Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Rugby World

1 England and New Zealand have met 31 times in women’s rugby. NZ lead 19-11 with one draw, in 2011 when Mo Hunt’s try ensured honours were shared at Esher 2 Clash No 32 is at Twickenham on 14 September (3pm) in a potential dress rehearsal for the RWC 2025 final. Tickets are on sale, priced from £20 for adults and £5 for kids. See twickenhamstadium.com 3 The biggest win in the fixture occurred in the inaugural clash in 1997. NZ walloped the then world champions 67-0 at Burnham Military Base in Canterbury, wing Vanessa Cootes scoring four tries 4 Next month’s meeting will be the teams’ first stand-alone match at Twickenham Stadium. The three previous games there – 2009, 2011, 2012 – were part of double headers (England won…

WHAT’S THE club called? Greenock Wanderers RFC. And where do they call home? Greenock, funnily enough. It’s a small town, once a fishing village, located at the mouth of the River Clyde about 30 minutes by car outside of Glasgow. When and how did the club start? The Greenock Wanderers began as Wanderers FC in 1873 as an association football team, but don’t confuse them with the other Wanderers FC, who won the FA Cup on five occasions. Greenock Wanderers only lasted 21 weeks before joining the union side of football. Then in 1878, Wanderers FC and Greenock West End merged to form Greenock Wanderers RFC. What teams do they have within the club? A full portfolio, by the looks of things. Starting with the ‘Wee Wandies’ (U5s), right through to…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH 4 50:22s kicked by Bath’s Ben Spencer in the Premiership last year. One more than next-best Finn Russell, his team-mate 39 Tries scored on the opening weekend of the Premiership last season – 28 fewer than in the URC 13 Turnovers won by Nick Tompkins and Ivan van Zyl of Saracens last season – the most by any backs 119 Scrums won by Exeter Chiefs (left) last season – the most in the league Final Standings Most Tries Most Points Sale Sharks were the only team that beat every other Premiership side last season 5 Most turnovers won in a single match – by Exeter Chiefs wing Olly Woodburn 50 Turnovers won across the last two seasons by Quins’ Will Evans. Ben Earl and Alex Dombrandt each topped the tally for individual seasons 309 Out-the-back…

Ground Sandy Park, Sandy Park Way, Exeter EX2 7NN Phone 01392 890890 Website exeterchiefs.co.uk DISCUSSION POINTS Exeter have shed 34 players in the past two years, yet the squad remains formidable. Youngsters Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Dafydd Jenkins, Christ Tshiunza and Ross Vintcent are already shining on the Test stage, while Chiefs had three starters in the England side that won the U20 World Cup. The scrum went well last term under Ross McMillan, and Jimmy Roots, brother of Test back-row Ethan, and Will Goodrick-Clarke have arrived from Ealing to offset the loss of several front-rowers. Veteran hooker Jack Yeandle has been awarded a testimonial. Chiefs were in the play-off hunt until the final day last season; they also beat Toulon, Munster, Glasgow and Bath in Europe before running into Toulouse. All…

Ground Mattioni Woods Welford Road Stadium, Aylestone Road, LE2 7TR Phone 0116 319 8888 Website leicestertigers.com DISCUSSION POINTS Life is never dull at Leicester, whose rise out of the mire to become champions in 2022 seems an age away now. Dan McKellar was appointed a year ago after a rigorous six-month process, the best of about 40 candidates, so the club told us. Yet he was dumped in June on the back of a lowly finish. So Michael Cheika, whose extensive CV includes 66 Tests as Wallabies head coach, sweeps in to add his fiery brand of management. “I’m looking for total commitment and clear alignment to how we want to play the game. You’ve got to be great at everything when you want to aim high,” he says. The…

