Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i Rugby World

SIMON HODGKINSON and Ian Metcalfe, captain of Nottingham and Moseley respectively, graced our October 1987 cover as we marked the launch of national league rugby in England, writes Alan Pearey. Their clubs competed in the maiden Courage Division One fixture on 5 September 1987, Nottingham winning 21-12. “As the values of incentive awards sink in, hopefully there will be a greater emphasis on open rugby,” we reported. “We don’t want to hear of backs dying of hypothermia this winter.” “WE HOPE TO SEE OPEN RUGBY. WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR OF BACKS DYING OF HYPOTHERMIA” Unlike today, clubs met each other just once and in that first year they organised the fixtures themselves. Leicester, captained by Paul Dodge, went on to clinch the title despite completing only ten of their…

15 Try assists by Bath fly-half Finn Russell – the most in the league 19 Joint-most try involvements last season for Bristol Bears’ Harry Randall and Gloucester’s Tomos Williams 0 Northampton Saints received the fewest cards last season – eight yellow and zero red 42.6% Possession kicked by Newcastle Falcons last season – the most by any PREM team 53.6% Tackle completion percentage from 69 attempts by Gloucester’s Santiago Carreras – the lowest in the league 17.7% Percentage of restarts retained by Exeter Chiefs, with 20 successes 2878 Tackles made by Sale, 178 of them dominant. Back-row Ernst van Rhyn made 225 tackles MOST POINTS MOST TRIES…

IG @OFFICIALEXETERCHIEFS // X @EXETERCHIEFS // FACEBOOK @EXETERCHIEFS DISCUSSION POINTS Last year was quite simply unacceptable for Exeter. For a side that between 2016 and 2021 made six successive finals, finishing ninth – 15 points adrift of Northampton in eighth – was hard to fathom. Those glory days are so long ago that the rags-to-riches Exeter story has now been made into a stage play. So it’s time for the next act. Some shrewd recruitment and a refreshed coaching staff should help to reinvigorate a beleaguered Chiefs. One concern is the exit of flanker Jacques Vermeulen, who has been a rock-solid performer. There are new international options at both nine and hooker, with Italy’s Stephen Varney and Springbok Joseph Dweba arriving. KEY PLAYER Injuries, along with a club and country malaise,…

IG @LEICESTERTIGERS // X @LEICESTERTIGERS // FACEBOOK @LEICESTERTIGERS DISCUSSION POINTS All change at Leicester, please. Head coach Michael Cheika has left after a single season in the hotseat while Dan Cole, Ben Youngs (both retired), Julián Montoya and Handré Pollard are also gone, taking their combined 440 Test caps with them. The new boss is former Tigers and England lock Geoff Parling, fresh from five years as the Wallabies forward coach. He leaves with an Aussie passport, a tan and the unenviable task of matching Cheika’s PREM final exploits in his first head coach gig. It will be tough for the County Durham native, who hopes that adopting Andy Farrell’s coaching mantra will bring results. “Sometimes we make it too complicated but Farrell is very simple in his delivery,” says…

IG @SALESHARKS) // X @SALESHARKSRUGBY // FACEBOOK @SALESHARKSRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS The PREM’s nearly men will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their one English title to date. In the last five years, they’ve made three semi-finals and one final without going the distance. The Sharks are always there or thereabouts but haven’t quite shown their very best when it matters most. They pack a big punch up front in attack as well as defence and with the Curry twins, they have two of the league’s finest back-row exponents on board. George Ford is aging like a fine wine and Sale possess an electric back three, with Tom Roebuck now rightly being recognised by England. Losing Jean-Luc du Preez has been offset by new prime Bok beef in Jacques Vermeulen. KEY PLAYER…

IG @BLUE_BULLS_OFFICIAL // X @BLUEBULLSRUGBY // FACEBOOK @VODACOMBULLS DISCUSSION POINTS The Bulls continue to set the standard in South Africa for high-profile recruitments and junior player development. They will start the new campaign with one of the URC’s strongest squads. Yet it’s hard to ignore the fact that they’ve lost three finals and that something has been wrong at the franchise for some time. After the latest defeat to Leinster in Dublin, coach Jake White bemoaned the quality of his squad. In response, a group of senior players went to the Bulls board with an ‘us or him’ ultimatum. White and the franchise parted ways in July. The Bulls have moved quickly to appoint another experienced coach in Johan Ackermann. “His management of people and ability to drive culture are…

