Rugby

In an exclusive interview with i's chief sports correspondent Kevin Garside, Jones discusses what makes a great coach, his hopes for next year's World Cup ...

You have to have the best players but if you don’t have the right environment it’s like putting your best looking flowers in the desert. That is the sign of a failed institution, one that is not aligned. Everyone wants to win but have you got the will to prepare, to do that extra work? We simplified the game, played a very traditional England game but that only lasts a period of time and we had to change it to go to the World Cup. Now we are having to change it again.” But the club has to know where it’s at and has to find the right coach for that particular time. Sometimes it’s just changing the way they play, sometimes it’s changing the way they think, sometimes changing the way they train. “To do what they did you have to have the right ingredients. “The quality of players, quality of coaching and I think there will be a good desire about the England team to want to be better than England has ever seen.” A powerful statement. When we are on the front foot we are the best in the world. He accepts the argument and points to a skills deficit born of the setting. Did the series win in Australia represent genuine progress and what does he expect of England at the World Cup in France. Can we get to that level of performance that toppled the All Blacks in the 2019 and prevail in the final? We have to play the game properly, old chap.” I point out that the old chaps conquered their instincts and the Australian team he coached to reach the game’s summit in 2003.

England head coach says the private school system creates good but limited players — and therefore needs to be 'blown up'

“It’s the way the players are educated,” he added. When we are on the front foot we are the best in the world. When we are not on the front foot our ability to find a way to win, our resolve, is not as it should be.” With Jones due to leave his role as England head coach at the end of the 2023 World Cup in France, Rugby Football Union officials are pondering a succession plan. If you have only been in a system where you get to 15, you have a bit of rugby ability and then go to Harrow. Then for two years you do nothing but play rugby, everything’s done for you. “When things go to crap on the field who’s going to lead?

It promises to be a big night ahead in South Auckland as Manukau celebrates its first title in 49 years.

Attendees will also get the chance to take home a Tigers rugby ball signed by Burns and Potter, as well as snap a selfie with the players alongside the ...

Development Camps sessions are for under-14, 15 and 16 players on three afternoons with a sharper focus on tactical and technical skills alongside athletic development, based on the themes of the Tigers Junior Academy and ACE college programmes. Tigers Rugby Camps are aimed at girls and boys, from under-7s upwards, with the focus on skills development in a fun and physically active setting with professional coaches from the Tigers community team. Tag Rugby Camps provide a contact-free introduction to rugby for the under-7 and under-8 age-groups, with games and activities over three mornings to help develop fundamental movement, rugby and social skills.

With next season's Heineken Champions Cup including three South African clubs for the first time, we're taking a closer look at each club's squad, section.

With next season’s Heineken Champions Cup including three South African clubs for the first time, we’re taking a closer look at each club’s squad, section by section, and picking out some players who could star in the competition. The 29-year-old notched nine tries in 17 URC games last season and demonstrated his quality on the ball by being among the top 20 players for clean breaks (14), metres gained (670) and offloads (17). The 25-year-old also chipped in with three tries and placed eighth when it came to clean breaks (14), as well as being in the top 20 players for metres gained (640).

Preventing concussions and injury among female youth rugby players is the focus of an international study led by researchers from the University of Calgary ...

The grant will support the creation of a large study of youth female rugby across Canada and the United Kingdom. “There is an appetite and strong engagement of coaches and players in research right now to support player safety,” she says. Prioritizing injury and concussion-prevention among female rugby players is a World Rugby priority. The research in the UK will be led by Professor Keith Stokes, Centre for Health, Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, in collaboration with Professor Ben Jones, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University. Preventing concussions and injury among female youth rugby players is the focus of an international study led by researchers from the University of Calgary that has received a major grant from the sport’s global governing body, World Rugby. Preventing concussions and injury among female youth rugby players is the focus of an international study led by researchers from the University of Calgary that has received a major grant from the sport’s global governing body, World Rugby.

Eddie Jones has criticised England's dependence on privately-educated rugby players and said that the whole system should be “blown up” to improve the ...

LIVE scoring and interactive commentary on the Rugby Championship Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium.