Ground Salford Community Stadium, Stadium Way, Eccles, Manchester M30 7EY Phone 0161 786 1570 Website salesharks.com DISCUSSION POINTS Alex Sanderson’s extended contract is Sale’s best signing of 2024, the DoR having steered Sharks to the play-offs in three of his four campaigns since 2021. Manu Tuilagi and Sam James have gone from the midfield but in comes esteemed Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu and the returning Will Addison, while 6ft 8in lock Le Roux Roets arrives two years after Sale’s attempts to sign him were foiled by red tape. “He loves to bang hard,” says Sanderson. George Ford, excused tour duty this summer, heads a back division containing the hugely consistent Rob du Preez (55 consecutive league starts) and newly capped trio Tom Roebuck, Arron Reed and Gus Warr. Sale’s physicality…

Ground Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Via dei Campi Sportivi, Treviso Phone +39 0422 324238 Website benettonrugby.it DISCUSSION POINTS Can the Italians build on a successful campaign last time out? Marco Bortolami’s men impressed on both sides of the ball as they reached the last eight, where they lost by a score to the Bulls. They look to have recruited well again, but the path to that next level looks steep. They’ve lost two hookers to the Top 14 in Giacomo Nicotera and Gianmarco Lucchesi, which puts a lot of pressure on Marco Manfredi, an arrival from Zebre. They have strong options in the other front-row positions but will hope to avoid the injury crisis that enveloped them last season. Is this the year Leonardo Marin establishes himself as first-pick fly-half?…

Ground Dexcom Stadium, College Road, Galway Phone +353 91 447 751 Website connachtrugby.ie DISCUSSION POINTS Connacht finished a somewhat disappointing 11th last season, but when you put some meat on the bones you can see they weren’t blessed with good luck. Injuries plagued them, particularly with the loss of their Test wings, Mack Hansen and Santiago Cordero. Hansen played just three URC games. Cordero, the Puma, managed only two. Connacht will feel like they’re due some good fortune. Only Scarlets, Dragons and Zebre conceded more tries last season, so that’s a big focus for Pete Wilkins and his coaches. This is a league of fine margins. Connacht lost by four points to the Stormers, by three against Edinburgh, by two against Leinster, by one against Ulster. Turn a couple of…

Ground Scotstoun Stadium, 112 Danes Drive, Glasgow, G14 9HD Phone 0131 378 1600 Website glasgowwarriors.org DISCUSSION POINTS Franco Smith’s men beat both Munster and the Bulls away on successive weekends to become URC champions back in June. But how will they deal with the pressure of now being the pursued rather than the pursuer? Adam Hastings’s return will take weight off Tom Jordan’s shoulders and potentially allow the Kiwi-born playmaker to move back out to his original role in the centres, but with Smith keen to spread opportunities around, will he anoint either man as his first-choice fly-half or just let them battle against each other? Similarly, what will give in the back row now the hulking specimen that is Sione Vailanu has recovered from long-term injury? Henco Venter stepped…

Ground Thomond Park, Cratloe Road, Limerick Phone +353 61 421 100 Website munsterrugby.ie DISCUSSION POINTS They’ll have a world of regrets from last season, having failed to win a home semi-final against Glasgow. It was a glorious opportunity for the then holders to go back-to-back, but a lack of composure cost them. If they can sharpen up their decision-making and improve their game management in the knockout rounds, Munster can come again. Their defence was the best in the league last season. They need to be more clinical in attack in the biggest games. Coach Graham Rowntree spoke of the need for composure in the wake of the Glasgow defeat. They only scored 65 tries compared to 85 for the Bulls. They’ve lost some power, class and experience in RG…

Ground Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Jacko Jackson Dr, Stamford Hill, Durban Phone +27 31 308 8400 Website sharksrugby.co.za DISCUSSION POINTS The Sharks secured a groundbreaking equity deal in 2021 and stacked their squad with star players ahead of South African rugby’s pivot to the northern hemisphere. At that stage, they were widely tipped to lead the South African charge, and to challenge the better European teams for the URC title. That prophecy did not come to pass as they finished fifth in the inaugural tournament, and eighth the following year. They went on to lose 14 matches in the third instalment of the URC and ended the league phase 14th. The Sharks went on to win the Challenge Cup and regain a seat at the Champions Cup table – in the…