IG @DRAGONSRFC // X @DRAGONSRFC // FACEBOOK @DRAGONSRFC DISCUSSION POINTS Life as a Dragon is a brutal gig, a relentless cycle of defeats and dark clouds. Bottom last year, in the last five campaigns they have won only 14 out of 88 games. Is there any more reason to believe this time? They’ve brought in experience in the shape of Wyn Jones, Dillon Lewis and Thomas Young but are losing Taine Basham and Dan Lydiate, who has retired. Basham is one of four centurions to depart, along with Joe Davies, Ashton Hewitt and Lydiate. They conceded 20 tries more than anyone else last season and only had one four-try bonus point. It’s a grim landscape, especially as they shipped an average of 35 points a game. It’s difficult to make…

IG @LEINSTERRUGBY // X @LEINSTERRUGBY // FACEBOOK @LEINSTERRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS A relentless machine, Leinster are the choice of most neutrals to be champions again. They won 16 out of 18 in the league phase last season and then three in a row to take the title. They scored the most tries and conceded the fewest. Winning a final after losing so many knockout games in recent years will only have galvanised them. Maybe not in Europe, but a monkey is off their back in the URC. Jordie Barrett is off their books, a blow that’s been softened by the arrival, on another short-term deal, of All Black Rieko Ioane. They don’t recruit heavily (their academy is so strong that they don’t need to) but when they go to market they…

IG @OSPREYS_OFFICIAL // X @RUGBYOSPREYS // FACEBOOK @OSPREYSRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS The fixture list couldn’t have been much crueller on the Ospreys, with trips to the Bulls and Stormers, then the visit of Glasgow in week four. They’ve signed a new lease on St Helen’s in Swansea but, because of the stadium redevelopment, will play home games at the temporary home of Brewery Field in Bridgend. It’s easy to see where Ospreys need to improve. Their away form last season was a catastrophe, winning only one game on the road (in March) against a Glasgow team missing all its Six Nations players. They’ve brought in Ross Moriarty from Brive but lost Adam Beard to Montpellier and Justin Tipuric to retirement. At least Tipuric will stay in the system as defence coach.…

IG @DHLSTORMERS // X @THESTORMERS // FACEBOOK @STORMERS DISCUSSION POINTS After hosting the first two URC finals in Cape Town, a less consistent Stormers side has been forced to travel to Glasgow for consecutive quarter-finals and has lost heavily on both occasions. The depth of the squad has been exposed in recent seasons, and the situation has been exacerbated by serious injuries to key players as well as enforced retirements. The Stormers start the new season with a youthful squad that has the potential to impress in attack. While they have made one or two big acquisitions in recent months, the jury is still out on whether they have enough senior personnel to push for the top four. KEY PLAYER Few will have forgotten Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s sparkling performance against Connacht…

THE DESPERATE state of Welsh rugby at international and regional level is accepted by everyone in the sport, inside and outside the country. Who shall we blame? Largely, the pitiful Welsh Rugby Union, for their total lack of leadership, proper decisions, professionalism, marketing and encouragement ever since the game went professional in 1995. The buck stops there. And what shall we do? Bin the WRU revival plans. Recently, I tried to recall any inspired administrators in Wales since amateurism – in other words, in 30 years. I came up with a few decent officials, and especially Gareth Davies and Martyn Phillips, who paired up at the WRU as chairman and chief executive for a term; and also Roger Lewis, who managed to antagonise the regions even more than the WRU…

“WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW MARO ITOJE GET AN ACTUAL BREAK?” RUGBY REALLYis an all-year sport these days. The body has hardly stopped aching from last season and yet we’re already gearing up for the PREM and URC to kick off again. The Top 14 is already underway. I joke but it’s pushing us players to the brink. Professional rugby is one of the most attritional and physical things you can do and we’re constantly being asked to do it more and more. Eventually, something is going to give. Many suits talk about player welfare as a priority, but for us players it couldn’t feel further from the truth. Players have widely accepted that they won’t be looked after as well as they should be and that clubs…

“ SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLBOY RUGBY IS DESTINY IN MOTION… IT’S THE NEXT BIG THING THERE’S SOMETHING electric brewing on South African soil – and it’s not just in the stadiums, it’s in the schoolyards. Schoolboy rugby is no longer just a stepping stone. It’s the show. This is where legends are born, before the lights and the fame – where raw talent collides with pure heart. From township grounds to elite rugby schools, these young warriors don’t play for money, they play for pride, brotherhood and the dream stitched into every pass. It’s the spirit of a nation rising through the boots of teenagers. Trust me, if you’re not watching it, you’re missing the biggest underground movement in world rugby. Before the world knew the name Siya Kolisi, Craven Week…

