes of Conduct' in the light of recent incidents

7. Review any professional or ethical issues for doctors, medics and physios arising out of recent events

8. Consider the need to incorporate any additional provisions into the Standard Player Contract and EPS Player Contracts

9. Incorporate as appropriate the findings and conclusions of the Illicit Drugs Forum recently established by the RFU

10. Review our Regulations in the respect of the above issues and recommend any changes or additions necessary to the RFU Council

11. Produce a detailed action plan with target dates for delivery of each element. This action plan will detail clear outcomes, proposed strategies to counter inappropriate practices and any proposals for changes to RFU rules and regulations.

The Task Group members:

John Owen, President of the RFU (Chairman of the Task Group)
Martyn Thomas, Chairman of the RFU Management Board and IRB representative
Francis Baron OBE, RFU Chief Executive
Cecil Duckworth OBE, Chairman and Owner of Worcester Warriors, PRL board member
Andrew Coppel CBE, Chairman of London Irish, PRL board member
David Barnes, Bath RFC player and Chairman of the PRA
Lawrence Dallaglio OBE , retired player and Board Director at Wasps, a PRL club
His Honour Judge Jeff Blackett RFU Disciplinary Officer
Bob Rogers RFU Past President and Chairman of the RFU 'Core Values' Task Group
Peter Baines Chairman RFU Governance Standing Committee
Rob Andrew MBE, RFU Elite Rugby Director
Andrew Scoular, RFU Community Rugby Director
Peter Thomas, RFU Corporate Communications Director

Booth Confident Exiles Can Have Double Success!!

London Irish head coach Toby Booth is confident his side can deal with the added pressure of playing in the Heineken Cup this season.

The Exiles flourished in the Guinness Premiership last season while plying their trade at the second tier of European competition, in the Challenge Cup.

But having returned to the top table in Europe this season, Booth is confident his side will not be overstretched.

He said to The Reading Chronicle "Obviously we are delighted to be back in that competition. That was one of the goals for what we wanted to do last year.

"We enjoyed our run to the semi-final a few years ago with Toulouse. The players love testing themselves against the best in the world.

"We will try to be more mindful this time to allow us to fight on two fronts and not put all our eggs in one basket.

"Our consistency in the Premiership was wayward when we had Heineken Cup success. What we have to do this time is not shift away from the emphasis of the Premiership.

"We are aware of the pitfalls and we are confident that if we keep our expectations real we can have a successful season."

Mauger and Leicester Ready To Go!!

Aaron Mauger the Leicester and former All Black centre is back to full fitness and is confident that his Tigers side has what it takes to grab the domestic and European 'double' that narrowly eluded them last season.

The 28-year-old No.12 was understandably disappointed at having missed the final third of last season and Leicester's title charge, which ended with a Guiness Premiership crown and a Heineken Cup Final loss to Leinster.

Mauger, though, is convinced that the Tigers squad has what it takes to go one better in 2009/10.

"We have definitely got the squad to go all the way in the Premiership and the Heineken Cup," he told the Leicester Mercury.

"I am hoping it works out as well as it did last year, but that we have the extra success of winning the Heineken Cup as well this time," he said, "We always try to go out and win every competition that we enter!"

Lote Tuqiri off to France??

Former Waratahs and Wallaby winger has apparently flown from Sydney to Paris in order to investigate lucrative offers to play rugby union in France.

News Limited newspapers said Thursday that the 29-year-old will meet with Bayonne - a club which includes former Australia rugby league star Craig Gower - and Stade Francais, coached by ex-New South Wales coach and Wallabies forward Ewen McKenzie.

"I'm off to France for a few days to talk to some of the clubs over there," Tuqiri said.

"I'll let everyone know what's going on soon enough."

Tuqiri received an undisclosed amount in an out-of-court settlement with the Australian Rugby Union on Monday after taking legal action over his contract termination.

His 1 million Australian dollar ($800,000) contract, which was scheduled to end in 2012, was severed by the ARU in June following an alleged breach of team protocol.

He had been a regular feature of Wallabies lineups since switching from rugby league in 2003 and was part of two World Cup campaigns.

Doubts Over Henson's Future!!

