Rugby Supernova

England versus New Zealand; the two top-ranked sides in world rugby going head to head, it's a battle that everyone wants to see, with the winner claiming the bragging rights as the world's best team! That was the chat from the RFU in the build up to the hotly anticipated England v Ireland clash last weekend, and rightly so? England were on the brink of setting a new world record of unbeaten games and winning consecutive grand slams, with master Eddie at the helm. The mighty All Blacks set the bench-mark for international rugby, they set the standard that every nation strives to achieve. It all made sense; the number one team should play number two, to see who comes out on top. The suited and booted executives at the RFU were already calculating the handsome profits they could create from this proposed 'Clash of the Titans' at Twickenham.  Except that they were looking too far ahead - England hadn't yet broken the world record or secured those back to back grand sla

It began with a humdinger of a test match on Friday night and ended with a quite dazzling attacking display on Saturday evening. England may have already won the championship with a week to spare, but they won't be resting on their laurels, as a much bigger prize awaits them in Dublin on Saturday. First of all, let's reflect on an incredibly intense match that we were treated to at the Principality Stadium. The pressure was heaped upon Wales, they were staring right in the face of a third successive Six Nations defeat, with the expectation of their passionate and patriotic supporters weighing more heavily on their shoulders than ever before.  With many questioning Rob Howley's credentials as head coach and calls for wholesale changes, the stage was set for a spectacular fall for this well-established side. This unchanged Welsh team repaid Howley's faith in them, by pulling out their best performance in recent memory. If anyone was wondering whether the game would li

As we approach the fourth round of this year's Six Nations tournament, England still lead the charge with three wins from three, albeit they aren't setting the world alight. Scotland and Ireland are still right on their heels and can keep their title hopes alive with victories this weekend. Wales v Ireland A great atmosphere is expected in Cardiff tomorrow night Joe Schmidt's men visit Cardiff on Friday night to face a Wales side still recovering from their second-half performance at Murrayfield. After failing to score a single point in the second half against Scotland, Alun Wyn and his troops will be desperate to re-find the form that they displayed against England. This week, Sam Warburton has said that they "owe a performance" to the Welsh supporters, and they can't afford to give anything less against this  Irish side. Both coaches have named unchanged starting XVs, which isn't surprising from an Irish perspective, a side that's attackin

The last time Bristol visited Sixways in a league fixture, they were battling to secure a place in the Premiership, in the second leg of the Championship playoff. It turned out to be an evening to forget, as they were robbed of their promotion in the dying seconds, as Worcester claimed a one point aggregate victory with the last play of the game. This time league survival was at stake, with both sides battling for their Premiership lives. Worcester showed their intent straight from the kick off, as strong counter rucking from wing Bryce Heem forced a penalty. The attacking intent continued as the Warriors opted to kick to the corner and set up a solid and powerful driving lineout. As they advanced towards the line, Dan Tuohy came in at the side, collapsing the mall, resulting in Wayne Barnes awarding a penalty try. The best possible start for the home side with a score within the first minute. Things got worse for Bristol as Tuohy was sent to the sin bin for his troubles. The lack