Rugby

1:03 PM GMT France coach Fabien Galthie named an inexperienced and youthful team as expected to face a seasoned England side in the Autumn Nations Cup final, making six changes for Sunday’s clash at Twickenham. An agreement between the federation and the Top 14 meant that no player could be involved in more than three

11:57 AM GMT Anthony Watson will replace injured Bath teammate Jonathan Joseph on the wing for England’s clash against France in the Autumn Nations Cup final on Sunday in the only change from the team who beat Wales last time out. Watson, who overcame his own injury to start on the bench against Wales, came

1:13 AM GMT ESPN staff Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika hasn’t given up hope of one day returning to the role, despite a lack of success across his closing years in charge and an ugly fallout with Rugby Australia. Speaking to The Australian, Cheika has clearly lost none of the self-belief that helped fire the

4:09 PM GMT Fit-again captain Johnny Sexton will return when Ireland take on Scotland in their Autumn Nations Cup clash at the Aviva Stadium after coach Andy Farrell named the squad on Thursday. Sexton was forced off the field with a hamstring problem that he sustained in their opening win over Wales and replaces the

2:34 PM GMT Debutant Jaco van der Walt is one of six Scotland changes to face Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup at the weekend as coach Gregor Townsend rung the changes after their home loss to France last month. South African-born Van der Walt has been training with the team over the last month

3:28 AM GMT Disgraced Pumas skipper Pablo Matera has been reinstated as captain but will not face the Wallabies in Saturday night’s final Tri Nations clash in Sydney. Matera was sensationally stripped of the captaincy and stood down from the Bankwest Stadium Test, along with teammates Guido Petti and Santiago Socino, after racist tweets at

4:04 AM GMT Wallabies coach Dave Rennie says he feels no obligation for his side to entertain in Saturday’s Tri Nations finale, instead setting his sights on a “quality performance” to round out his first season in charge. Australia face Argentina at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday night, the Tri Nations crown all but out of

10:00 PM GMT Rugby has improved its position on racism but the sport is a reflection of society and there is still work to do, England coach Eddie Jones said on Tuesday following the sanctions handed out to three Argentine players. Pablo Matera was stripped of the Argentina captaincy and suspended, along with team mates

10:50 PM GMT The fallout over the Argentina rugby team’s much-criticised tribute to Diego Maradona extended further on Tuesday, with some Argentines saying they will boycott the side because of what they consider an inadequate homage to the late football icon. The Pumas, as the rugby team are known, wore what looked like black electrical

7:09 PM GMT Rugby’s Nations Cup will reach its conclusion this weekend, as England face France in Sunday’s final, but anyone expecting a diversion from the stodgy fare on show for the last month is likely to be disappointed, according to England coach Eddie Jones. England have collected dominant victories over Georgia, Ireland and Wales,

1:09 PM GMT Wasps hooker Alfie Barbeary has been given his first England call-up after being included in the 33-man squad for Sunday’s Autumn Nations Cup final against France. The 20-year-old made an immediate impact when he scored a try on his Premiership debut from the bench against Worcester Warriors in August and then scored

2:18 AM GMT Pablo Matera has been stripped of the Argentina captaincy and suspended along with team mates Guido Petti and Santiago Socino for posting racist comments on social media, the Argentine Rugby Union [UAR] said on Tuesday. The scandal has thrown the Argentina camp into crisis days before their final Tri-Nations match against Australia

12:57 PM GMT The number of teams participating in the women’s Rugby World Cup will be increased from 12 to 16 from the 2025 edition, the sport’s governing body announced on Monday. The decision was taken by the Rugby World Cup Board earlier this year and World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said it was a

11:49 AM GMT France will be without a number of their top players for the Autumn Nations Cup final against England after coach Fabien Galthie confirmed he would not be seeking to change a rule that restricts players from competing in more than three international games. The agreement with the Top 14 means that Galthie

10:15 PM GMT France’s wing Gabin Villiere runs with the ball to score a try during the Autumn Nations Cup Group B international Rugby Union match between France and Italy, at the Stade de France stadium. Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images A revamped France beat Italy 36-5 at home on Saturday to top Autumn

6:06 PM GMT England did just about enough to subdue a spirited but limited Wales with a 24-13 victory in Llanelli on Saturday to secure top spot in Autumn Nations Cup Group A and set up a probable title decider against France at Twickenham next week. An experimental Wales, who broke a run of six

1:16 PM GMT Fly-half Billy Burns has been handed a first start for Ireland as they take on Georgia in their final Autumn Nations Cup Group A clash in Dublin on Sunday, while uncapped centre Shane Daly has been included on the bench. Burns, 26, has two appearances as a replacement after making his debut

Nov 27, 2020 ESPN staff with AAP The Wallabies and Pumas have sought advice from some of rugby league’s best, utilizing the services of NRL great Andrew Johns and current NSW Origin star Nathan Cleary respectively on Thursday. Johns is always in demand across the NRL but has also popped up at Wallabies and England