Ground Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Via S Leonardo, 110/A, Parma Phone 0521 221168 Website zebreparma.it DISCUSSION POINTS Will the appointment of Massimo Brunello as head coach finally lift Zebre out of the doldrums? Brunello enjoyed a series of landmark successes with the national U20 team and many of those same players will now come under his command in Parma. There is no shortage of upcoming talent on the books, but Zebre have been unable to mould a cohesive, competitive unit after signing any number of jobbing foreigners in recent years. There’s been a clearout this summer but little in the way of fresh blood other than exciting young fly-half Giacomo Da Re. Can the former Benetton man help better engage the relative riches that Zebre possess out wide? Even with Lorenzo…

“ I LIVE in the Isle of Man, working as commercial director for Yolo Investments. I’ve been here for eight years and it’s a pretty good spot. My wife is from the island, our two young girls were born here and the chances of moving back to New Zealand are pretty slim, but I keep dropping hints to the wife… “The main point of me moving to Wasps from Northampton (in 2008) was that I wanted to be in the City of London and work in the financial markets. “I had a degree in business finance, so when I retired in 2010, I had a job lined up at Credit Suisse in the European equity markets. But two weeks before I was due to begin, the whole desk got shut down…

“This new competition will develop Welsh rugby’s future” I RECENTLY WENT to Leigh Halfpenny’s wedding, which was a good laugh. Both him and Wyn Jones are looking forward to their time at Harlequins. Leigh is going to do a bit of coaching and mentoring too, which fits. But I just can’t believe that Wyn had nothing for him in Wales. It’s the sad state of Welsh rugby that when I was looking around the room, none of us who have retired are involved day-to-day in Wales. There was Alun Wyn (Jones), Sam Warburton and others but I think it’s just James Hook coaching at the Ospreys. It’s ridiculous – the amount of IP in that room and no one is involved. It’s mental. Hopefully the WRU’s new Super Rygbi Cymru…

ONE CHARACTER of the 1970s and 1980s was the Abertillery and Newbridge prop Brandon Cripps, writes John K Fox. Everyone locally knows a ‘Brandon story’; this one occurred when he played for Abertillery Youth in April 1974. We played Aberaman Youth in Aberdare. Cripps, then a lock, hurt his knee and spent 50 minutes on the sidelines while we battled to a 13-13 draw. After a while, a tractor arrived to remove the near-18st lump to the dressing rooms. We got back to Abertillery by 7pm, where four of us carried Crippsy up a steep hill to his home in Rhiw Parc. The story doesn’t end here. The next weekend was our first tour – to Coventry, ‘The Man’ on crutches. After a defeat to Solihull Colts on the Saturday,…

“Hopefully in ten years’ time I’ll be the best lock in the world” HI, MY name is Junior Kpoku. I’m 18 years old and play rugby for Racing 92 in France. I also recently won the U20 World Championship with England. If you don’t know who I am just yet, that’s fine, you will soon. We were the first men’s England side to take the U20 world title in eight years, which is quite a long time when you consider the talent we produce year after year. So many of the guys you see playing senior rugby today came through this system and tournament. We beat France 21-13 in South Africa in the final. It was a tough match and one we had to go deep to win. When it…

Ground The Recreation Ground, Spring Gardens, Bath BA2 4DS Phone 01225 325200 Website bathrugby.com DISCUSSION POINTS It’s all go at Bath, where Johann van Graan took the club to within a whisker of their first English title since 1996. That June final defeat after Beno Obano’s early red card showed how tough Bath are to beat – Leicester away was the only match last term in which they came away with nothing. If Finn Russell and Ben Spencer are the principal drivers, Bath ooze class from all points. Ollie Lawrence, Joe Cokanasiga and Alfie Barbeary – “He’s that kid at U15 level that looks like he’s 21,” says pundit Dave Flatman – lead the ball-carrying threat and try-scoring tighthead Thomas du Toit spearheads a potent scrum. Into the mix come…

