Are Ireland genuine contenders for Six Nations glory?

Ireland will no doubt seek revenge over the Welsh after Warren Gatland’s men sent them out of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, beating them by 22 points to 10 in Wellington in the quarter-final stages.

Ireland have many things in their favour. Their provincial representation in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals will surely act as a good omen for Declan Kidney’s side. Munster, Leinster and Ulster all making it into the quarter-final stages and hoping for big things on Europe’s elite club stage.

The only Irish side not making it through are Connacht, but they did manage to beat defending Amlin Challenge Cup champions and top of the Aviva Premiership, Harlequins, in their first ever Heineken Cup campaign.

Italy - How far have they come for the 2012 Six Nations?

By David van der Merwe

The first Italian XV to take the field was in 1911 between US Milanese and Voiron of France. In 1928 Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) was born from its predecessor "The Propaganda Committee". On 20 May 1929 Italy played their first international match against Spain. Spain walked off the field 9-0 victors. Since then Italian rugby has come a long way and has grown in stature. They are fondly known by their supporters as the Azzurri (the Blues).

The Azzurri has taken part in every World Cup tournament. They have never reached the quarter finals of the World Cup but have managed on 3 occasions to win 2 group matches. This was in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Notably all three times are after their admission to the 6 Nations in 2000.

Six Nations Preview: The Captains

As the Six Nations draws ever nearer, it's time to take a look at the captains. You can still view our coaches preview by clicking here but to listen to interviews with all six captains, continue reading!

IRB player of the year, Thierry Dusautoir, will lead France as they go into the tournament as favourites with Wales not far behind. Sam Warburton continues to captain Wales after his controversial red card in the semi-final down under whilst Ross Ford will come in as Scottish captain.

Tackling Rugby's Attendance Problem

Empty seats have become a sight far too common in the modern rugby game. The World Cup last year helped to increase rugby's exposure with large media attention but attendances for first division matches have become disappointingly low.

One of the key issues in the professional era of rugby union is the low attendances of the top leagues in the Northern Hemisphere. The largest stadium in the Aviva Premiership is the Madejski Stadium, a football stadium, with a capacity of 24,161.

Welford Road, surprisingly not a football stadium, is Leicester's home ground and holds 24,000 people. Another football stadium, Vicarage Road, holds just shy of 20,000 and Kingsholm, a rugby stadium, has the fourth largest capacity with 16,500.

LV Cup Round 3 Reaction

Nick Heath and Russell Hargreaves were on hand at today's LV Cup matches and spoke to the players and coaches post-match.    

Nick Heath spoke to Bath fly-half Olly Barkley after his side's 46-14 victory over Northampton at The Rec, a side they had lost to last month on Christmas Eve. Nick also caught up with Northampton boss Jim Mallinder.

Russell Hargreaves spoke to Harlequins coach John Kingston after his side were defeated by Leicester. Russ also chatted to Leicester boss Richard Cockerill following the victory.

Six Nations Preview: The Coaches

At the RBS Six Nations 2012 launch earlier in the week, the guys from Talking Rugby spoke to all of the Six Nations coaches.

Warren Gatland remains the coach of Wales after a fantastic World Cup campaign whilst Philippe Saint-Andre replaces Marc Lievremont as coach of France. Former England Saxons coach, Stuart Lancaster, has replaced Martin Johnson as England boss after England's disappointing World Cup display on and off the field.

Declan Kidney remains the Irish coach and Andy Robinson keeps his job despite not taking Scotland into the World Cup quarter-finals in New Zealand. Jacques Brunel, the former assistant coach of France, will take over from Nick Mallett as coach of Italy. See what the coaches had to say in the audio interviews below.

Super Rugby vs Heineken Cup: Which has the better format?

By David van der Merwe

Having watched a lot of Heineken Cup action over the last couple of months and being exposed to the new Super Rugby structure has made me think which of the two competitions is the better one. Any Southern Hemisphere rugby fan will say Super Rugby and the Northern fans will say Heineken Cup. But let’s look at it realistically and see which is truly the better tournament. And when I say better I mean better for rugby and the fans not the coffers of the Unions and Administrators.

Interview with Cotton Traders founder Fran Cotton

England legend and founder of Cotton Traders, Fran Cotton, recently spoke about the upcoming Six Nations tournament, the highlights of his playing career and more.

Cotton played for England and the British Lions several times at prop and his clothing brand has been used by professional clubs like Gloucester Rugby. Click 'more' to read this interview.

LV Cup Round 3 Preview

After two weeks of tense Heineken Cup action it's time to welcome back the Anglo Welsh Cup. This preview includes interviews with Harlequins fly-half Rory Clegg, London Irish Head Coach Toby Booth and Harlequins Academy Manager Tony Diprose.

Round 3 of the competition will see big clashes including Bath and Northampton who last played on Christmas Eve, Cardiff Blues will travel to Gloucester, top-of-the-table Harlequins will take on Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons will play Sale Sharks in a North of England derby.

