George Ford quick to steal show from rival to become headline act
1 decade ago by The TimesThey played rugby league against one another when they were 12, they went to the same school. They were team-mates for England at under-16 level and, for good measure, their names are even alliterative. ...
Olympic door opens for George North and flyers from 15-a-side game
1 decade ago by The TimesThe door has been opened for players such as Danny Cipriani, Christian Wade and George North to play at the Olympic Games after Great Britain said that selection would not be restricted to sevens specialists. Top-flight...
Northampton Saints were probably team to beat, says Billy Vunipola
1 decade ago by The TimesBilly Vunipola, the Saracens No 8, has declared that his team’s toughest test is not necessarily tomorrow’s Aviva Premiership Final, but the semi-final they won against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s...
World Cup spot could be next in Luke Cowan-Dickie’s remarkable rise
1 decade ago by The TimesExclusive Things have moved quickly for Luke Cowan-Dickie over the past fortnight, just as they have done for his whole career. From considering himself a “long shot” to make England’s 50-man...
Aviva Premiership try of the season
1 decade ago by The TimesFrom George North’s try for Northampton Saints against Gloucester to Christain Wade’s score for Wasps against Saracens, see if you agree with Alex Lowe’s selection for the top five tries of the...
Lewis Moody backs Dylan Hartley after headbutt ban - 'I worry about rugby becoming overly PC'
1 decade ago by The TelegraphLewis Moody, the former England captain, believes Dylan Hartley’s experience will enable him to retain his place in Stuart Lancaster’s training squad but says that his four-week suspension will cost...
Young players make mistakes all the time - judge Manu Tuilagi and Dylan Hartley on rugby not as role models
1 decade ago by The TelegraphI want to address the holy cow that sports stars should be seen as role models. Quite simply, why? This has vexed me for some time and we saw another example of it when centre Manu Tuilagi was dropped...
The Crunch: the biggest hits of the season
1 decade ago by The TimesWith the Aviva Premiership coming to an end at Twickenham on Saturday, review the best of the big hits from the season gone by, including Jacques Burger’s gore into Ken Pisi as Saracens secured their...
Bath winning the mind games thanks to input of ‘brain tuner’
1 decade ago by The TimesAs Bath prepare to put their bodies on the line in Saturday’s Aviva Premiership final against Saracens, they are putting their minds in the hands of a “brain tuner” who battles brawn with Buddhism...
Rugby legend ‘too ugly’ for best-ever team
1 decade ago by The TimesOne sports unfashionable sideburns and has a rather beaky appearance but captained the British and Irish Lions. The other is a rugged hunk. So when Eddie Butler, the BBC’s “voice of rugby”, was...