Gavin Henson's career looks increasingly likely to be over, after a newspaper in Wales (The Western Mail) revealed he has been granted indefinite leave by the Ospreys.

Henson did not turn up for the team photo on Tuesday, after having missed the official kit launch and media open day the week before, and no mention was made of his injuries in a media release detailing players not available for Friday's pre-season clash with Leeds.

Even if Henson were to commit himself to a playing return, he would be considerably behind his team-mates in terms of pre-season preparation, a dangerous situation given his injury track record of the past two years.
In seasons 2007-08 and 2008-09, Henson featured in just 23 out of 59 Ospreys games, playing in less than half the fixtures in each campaign.

New director of rugby Scott Johnson concedes that everyone at the region is unsure about when Henson will return. Johnson spoke of Henson injury issues that had been difficult to diagnose.

Henson admitted earlier this year he had thoughts of quitting because of those on-going injury problems, but subsequently issued a denial, stating he wanted to carry on playing.

Rugby League: O'Meley Vs Gibbs Big Hit!!

Lions Best Bits: Sheridan shows his power!!

Lions Best Bits: Brian O'Driscoll clashes with Danie Rossouw!!!

Lions Best Bits: Heinrich Brussow bouncing Martin Williams!!

Wilkinson excited for England return!!

In an exclusive interview with the BBC Jonny Wilkinson said that he was excited to be back with the England Elite Training squad as they held an open training session at Twickenham.

He spoke of the positive atmosphere amongst the squad and even compared it to that of the 2003 squad.

Wilkinson said he feels great and is in physically good condition. Even at 30 he is anxious to play in the World Cup and the Autumn Internationals.

Watch the BBC Interview!!

Delon Armitage Injured on England Duty!!

London Irish and England full-back Delon Armitage has returned early to his Guiness Premiership outfit after hurting his right shoulder on a week-long England training camp.

The 25-year-old full back was due to have a scan last night to determine the extent of the injury.

England announced today that they were suffering from more traditional wounds and that 25% of Martin Johnson's elite players were currently unable to train. Sixteen of the 64 men invited to England's first training session of the new season either failed to turn up or are now back with their clubs.

The 64 should have been at England's training headquarters in Surrey, but after a medical review and profiling Danny Cipriani, Toby Flood, Andy Goode, Topsy Ojo, Tom Rees, Paul Sackey, Will Skinner, George Skivington, Jordan Turner-Hall, Sam Vesty and Richard Wigglesworth returned to their clubs for treatment and rehabilitation. As agreed with his club, Gloucester, Olly Morgan did not join up with the squad; Ben Kay and David Strettle arrived with neck and lower back injuries respectively; Delon Armitage damaged his right shoulder in training on Monday; and Luke Narraway is experiencing "lower back discomfort".

The remaining 48 players will be at Twickenham tomorrow for an open training session which is part of the celebrations of a century of rugby at the stadium.

Monthly Review!!

Wallabies Captain Mortlock ruled out of Tri-Nations!!

The Wallabies have been dealt another blow following Saturdays 17-29 loss to South Africa in Cape Town, as captain Sterling Mortlock has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2009 Tri-Nations.

Mortlock will now undergo arthroscopic (key hole) suergery on Wednesday and is expected to be ruled out of action for at least six weeks.

The centre, who played just 30 minutes in his 80th Test on Saturday, is likely to return for the Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland in November.

Quins under investigation again!!

In the wake of Dean Richards' resignation over the 'fake blood' incident during last season's Heineken Cup quarter-final, the ERC (European Rugby Cup) are set to re-open their case against club, departed coach and physios Wendy Chapman and Steph Brennan, while considering the appeal against the 12-month ban of Tom Williams, the player who had been treated as though his secretion of a blood capsule onto a pitch and use thereof had been entirely his own idea.

ERC's disciplinary officer, Roger O'Connor has appealed against the level of sanction on Quins, and the dismissal of complaints against three club officials.

An independent appeal committee will be convened and they have the power to dish out a more severe sentence, which could extend to throwing the club out of the tournament.

Total Rugby's 200th Show

The programme that is always on my Sky+ with a series link is the IRB's Total Rugby. To celebrate their 200th show they are looking back at some of their best moments.