Ground Kingsholm, Kingsholm Road, Gloucester GL1 3AX Phone 01452 872250 Website gloucesterrugby.co.uk DISCUSSION POINTS We like George Skivington’s calm inscrutability under the gaze of the media, but the fact remains that Gloucester have come second-to-bottom in three of his four seasons at Kingsholm. Last term brought solace in the shape of the Premiership Cup – their first trophy since 2015 – and a place in the Challenge Cup final, where their scrum unravelled against SA’s Sharks. With Adam Hastings moving on, the arrival of the Wales half-backs Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe takes Gloucester in a new direction (see The Analyst on P92-93). The strength of the side lies in back-rows Zach Mercer, Ruan Ackermann and Lewis Ludlow, while jackaling loosehead Val Rapava-Ruskin could yet win an England cap if…

Ground Kingston Park, Brunton Road, Newcastle NE13 8AF Phone 0191 214 5588 Website newcastlefalcons.co.uk DISCUSSION POINTS They made the semi-finals in 2018 but what a sorry tale since, including bottom-place finishes in the last two years. Ironically, having been relegated in 2019 with 31 points, they stayed up last season with a paltry five points, the 85-14 thrashing by Bristol a real horror show. Head coaches Dave Walder and Alex Codling went in quick succession and it’s over to Steve Diamond, aka Gordon Ramsay (see our feature on P74), to try to revive the ailing Falcons. Typically, he’s recruited fighters, players with a ‘bit of dog’ like Tom Gordon and Cam Neild, in a bid to make Falcons tough to beat. “If we do lose, we lose with a scrap,”…

Ground StoneX Stadium, Greenlands Lane, Hendon, London NW4 1RL Phone 0203 870 3303 Website saracens.com DISCUSSION POINTS There’s been a revolving door at Sarries’ St Albans training ground as players come and go. Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers, with 266 England caps between them, are the tip of an iceberg – the club has seen five loosehead props alone depart. All of which makes it difficult to discern whether the 2023 champions will resemble the classy team that fought to gritty wins at Bath and Bristol in late season or the shambolic outfit that leaked 65 points at Exeter and 100 points across two games in Bordeaux. They conceded six scrum penalties in the losing semi-final at Saints. The academy talent is not in question and if this is…

Ground Loftus Versfeld, 416 Kirkness St, Arcadia, Pretoria Phone +27 12 420 0700 Website bullsrugby.co.za DISCUSSION POINTS Jake White was tasked with rebuilding the franchise in 2020, and proceeded to implement new structures and recruit star players with the aim of ending a decade-long trophy drought. Fast-forward to the present, where the Bulls have re-established themselves as one of the powerhouses of South African rugby. Now that they’re one of the most well-resourced teams in the URC, they’re under increasing pressure to bring that title home. The Bulls have been outplayed in the latter stages of the URC for three seasons running, losing a quarter-final and two finals. Unless they address their mental shortcomings, they will finish yet another campaign empty-handed – and heads may roll. White has bolstered his…

Ground Rodney Parade, Rodney Road, Newport NP19 0UU Phone 01633 670690 Website dragonsrfc.wales DISCUSSION POINTS Given the Dragons could have gone to the wall in the summer of 2023, it’s a relief they’re still here. You just wish they weren’t trapped in a rugby Groundhog Day. They were 15th last season, 15th the season before and 15th the season before that. You’d get short odds on them being 15th again this season. They have won only nine of their 54 URC games over the last three seasons, so it’s hard to picture them becoming anything other than also-rans at the wrong end of the table. That’s what recent history tells us and it’s what they will be fighting hard to change. They have some outstanding individuals but the overall depth…

Ground The RDS, Merriod Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin DO4 AK83 Phone +353 1269 3224 Website leinsterrrugby.ie DISCUSSION POINTS How much psychological baggage will Leinster carry into the new season? That’s the big unknown. Good enough to make the last three URC semi-finals and the last three Champions Cup finals, they’ve also not been good enough to win any of them. Their margins of defeat have been agonisingly small each time. Credit to them for their resilience in going back to the well every season, but will there come a point when all that hurt just grinds them down? They’ve made a statement by signing RG Snyman and Jordie Barrett (on a short-term deal), so they’re real contenders again. They have so many Test players and buckets of young talent. They’ll play…