IG @BATHRUGBY // X @BATHRUGBY // FACEBOOK @BATHRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS “The sky’s the limit for this team,” said skipper Ben Spencer after Bath completed a remarkable treble in June of Premiership, Premiership Cup and Challenge Cup. And who can disagree? Spencer and Finn Russell drive a team that is bursting with international class, the experienced nous of men like Thomas du Toit, Charlie Ewels and Sam Underhill offset by the youthful zest of Max Ojomoh and Guy Pepper. The measured approach of director of rugby Johann van Graan – “never too high, never too low” is one of his core philosophies – keeps Bath on an even keel and not the least of his talents is keeping 60-odd players happy. That challenge will only increase after some stellar signings. The…

IG @OFFICIALGLOUCESTERRUGBY // X @GLOUCESTERRUGBY // FACEBOOK @GLOUCESTERRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS Gloucester almost booked their first semi-final since 2019 last season, but that hasn’t stopped them spinning the roulette wheel. Thirteen signings, and even more departures, mean boss George Skivington is effectively starting from scratch. Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne and All Black prop Nepo Laulala, the latter released by Toulouse due to a ruptured Achilles, are the most eye-catching arrivals in a squad now led by No 9 Tomos Williams. Arthur Clark and Seb Atkinson, both capped by England this summer, are the vice-captains. Gloucester are taking next year’s Slater Cup fixture against Leicester to Villa Park; their academy now has an expanded geographical area that includes Birmingham. The club launched their lilac away kit at Gloucester Cathedral, maybe hoping for…

IG @NEWCASTLEREDBULLS // X @NEWCASTLEREDBULLS // FACEBOOK @NEWCASTLEREDBULLS DISCUSSION POINTS The revolution will be televised! Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink giant, has acquired Newcastle Falcons in one of the most dramatic moves ever seen in PREM rugby. A brand with pedigree in developing high-performance sporting teams and a reputation for being modern and cool – this is exactly what rugby needs. And what better side to reap the rewards than Newcastle, a constant conveyor belt of talent that has so often struggled to compete due to finances and geography. An overnight transformation is unlikely but this is a new beginning and Newcastle will be a much better side this year than they were last. On the takeover, head coach Steve Diamond said: “We see the excitement when Newcastle United play…

IG @SARACENSOFFICIAL // X @SARACENS // FACEBOOK @SARACENSOFFICIAL DISCUSSION POINTS As we predicted, the mass exodus of experience dented Saracens’ hope of being title challengers last year. But they only have themselves to blame for not making the top four after sloppily losing control of their own fate. That said, it was a transitional year for the group, with the average age of the squad now down to 24. Playmaker Owen Farrell’s return is the headline news but the near 34-year-old is no silver bullet. However, he will be able to drive standards which perhaps slipped in his absence as uncharacteristic errors crept into Sarries’ game. Max Malins’s return helps soften the blow of Alex Goode’s retirement and provides positional versatility. Sarries still have a stacked squad and will be…

IG @CARDIFF.RUGBY // X @CARDIFF_RUGBY // FACEBOOK @CARDIFFRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS The last time Cardiff contended in the URC, or any of its other iterations, was way back in 2007-08 when they finished second in the old Celtic League. Since then, it’s been pure mediocrity – or worse. They’re the largest of the Welsh teams, with the biggest catchment area of clubs, and yet they haven’t figured. They hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, such as last season’s brief spell in administration, whereupon the WRU took control. On paper, Cardiff have plenty going for them – Taulupe Faletau (who only played six URC games last season), Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Cam Winnett, Teddy Williams, Alun Lawrence. They also have new blood in Taine Basham, Sam Wainwright, Javan Sebastian and Ioan…

IG @EDINBURGHRUGBY // X @EDINBURGHRUGBY // FACEBOOK @EDINBURGHRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS Edinburgh have made a very deliberate effort to reduce the age profile of their squad. While there’s logic behind the decision, you can’t escape the fact that a huge amount of experience has left the building this summer. Jamie Ritchie, Ali Price, Matt Scott, Mark Bennett, Emiliano Boffelli, Dave Cherry and Javan Sebastian have all departed. Sean Everitt still has a fine Test cohort to call upon, but there’s pressure to get more out of these men, more often. Having edged into the play-offs last season, then shown up well in their narrow quarter-final defeat at the Bulls, the capital club have something to build on. But doubts remain as to their mentality and ability to string together positive results.…