Hernandez to make debut

Juan Martin Hernandez will make his long-awaited debut in round five of the Currie Cup, for the Sharks against the Leopards.

The former Stade Francais talisman and Argentina international arrived in the country last week but has been given time to improve on his conditioning ahead of his Sharks debut.

Cipriani wants to fly high this season!!

Danny Cipriani is looking forward to the new Guiness Premiership season and said that there is a fresh new atmosphere in the Wasps camp and they are confident that they can win trophies this season.

Wasps face Harlequins in their Guinness Premiership opener on 5 September and fly-half Cipriani is confident Tony Hanks' new-look side can hit the ground running this season.

Keven Mealamu Out of Tri-Nations!!

The All Blacks have been dealt another hard blow to their Tri-Nations campaign as Hooker Keven Mealamu is ruled out for the rest of the tournament.

Mealamu is set to undergo surgery after suffering a ruptured pectoral tendon during Saturday's 31-19 loss to the Springboks in Durban.

Mealamu will be out for 4 months and will not be part of New Zealands autumn internationals.

Steyn Retains 10 Jeresy for SA!!

Not suprisingly Peter De Villiers has named an unchanged side to face Australlia in Cape Town on Saturday.

Ruan Pienaar has been declared fit and will be on the bench for SA on Saturday.

"Ruan Pienaar has always been part of our plans, but I think it would be doing the players who played last week an injustice to change the side," said De Villiers.

He would be mental to change the team really and who on this planet would drop Morne Steyn after scoring 31 points on his own against the All Blacks??

JD Sports buys Canterbury

The sportswear firm JD Sports has bought the European arm of the rugby shirt specialists Canterbury, which recently slipped into administration.

JD Sports is paying £6.5m for Canterbury Europe, as well as the global rights to the Canterbury brand.

Canterbury makes the shirts for rugby teams including the Scottish national side, Leinster, Wasps and Cardiff. Its recent expansion into football and cricket has been blamed for its recent demise.

Internationally, Canterbury is best known as the sponsor of South Africa and Australia's national rugby union teams.

Rucks N Mauls on Twitter

You can now keep up to date with all the latest posts on Rucks N Mauls by following us on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/RucksNmauls

Fox Sports

Steyn gives All Blacks a bit of a lesson

Wilkinson Return!!

Jonny Wilkinson finally made his long awaited comeback from a number of serious injuries to reignite some hope for the England fans!

Wilkinson was making his debut for Toulon in a friendly which saw him score 6 points against Brive!


After 40 mins Wilkinson was replaced and Toulon went on to win 9-3!

Hopefully Wilkinson can reignite his career in France and produce some of his magic of old for both club and country.

2015 England Waits!!

The Decision will be made today to see if England or South Africa will hold the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

I would love to see the World Cup in England both because of what it can do for the game and it will also bring Rugby back to its origins and the country where the great game was born!

Hopefully all the games will be spread around the country, unlike the Rugby League World Cup that struggles to get out of the North!


The Rugby World Cup will be an integral part of the so-called "golden decade" of sport in the UK, along with the 2012 Olympics in London, 2013 Rugby League World Cup, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also the 2018 football World Cup, which the Football Association is hopeful of bringing to English soil.

Carter Makes Comeback!

All Black fly-hlaf Dan Carter is set to make his return from an Achillies injury on Saturday. Carter has been training with his provincial side Canterbury.

Hopefully he may feature in the Tri-Nations in September and just add to the class and talent that New Zeland already offer!

Heineken Cup 09/10

Sky Sports and ERC have announced there will be 37 live televised fixtures from the first four rounds of the 2009/10 Heineken Cup, more than ever before.

Your weekends are sorted with at least one match screened each Friday, three each Saturday, and two each Sunday, with extra selected Heineken Cup matches available live to Sky Digital viewers through the interactive function by pressing the red button.

The Heineken Cup in my eyes is the best Rugby competition behind the Rugby World Cup!!