Ground swansea.com Stadium, Landore, Swansea Phone 01792 616400 Website ospreysrugby.com DISCUSSION POINTS Given the financial problems in Welsh rugby, it was disconcerting to hear our own Sean Holley, the former Ospreys coach, and Alex Cuthbert, the former Wales wing, voice fears that the club might vanish as part of the cost-cutting regime coming down the track. Ospreys delivered their best performance in the URC era last season when finishing eighth, only to lose a quarter-final at Munster. If they clean up against their Welsh rivals once again – 24 points from a possible 30 – that’ll be the foundations laid for another bid for the top eight. In a time of major flux in the domestic game, Ospreys have managed to hold on to nearly all the players that got…

Ground DHL Stadium, Fritz Sonnenberg Rd, Green Point, Cape Town Phone +27 21 417 0120 Website thestormers.com DISCUSSION POINTS The Stormers defied the odds to win the inaugural URC and to host a second consecutive final a year later. While competing franchises drew on their considerable financial resources to bolster their squads during this period, the Cape Town-based side struggled to retain key players and, at one point, pay those who remained. While the results of the past three seasons suggest the team has regressed – from champions to runners-up to fifth – the franchise is finally in a position to grow, having closed an equity deal at the beginning of 2024. Key players have been locked into long-term contracts, while stars like Steven Kitshoff have been recalled from overseas.…

CONSIDER THAT the engine of rugby across the world is the Rugby World Cup, and that profits from the tournament are overwhelmingly the major avenue of income which keeps the sport going. That is why so much care is taken when allocating tournaments to various bidders. In that sense, for World Rugby to award the 2031 tournament to the United States can be considered a gamble. However much we love the idea of US rugby rising up to become a significant world force, you also have to admit that a good number of initiatives have not quite worked, and that while 2031 may seem a long time into the future, the time will shrink rapidly, especially if no progress is made with that country. But during the Olympics, the prospects…

THE JOURNEY TO THE GAMES I WAS so close to being an Olympian in Tokyo and it was such a difficult decision to step away from sevens when I did. It remained an itch I needed to scratch. With the new England XVs coaching staff coming in, with John Mitchell as head coach, I thought if I’m going to ask about it then now is the time. I was prepared for the worst, so I didn’t get my hopes too high. And then I just was on a call with Mitch and told him how much it would mean to me to go to an Olympics. And he kind of just said, “Yeah, why not?” To have that just lifted so much weight off my shoulders, because I thought it…

GLOUCESTER PRIDE themselves on Fortress Kingsholm but lately it’s been a bouncy castle. They amassed a meagre 54 tries in the Premiership last season, so the signing of Welsh internationals Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe to bolster the club’s point-scoring capacity couldn’t be more timely. Williams is Wales’ No 1 scrum-half and his departure from Cardiff has caused a huge stir in the Principality. He has recovered from ankle ligament damage suffered in March and could be the key to unlock the Cherry & Whites back-line. Williams can create havoc in defences, speed up a game, and score as well as assist in tries. He is a lively, aggressive player with a cheeky competitive edge – exactly what Gloucester need. Likewise, Anscombe is an ideal fit. He’s not one to…

Email your letters to rugbyworldletters@futurenet.com or write to our editorial address ★ STAR LETTER ★ Change for the best The committee has worked really hard since Covid to protect the Army-Navy match and there are many reasons why things have had to change (Rugby Rant, August issue). The Corps Bars were removed due to the significant cost of erecting the marquees and a need to change behaviours of a minority of attendees; the military simply can’t be seen to encourage excess drinking and antisocial behaviour. We’ve worked with the RFU, the Met Police and the local community to ensure the event is safe and enjoyable for all. This year there was only one minor incident reported by the local community, so we are achieving our aim. But we’re also reliant…