IG @LIONSRUGBYCO // X @LIONSRUGBYCO // FACEBOOK @LIONSRUGBYCO DISCUSSION POINTS Finding consistency has been a problem for the Lions in recent seasons, whether they’ve competed at home or away. The Johannesburg-based side started their 2024-25 URC campaign with four consecutive victories, before losing ten of their next 14 league matches. That rotten run of results included a 32-19 loss to the Scarlets at Ellis Park in the penultimate round, which ended their play-off quest. The Lions are the only franchise from the Republic yet to qualify for the knockout stages of the URC. They don’t have the resources of the other teams, and perennial issues such as squad depth are often exacerbated by competing clubs recruiting their best players. KEY PLAYER While a growing number of Lions are on the…

IG @SCARLETS_RUGBY // X @SCARLETS_RUGBY // FACEBOOK @SCARLETS DISCUSSION POINTS Freezing out all the talk of the massive restructuring of Welsh rugby is going to be a challenge for all four Welsh teams, especially as their fate will be known during the season, albeit any culling of teams won’t happen until 2027-28. The off-field stuff dominates. The US-based House of Luxury group is buying 55% of the club, subject to restructuring. The owner was born in Pontypridd. Dan Biggar is part of the company’s sports & entertainment division, with ex-WRU CEO David Moffett heading it up. Last season Scarlets made the play-offs for the first time since 2018, before exiting to Leinster in the quarter-final. They only scored 50 tries and had the fewest try bonus points in the top…

IG @OFFICIALULSTERRUGBY // X @ULSTERRUGBY // FACEBOOK @ULSTERRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS It was a miserable 2024-25 for Ulster – 14th. You might think that things can only get better. Er, maybe. The heart of the problem is a loss of experience. Duane Vermeulen, Sam Carter, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Rory Sutherland, Steven Kitshoff and Dave Ewers have all come and gone in recent times. So, too, have Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Ian Madigan, Jordi Murphy, Marty Moore, Billy Burns and Will Addison. And now they’ve lost Kieran Treadwell, John Cooney, Andy Warwick and Alan O’Connor – hundreds upon hundreds of caps. Ulster must give fans something to get behind or risk losing more of them. It’s a crossroads campaign. Last term they had a lot of injuries and self-inflicted defeats, too many games…

IT WAS third time lucky for Matt McNab’s World Cup dream after he helped Zimbabwe seal a return to rugby’s biggest stage 34 years after their last Finals appearance. McNab was part of the previous two Rugby World Cup qualifying efforts that fell short. But he helped the Sables earn a place at Australia 2027 by beating rivals Namibia 30-28 in the final of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup in July. Tiaan Swanepoel’s late penalty could have swung the game in favour of the Welwitschias but when he missed the target, Pieter Benade’s men could finally call themselves a World Cup team again having last featured in 1991. “It was a dream come true,” McNab, 27, tells Rugby World. “Every player dreams of the chance of playing at a World…

1 CREATE A MAZE To improve your foot speed, use a ladder or a line on the pitch. Get two feet either side of the line and back across it for six reps. The idea is you get quicker and quicker moving your feet laterally and back and forth. Progress by hopping one foot back and forth across the line. Lastly, put cones on the floor like a maze and run through it using small quick steps. Aim to improve your speed each rep. 2 BOTH HANDS To play different positions, the basic skills of rugby are even more important. So work really hard on handling, tackling, footwork and fitness. Pass with a friend off both hands, and make targets and games to compete against each other. Build up to walking and…

What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen on the pitch? Northampton were playing against Glasgow and a scuffle broke out after a try. Some of the guys got up pretty close to each other and Tom Jordan said to George Furbank: “Your breath stinks, mate.” Furbs laughed it off and said: “Yeah, good one.” Tom Jordan was like: “No, genuinely.” Furbs will be overjoyed that I’ve told you that one! What really annoys you? I really don’t like rudeness or poor manners. I also get annoyed when I lose things – you know, when you put something down like your wallet and then just can’t find it. There’s nothing more infuriating. If your house was on fire, what one item would you save? My England cap. If that burns it’s gone forever.…