Round One:

Friday 9 October 2009: (all times BST)

Pool 2 Gloucester v Newport Gwent Dragons 2000
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Bath Rugby 1930
Pool 6 Leinster v London Irish 2000

Saturday 10 October, 2009

Pool 1 Benetton Treviso v Perpignan 1330
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Munster 1800
Pool 2 Glasgow Warriors v Biarritz Olympique 1445
Pool 3 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Viadana 1500
Pool 4 Stade Francais v Edinburgh 1335
Pool 5 Cardiff Blues v Harlequins 1335
Pool 6 Scarlets v Brive 1500

Sunday 11 October 2009

Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys 1245
Pool 5 Toulouse v Sale Sharks 1500

Round Two:

Friday 16 October 2009:

Pool 1 Perpignan v Northampton Saints 2000
Pool 2 Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors 1930
Pool 5 Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues 2000

Saturday 17 October, 2009:

Pool 1 Munster v Benetton Treviso 1335
Pool 2 Biarritz Olympique v Gloucester 1335
Pool 3 Viadana v Leicester Tigers 1330
Pool 4 Edinburgh v Ulster 1545
Pool 5 Harlequins v Toulouse 1800
Pool 6 London Irish v Scarlets 1500
Pool 6 Brive v Leinster 1545

Sunday 18 October 2009:

Pool 3 Ospreys v ASM Clermont Auvergne 1245
Pool 4 Bath v Stade Français 1500

Round Three:

Friday 11 December 2009:

Pool 1 Munster v Perpignan 2000
Pool 2 Glasgow Warriors v Gloucester 1930

Saturday 12 December 2009:

Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Benetton Treviso 1500
Pool 3 Viadana v Ospreys 1330
Pool 4 Ulster v Stade Français 1335
Pool 5 Cardiff Blues v Toulouse 1545
Pool 6 Scarlets v Leinster 1800
Pool 6 Brive v London Irish 1800

Sunday 13 December 2009:

Pool 2 Biarritz Olympique v Newport Gwent Dragons 1245
Pool 3 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers 1500
Pool 4 Bath v Edinburgh 1500
Pool 5 Harlequins v Sale Sharks 1245

Round Four:

Friday 18 December 2009:

Pool 2 Newport Gwent Dragons v Biarritz Olympique 2000

Saturday 19 December 2009:

Pool 1 Benetton Treviso v Northampton Saints 1330
Pool 3 Ospreys v Viadana 1430
Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v ASM Clermont Auvergne 1800
Pool 4 Stade Français v Ulster (venue outside Paris, TBC) 1545
Pool 4 Edinburgh v Bath 1335
Pool 5 Toulouse v Cardiff Blues 1335
Pool 6 Leinster v Scarlets 1545
Pool 6 London Irish v Brive 1500

Sunday 20 December 2009:

Pool 1 Perpignan v Munster 1500
Pool 2 Gloucester v Glasgow Warriors 1245
Pool 5 Sale Sharks v Harlequins 1500

Round Five: 15-17 January 2010 (Fixtures TBC)

Round Six: 22-24 January 2010 (Fixtures TBC)

Quarter-finals: 9-11 April 2010

Semi-finals: 1-2 May 2010

Final: 22 May 2010 (Stade de France, Paris)

Rocky Elsom Caption

This latest image of Leinsters outstanding back row Rocky Elsom training with Australia in Sydney is dying for a caption to be made up!! Please leave some of your suggestions!!

Gloucester Pre-Season

Sky Sports spent time with Gloucester during their pre-season training. The video offers an awesome insight into preparations and the training that takes place at a Premiership club and how technology and sports sciences are becoming more important in the modern game.

Harlequins Fined £215,000

When I first heard this I was shocked at the amount of money and the length of the ban involved so had to find the video clip. They deserve it for being so poor in the performace! Like a cheap horror film from the 70s! What the hell did Williams spit out of his mouth it looks like he has a tin of Tomato soup slapped around his face!!



Can anyone make any sense of this?

• Sticking your fingers into someone's eye socket with the possibility of causing blindness: 8 weeks

• Taking an illegal Class A drug: 8 months

• Pretending to be hurt: 1 year?

Lets see a proper sport in the Olympics!

Rugby is competing to be included in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately we will not see this happen in London, but the olympic-rugby.org petition aims to swing the vote this time and generate as much publicity and momentum for the cause as possible, before the decision gets made in October 2009.

Sign up now!!
http://www.olympic-rugby.org/