Argentina are treating every match “like a final” as they prepare for their “historic” encounter with Chile on Saturday.

Tighthead prop says starting place is ‘a bit surreal’ as Gregor Townsend’s men target bonus-point win against Romania“The real world is scary,” says Javan Sebastian. The prop is reflecting on a career path that now brings his first start for Scotland, against Romania.In 2016, lacking a professional contract and fearing his playing career was over, the tighthead prop took a job at a Carmarthen butcher’s. Continue reading…

Siya Kolisi will captain South Africa for a 50th time in their must-win World Cup Pool B game with Tonga – something he “never thought would happen”.

Australia’s abject World Cup has heightened frostiness on both sides of the barricades with uncertain future for head coachProfessional sport moves on fast. Particularly in Australia where this weekend is all about the eagerly awaited NRL and AFL grand finals. Will the Broncos beat the Panthers? Reckon Collingwood will tame the Brisbane Lions? In terms of comparative menus a potentially meaningless pool game between the Wallabies and Portugal on Sunday is the stale Vegemite sandwich no one really wants to eat.But the show must go on, particularly the Eddie Jones Show. Or the Eddie Jones Show Trial as it is becoming. Barely an hour currently goes by without another former Wallaby lobbing in his 10 cents about the head coach or the diminished state of Australian rugby in the wake of last Sunday’s lamentable 40-6 defeat by Wales. The blowback has been intense and is ongoing. Continue reading…

Being the first two teams to qualify for the quarter-finals is an impressive achievement when you think where they wereAs recently as a few months ago you would have got long odds on England and Wales becoming the first two teams to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup. By this stage it should go without saying that they are in the kinder side of the draw, but for both teams it is an impressive achievement when you measure it against where they have come from this year.England have qualified for the quarter-finals with a game to spare, having dropped only one point and conceded one try, so whichever way you look at it, it is a great achievement. Every time I give England credit I hear excuses: “Well, Argentina were desperately poor” or “Well, Chile are no good”. But at some point can we just appreciate England for what they are doing? Continue reading…