1 HENRY WALKER Age 19 (24 June 2005) Born Harlow, England Position Hooker Club Ulster Country Ireland When did you first play rugby? When my mum Kerry took me down to my local club Bishop’s Stortford at age six. I just loved it, rugby was the sport for me. It was more aggressive than other sports and I was quite a boisterous child. What attracted you to the sport? I liked the physical side once we did contact. Did you play other sports? I tried to shoulder-barge in football! I did rugby, football and cricket at Bishop’s Stortford College. Positions played? I was lighter and quicker when I was younger, so I was in the backs. I went from wing to centre and then because my older brother played hooker…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH LONDON WASPS, remember them? It’s sad to think that a club that was so dominant so recently no longer exists, writes Joe Robinson. At their best, Wasps were one of the greatest club sides ever to play the game and this particular archive jersey comes from the team’s imperial phase. Worn from 2005 to 2007, it’s a classic from the days in which alcoholic beverages were allowed to sponsor shirts and leagues alike. This jersey came off the back of three consecutive league titles, despite never finishing the season top of the Premiership. It was a party trick of sorts. Bumble through the early season, come good in February, win the big final in Twickenham in May, leave Gloucester fans wondering if they will ever win the…

Ground Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol BS3 2EJ Phone 0117 963 0600 Website bristolbearsrugby.com DISCUSSION POINTS Bristol turned the clock back last season, demolishing the likes of Quins, Saints and Newcastle with a brio reminiscent of their table-topping 2020-21 campaign. Only a home defeat by Saracens in May cost them a play-off spot. The wheels of change grind on, however, and the departure of 17 players – including centurions Callum Sheedy, Piers O’Conor, Dan Thomas and Ed Holmes – has left the squad looking a little lean. It’s the smallest squad that Pam Lam has had since he arrived in 2017 and has a more youthful, home-grown feel. Headline signing ‘Bill’ Mata will bring silky offloads and gain-line on both sides of the ball. With Test tighthead Kyle Sinckler now in…

Ground Twickenham Stoop Stadium, Langhorn Drive, Twickenham TW2 7SX Phone 0208 410 6000 Website quins.co.uk DISCUSSION POINTS Quins have sold out their season tickets for a third year running, their swashbuckling rugby wooing fans in big numbers. Their 2023-24 European exploits – which included thrilling wins at Racing and Bordeaux – made a second successive sixth-place league finish harder to swallow; a sense of underachievement hangs in the Stoop air. Into the mix come two veteran Welsh Lions in Leigh Halfpenny and Wyn Jones, though tighthead Titi Lamositele is the most telling signing, tasked as he is with replacing club legend Will Collier. Andre Esterhuizen, the fabulously assertive ball-carrier in midfield, will also be much missed. Quins leaked the most league tries last season apart from the bottom two, so…

Ground cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, Weedon Road, NN5 5BG Phone 01604 751543 Website northamptonsaints.co.uk DISCUSSION POINTS All the years of upskilling under former DoR Chris Boyd came to fruition in glorious fashion in June as Saints won their second English title. Phil Dowson and attack guru Sam Vesty, potentially a future England partnership, have built on Boyd’s work and the result is a side that fizzes with energy and ambition. Saints scored more tries from their own 22 (five), and from kick returns (15), than anyone else last term and there was no stopping them once they overcame a faltering start. Yet for all the elan of backs like Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme and George Furbank, ultimately it was tackling resilience that won the day. Replacing Courtney Lawes and…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Most Tries Most Points 107 The number of tip passes made by Munster last season – the most in the URC 19 Glasgow Warriors racked up 19 maul tries last season – more than the two next-best teams combined 85.2% Goal-kicking accuracy of top point-scorer Ben Healy, the Edinburgh stand-off The Scarlets only beat Welsh and Italian opposition in the 2023-24 season 1,590 Munster’s Shane Daly and David Kriel of Vodacom Bulls both played 1,590 minutes last season – more than any other player in the competition 8.4 Average number of turnovers per 80 minutes won by Cardiff – the most in the URC 120 Points scored by Emirates Lions in the final ten minutes of games – accounting for a league-high 22.8% of their points 2 Zebre’s only win last season (against…