IG @BRISTOLBEARSRFC // X @BRISTOLBEARS // FACEBOOK @BRISTOLBEARSRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS Bristol don’t do things by halves. Hot on the heels of social media phenomenon Ilona Maher, they snapped up Louis Rees-Zammit after his dramatic return to union. The Welsh wing adds yet more firepower to a team that scored 95 tries but leaked 80 in the 2024-25 regular season – numbers that reflect their Kevin Keegan-style ‘we’ll score more goals than you’ ethos. Some of their rugby was breathtaking, demanding extreme fitness levels. When they crushed Leicester 54-24, it was their tenth successive Premiership away win. Bristol have the smallest senior squad, 31 players. It’s partly why we predicted them to finish in the lower reaches of the table last year. How wrong we were – they actually led Bath…

IG @HARLEQUINS // X @HARLEQUINS // FACEBOOK @HARLEQUINSRUGBYUNION DISCUSSION POINTS By their lofty standards, Quins have been treading water for a few years. No trophies, no play-offs. And no Danny Care either now, the former England scrum-half having finally retired after 19 seasons donning the famous quarters. With nearly 20 players departing, it feels like a fresh start for head coach Danny Wilson. If social media is anything to go by, he has work to do to win over the fans. Recruitment has centred on the front five, where a trio of Pumas join George Turner, Harry Williams and Kieran Treadwell – all six are internationals. Stu Townsend will compete for the nine shirt. With some terrific young talent in the backs – Oscar Beard and Luke Northmore made their…

IG @NORTHAMPTONSAINTS // X @SAINTSRUGBY // FACEBOOK @NORTHAMPTONSAINTS DISCUSSION POINTS Second-season syndrome bit Saints on the backside last year as inconsistency and injuries saw the 2024 champions finish eighth – 14 points adrift of the play-offs. At times, they seemed drained of the dazzling energy that earned them the title the previous year. A 33-0 home drubbing by Leicester in March was a low point that head coach Phil Dowson described as “the harshest of lessons”. Saints did curtail PREM difficulties with an epic run to the Champions Cup final. The semi-final in Leinster showed that on their day this team can beat anyone. And with four returning Lions in Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith, Tommy Freeman and Henry Pollock, the pointy end of the Gallagher PREM feels inevitable for this…

IG @BENETTONRUGBY // X BENETTONRUGBY // FACEBOOK @BENETTONRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS Benetton begin a new era under Calum MacRae, the Scot having replaced Marco Bortolami after the ex-Italy lock’s departure to Sale. Steppng up from defence coach, MacRae has developed a fine reputation through his intellect and understated leadership style. Last season was a mixed bag, the Treviso-based club breaking new ground by reaching the Champions Cup knockout stage but being edged out of the URC play-off race. They are without the inspirational Nacho Brex, now at Toulon. His Italy midfield colleague Tommaso Menoncello has also been strongly linked with a move to France, but Benetton insist that he will see out the final year of his contract. Keeping hold of the 23-year-old is crucial as the squad remains light on…

IG @CONNACHTRUGBY // X @CONNACHTRUGBY // FACEBOOK @CONNACHTRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS There’s a mighty job to be done after finishing 13th last season. Drill down and there’s a little hope. Connacht lost six games by six points or fewer. They were joint-best when it came to losing bonuses. They also had a ruinous penchant for conceding tries in clusters. Tighten up and they can make quick improvements. New boss Stuart Lancaster will also be defence coach – that might help. December will mark the 140th anniversary of the founding of Connacht rugby. They’ve moved into a sparkling high-performance centre and the Dexcom Stadium is set for completion in mid-season. The capacity will be 12,000. They’ll have to make their new home a fortress. Sam Gilbert, the utility back, has been signed…

IG @GLASGOWWARRIORS // X @GLASGOWWARRIORS // FACEBOOK @GLASGOWWARRIORS DISCUSSION POINTS Last season finished under a cloud, not so much on account of a URC semi-final defeat by Leinster but rather what happened next in the bowels of Aviva Stadium when Franco Smith addressed reporters. The head coach said he faced a big decision on whether to fulfil the final year of his contract. Relations with his SRU employers have soured over the number of foreign players the pro sides are allowed to recruit and retain, as well as Smith’s ambitions for the Scotland job. With the South African forced to work with a smaller squad this year, it’s easy to see further friction arising. Smith sets the tone for everything Glasgow do on and off the pitch, so any sign…

IG @MUNSTERRUGBY // X @MUNSTERRUGBY // FACEBOOK @MUNSTERRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS Munster have to figure out how to contend with their greatest experience drain in the pro era. Pete O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Stephen Archer and Dave Kilcoyne have retired. That’s 908 appearances and a ton of leadership gone. Rory Scannell, the centre, has also exited. A veteran of another 200 games. They’ve not signed heavily but instead are looking to within for inspiration. They’ve got some good young ones: lock Evan O’Connell, wing Shay McCarthy and back-row Ruadhán Quinn, along with No 8 Brian Gleeson and others. Michael Milne joined on loan from Leinster last season and the prop’s move is now permanent. A big addition. Last term Munster came sixth and exited in a quarter-final shootout at Sharks. They weren’t…