South Africa give up their first penalty. Well played Ardie Savea who wins the penalty within five metres of the NZ line! Can the All Blacks begin to turn the ...

It always matters when South Africa meet New Zealand but this Saturday the two face each other in a clash which could have massive ramifications. However, if they can get a win on the road in South Africa then that pressure will ease and it could reinvigorate the team as they compete in the Rugby Championship and look forward into next year. New Zealand have rarely ventured over the halfway. Then they struggle to do with South Africa's power after the hosts call for a scrum. Lood de Jager then gets pinged and New Zealand can relieve the pressure. Another penalty for New Zealand after a brilliant scrum forces Nyakane to his knee. A seven-point lead does not flatter South Africa at all and that breakdown steal from Ardie Savea, which came off the back of some really unimaginative phase-play from South Africa, could prove a big moment in the final shake-up... It eventually gets turned over and cleared up field but the pressure doesn't stop and South Africa are back in that same position moments later. South Africa boot it long downfield and into touch. New Zealand have the ball around 10 metres out and Jordan makes a break, it looks like he's off but a little ankle tap brings him down. Yes. South Africa clear the ball and New Zealand attempt a quick lineout, only to throw it in at an angle. More ill-discipline from New Zealand who close the gap at the lineout.

The scrum-half departed injured after just 43 seconds following a collision to the head.

"This is why World Rugby want players to stop flying out the line out of control to try and reduce these head collisions upright or low. Eventually, a conscious de Klerk was stretchered off - with both sets of players applauding him off. South Africa scrum-half Faf de Klerk was forced off after just 43 seconds of their Rugby Championship opener against New Zealand after suffering a nasty collision to the head.

Seasoned Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk was knocked out just 34 seconds into Saturday's Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks.

The sub scrum-half was one of just two South African backs named as cover as Nienaber had gone with a six forwards/two backs split on the bench. The scrum-half had his first touch when box-kicking clear from inside his 22 to Jordie Barrett on halfway after the All Blacks had kicked off. The 30-year-old was recalled to the starting line in one of three changes announced by head coach Jacques Nienaber last Tuesday.

Rugby Championship debutant Kurt-Lee Arendse has been the star of the show so far. Filling in for the world class Cheslin Kolbe, Arendse got the Boks on the ...

Pulling the strings with some fantastic passes and clean line breaks, Am has caused the New Zealand defence no end of trouble. Every scrum penalty seemingly went the way of the Boks whilst they also regurly attacked the All Blacks lineout. Rugby Championship debutant Kurt-Lee Arendse has been the star of the show so far.

Mbombela Stadium exploded at the seams with 45,000 screaming South Africans forming a sea of green; a piercing atmosphere. The locals sure had plenty to shout ...

In the first half the All Blacks barely got out of their half. The All Blacks scrum was another area of concern. Wider out the All Blacks scrambled well, too, with Beauden and Jordie Barrett bundling opponents into touch early. It also came close to matching South Africa's largest victory against the All Blacks at home – their 17-point win in 1928. Their territory, pressure-based game strangled the All Blacks flat-lining attack that had Barrett willing someone to run off him all evening. It wasn't that the All Blacks were intimidated.

Springbok scrum-half Faf De Klerk got a tackle attempt wrong on powerful All Blacks winger Calum Clarke. ADVERTISEMENT. The nuggety number nine slipped as ...

Giving a thumbs up as he left the pitch, De Klerk will hopefully make a speedy and full recovery. Having been on the ground without moving for the best part of ten minutes, De Klerk was removed from the pitch on a stretcher. Springbok scrum-half Faf De Klerk got a tackle attempt wrong on powerful All Blacks winger Calum Clarke.

Kurt-Lee Arendse's maiden Test try condemned New Zealand to three straight defeats for the first time since 1998 as 14-man South Africa...

“Malcolm (Marx) was brilliant, every time there was a ruck he seemed to come up with the ball. Jordie Barrett land ed a penalty from in front and they will have been relieved to go into the break only 10-3 down. They kept applying pressure, especially at the breakdown and that disrupted a lot of our flow,” All Blacks captain Sam Cane said.