Ground Cardiff Arms Park, Westgate Street, Cardiff CF10 1JA Phone 02920 302000 Website cardiffrugby.wales DISCUSSION POINTS Save for a dramatic late win against the Stormers, Cardiff came out the wrong side of practically every close game they played last season. Benetton beat them in the 79th minute. They also drew one they should have won, Zebre scoring a converted try in the 85th minute to deny them victory. No wonder Cardiff finished a lowly 12th with just four wins. You don’t need to be the brains of the Principality to figure out what they have to do this season. That freakish run of near-misses can’t continue if they’re to make amends for what was a desperately disappointing campaign last time out. One of the key issues is that a fair…

Ground Hive Stadium, 42 Saughtonhall Avenue, Edinburgh EH12 5QY Phone 0131 378 1600 Website edinburghrugby.org DISCUSSION POINTS The big question heading into the second year of Sean Everitt’s tenure is whether Edinburgh can throw off the shackles that made them such a tough watch for much of the first. The capital club were painfully unambitious, midfield creativity close to non-existent, and claiming only three try bonus points ultimately sunk them in a tight play-off race. By contrast, scrum dominance was rarely a problem in the 12 years that WP Nel spent at the club, but with the veteran tighthead now retired, can Edinburgh maintain those sturdy foundations? And will the returning Magnus Bradbury finally achieve the consistency that has proved so frustratingly elusive throughout his career? At his best, he’s…

Ground Emirates Airline Park, Staib St, New Doornfontein, Johannesburg Phone +27 11 402 2960 Website lionsrugby.co.za DISCUSSION POINTS Gone are the days when the Lions were kings of the South African rugby jungle. An ongoing exodus has drained the franchise of top players and coaches, and this has compromised the team’s quest to make the URC play-offs in the past three seasons. But there have been signs of improvement. While attacking rugby is in their DNA, the Lions have shown more determination on defence since former Bok centre Jaque Fourie joined the coaching staff, and a more balanced approach has led to more competitive performances, as well as a few monumental results, such as the 44-12 win against Leinster and the 44-21 victory over eventual champions Glasgow in Johannesburg. These…

Ground Parc y Scarlets, Parc Pemberton, Llanelli SA14 9UZ Phone 01554 783900 Website scarlets.wales DISCUSSION POINTS Miles off it last season and the season before, the Scarlets seem to be treading water. In finishing 13th, and 14th the year before, they have won only 11 out of 36 in this competition in the past two seasons. Only the Dragons scored fewer points last season and only the Dragons and Zebre conceded more. With 37 tries for and 77 against, they ranked 15th and 14th respectively in those categories. It’s virtually impossible to see how they can make the required improvements to get themselves up the table in any kind of significant way. They’ve suffered a major blow with the exit of Wyn Jones on the back of Kieran Hardy leaving…

Ground Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue, Belfast Phone 02890 493222 Website ulster.rugby DISCUSSION POINTS The big question revolves around coach Richie Murphy’s desire to build from within while simultaneously staying in the hunt for the main prize. Murphy, the successful former coach of Ireland U20, took over as interim coach in the wake of Dan McFarland’s exit last season. Ulster were in a dreadful state when he arrived – CEO Jonny Petrie also departed – and he improved things. He gave more young players a chance and that’s where he sees Ulster’s future now that he’s the permanent coach. It’s a period of evolution and exciting for all of that. The best result under Murphy was the win against Leinster that put them into the play-offs. Cormac Izuchukwu, 24,…

“When carrying in traffic, footwork is crucial. Late footwork through contact helps you to beat the defender but also allows you to maintain momentum by moving forward and staying on your toes. Anything you can do to keep the defenders off-balance will turn those tight carries into successful ones that break the gain-line.” “You need to secure the ball when carrying through defenders but also be able to offload if you get through contact. Try to keep the ball in two hands for as long as possible before contact. I’ll transfer the ball to one hand if I’m going to hand off the defender before contact or if there’s an offload opportunity through contact. You want to get a good feel of where team-mates are before contact, so you know…