IG @SHARKSRUGBY // X @SHARKSRUGBY // FACEBOOK @SHARKSRUGBY DISCUSSION POINTS The Sharks showed some fight last season to finish third in the standings, after washing up at 14th the year before. The Durban-based franchise went on to make history, becoming the first Sharks side to win a URC play-off, after pipping Munster in a goal-kicking shootout. While that may seem like progress to some, it’s hard to reconcile the quality and depth of the Sharks squad with the underwhelming results they’ve recorded over a four-year period. The Sharks boast 21 players with Test experience, as well as a host of rising stars that have featured for the Junior Springboks in recent years. They should be winning big games and challenging for titles on a regular basis, rather than making up…

IG @ZEBREPARMA // X @ZEBREPARMA // FACEBOOK @ZEBREPARMA DISCUSSION POINTS With Zebre having languished in the URC’s nether reaches for so long, progress was only ever going to be incremental, but there were signs of life last year under Massimo Brunello. The ex-Italy U20 coach injected a new sense of energy and direction to the Zebre cause as an up-tempo, ambitious brand of rugby built on set-piece foundations paid immediate dividends. Having only won two league games in the previous three seasons combined, Zebre were on five by the end of March. Having not won away from home in four years, they saw off Ulster in Belfast and Edinburgh at Hive Stadium. Their season petered out but Zebre still achieved their stated objective of avoiding last place. Nudging up another…

YOU COULD see it on his face. First in pre-tour camp in Surrey, then on the Pampas plain of Argentina. The band was not back together but two key members of the now-defunct Wasps club were. For Tom Willis, it felt good. “Unbelievable to work with him again, absolute legend,” Willis said of Lee Blackett, formerly his head coach. “Some players you just have a special bond with,” Blackett added. “Tom is one of those.” Together they took Wasps to the 2020 Premiership [now PREM] final and tantalisingly close to becoming English champions. Together they attended the meeting two years later at which they were among 167 players and staff made redundant as the club disappeared into oblivion. Three summers on, the pair are at the top of the English…

1 The first-ever Thursday night Gallagher PREM game will start the new season on 25 September. Which teams will be playing? A. 2 Can you name the six players who scored a league-leading nine tries in the URC last season? A. 3 Who is the former England lock (pictured, below) who has become head coach at Leicester Tigers? A. 4 Which two South African teams were invited into the Pro14 Championship, now known as the URC, in 2017? A. 5 Charlie Hodgson is the all-time leading point-scorer in PREM history, but with how many points – 2,165, 2,625 or 2,925? A. 6 What is the best-ever league finish by an Italian side during the URC era? A. 7 Who is the former England captain set to appear in this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing? A. 8 Where…

WHO SURPRISED YOU THE MOST? TADHG FURLONG and Wyn Jones. I didn’t think I’d chill with the props but we’re good friends. HARDEST TO TACKLE? JOSH ADAMS was a good winger to go up against and practise one-on-ones with. DRESSING ROOM DJ? FINN RUSSELL. He had a nice eclectic mix and he satisfied all parties, which is a tough job to do! FIRST TO JUMP ON THE MIC? KYLE SINCKLER. He thought he was an MC, it was ridiculous! He thought he was in a nightclub. BEST FUTURE COACH? OWEN FARRELL. He has insane rugby knowledge. Johnny Sexton is already a coach, he’s done it! BEST VALUE ON TOUR? SEAN O’BRIEN was quite clued up. He wanted nightlife wherever he went… FITTEST ON TOUR? ALUN WYN JONES because between every drill, he sprints! He…

First rugby match as a fan? That would have been in Cape Town when my dad was playing club rugby for HELDERBERG IN STRAND – the town where I was from. I was a ballboy; you got five or ten rand for doing that, so you’d go and buy some coke or chips with it. Your first rugby hero? PERCY MONTGOMERY was a guy I used to love watching. He had it all, he was incredible! He drove past me once when I was standing outside Newlands, he drove a Mini. His hair looked cool but I can’t grow that. His kicking, too, as a leftie. First rugby boots? My dad got me some ADIDAS BOOTS even though I’m a Nike guy. They were black World Cups. I’m a plain black…