Sonja McLaughlan, the BBC rugby reporter, was the target of online abuse following the live broadcast of England’s 40-24 Six Nations defeat to Wales in Cardiff.
Related: Sheedy holds nerve as Wales make England pay in Six Nations thriller
Continue reading...Steve Thompson, who won the Rugby World Cup with England in 2003, has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and is joining a group of former players in a potentially landmark legal action for the sport.
The eight former players, who are all under the age of 45, are proposing to bring legal proceedings against World Rugby – the game’s governing body – the Rugby Football Union in England and the Welsh Rugby Union over what they claim is their failure to protect them from the risks caused by concussions.
Continue reading...Manu Tuilagi’s late red card for a dangerous tackle on George North was the one blemish for England on an afternoon when they won the triple crown after systematically destroying the defending champions, who went down to a third successive defeat in a Six Nations campaign for the first time since 2007. The scoreline suggested a close contest but two late tries by Wales when England were down to 13 players did not mask the deep divide between the sides.
Wales are in transition after 12 years under the relentless regime of Warren Gatland. If there is a sense of liberation in the way they are playing under Wayne Pivac, they have lost their pragmatism and become careless and disjointed. They were willing but wanting here, not just overpowered by opponents who base their game on forcing opponents into physical submission but outplayed.
Continue reading...• Damian de Allende’s try helps swing tense semi-final
• Next Saturday’s match in Yokohama a repeat of the 2007 final
Warren Gatland will get his wish for one final crack at New Zealand before he retires after 12 years as Wales’s head coach, but Friday’s bronze play-off was not what he had in mind. His side were battered and bruised by a typically abrasive South Africa in a match of few thrills but several spills that was settled by a Handré Pollard penalty five minutes from time.
Related: Wales v South Africa: Rugby World Cup semi-final – live!
Continue reading...Wales never take the easy route at Rugby World Cups and this breathless triumph was no exception. Having built an 18-point advantage early in the second-half they had to withstand a spectacular Australian comeback before sealing one of their most significant victories of the modern era.
Related: Australia 25-29 Wales: Rugby World Cup 2019 – as it happened
Continue reading...