Tom Wood looks ahead to the Six Nations

In an interview with RBS RugbyForce, Northampton Saints and England flanker, Tom Wood, talks about the Six Nations 2012, Chris Ashton's upcoming departure to Saracens and the RBS RugbyForce initiative.

Edinburgh and Cardiff proceed in Pool Two

Edinburgh beat London Irish to ensure a home quarter-final whilst Cardiff Blues only just saw off Racing Metro 92 in a tense encounter at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Edinburgh put four tries past London Irish at Murrayfield and the first came ten minutes into the match when Tim Visser crossed the line. Greig Laidlaw converted and added an additional eight points before the break.

Adrian Jarvis only managed two penalty goals for Irish in the first period of the game and along with a try for Edinburgh full-back, Jim Thompson, it left the visitors trailing by 20 points to 6 at the break.

Can Wales win the Six Nations?

Wales are genuine contenders for the Six Nations title this year but the question is Can Wales win the Six Nations? In this article we highlight three reasons why Warren Gatland's men could take Six Nations and maybe even Grand Slam glory in 2012.

Clermont and Ulster qualify in Pool Four

Ulster had already confirmed their qualification following their 41-7 victory over Leicester Tigers last weekend. Clermont on the other hand sought a home quarter-final and that is exactly what they got as they edged past Ulster with a margin of four points.

Leicester knew they had an easy game in store against Aironi after the Italian minnows were thrashed 81 points to 0 by Clermont in Round 5.

Despite talks of a move to Gloucester which now seem almost certain, Billy Twelvetrees kicked Leicester into a first half lead with three penalty goals. His opposite number, Naas Olivier, could only manage two before the break. In the end, that was all that Naas Olivier could manage for the rest of the match as his side ended with a tally of just six points.

Harlequins fluff their lines as Pool Six concludes

Harlequins were gifted the chance to make it into the final stages of the Heineken Cup last night but were denied by a solid, brutal Connacht side. Toulouse on the other hand would have been breathing a sigh of relief after Gloucester's young side ran riot at Kingsholm.

It was a day to remember for Bryan Redpath’s men as they triumphed over a star-studded Toulouse side which featured IRB Player of the Year, Thierry Dusatoir. 

Nick Wood was put in the sin bin early on for Gloucester but the Cherry-and-Whites held strong as Jonny May charged down a rushed kick from Timoci Matanavou to score the opener for the hosts.

Foden, Heaslip, Roberts and Lamont preview the Six Nations

Guinness is proud to announce its new rugby ambassadors Ben Foden, Sean Lamont, Jamie Roberts and Jamie Heaslip. In this video the four Guinness ambassadors look ahead to the 2012 RBS Six Nations.



For rugby content and debate head to www.facebook.com/guinnessgb.

RFU Executive Interviews

The RFU's Chief Commercial Officer Sophie Goldschmidt and acting Chief Executive Stephen Brown talk to Russell Hargreaves from the RFU.com Podcast. 

They spoke about today's announcement of the RFU's new partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. Sophie also discusses the governing body's general commercial position ahead of the 2015 World Cup on the back of New Zealand 2011 whilst Stephen talks about the GSK deal and the game growing at all levels.

Stephen also discusses the impending arrival of new Chief Executive, Ian Ritchie, and the role of Stuart Lancaster in the England setup as England interim head coach.

FNB Varsity Cup: What does it have in store for us?

By David van der Merwe

The 2012 FNB Varsity Cup kicks off on 6 February 2012 and it promises to be yet another season of great young talent being displayed on the rugby fields of South Africa's top universities. But what is it that makes this competition so special?

The FNB Varsity Cup started in 2008 and has been so successful that the sponsors and organisers added a second tier in 2011 called the FNB Varsity Shield and 2012 will see the addition of an U/20 competition. All these competitions are based on a points system similar to that of Super Rugby. Four points for a win, two for a draw, one bonus point for four tries or more and one bonus point for losing by seven points or less.

Heineken Cup Round 5 Review

It was a make-or-break round of European action for many teams in another exhilarating Heineken Cup weekend. Our featured matches this weekend are Aironi vs Clermont, London Irish vs Cardiff Blues, Saracens vs Biarritz and Scarlets vs Northampton.

South African Rugby Administrators: Shape up or Ship out

By David van der Merwe

This past week Rassie Erasmus shocked the rugby world, specifically the Western Province rugby world, with a sudden resignation. To most WP supporters and myself this came as a very big shock.

Rassie has been clear that it is due to better offers on a higher level of coaching. He has been linked to various European clubs as well as assistant to Nick Mallet. Rassie has also been mentioned as future Springbok coach and linked to Gert Smal as well.

Video: Heineken Cup Round 5 Preview

Sean Lamont, Jamie Heaslip and Jamie Roberts look ahead to the Heineken Cup this weekend.




Credit: Nick Heath/Rugby Media

Interview: Player of the Month - Mike Brown

Harlequins remain top of the table ahead of local rivals Saracens. Mike Brown has continued his prolific try-scoring run, as well as putting in some typically strong defensive work.

Brown has recently been working with sprint coach, Margot Wells, who he credits for his recent progress.

Yesterday, Mike Brown was announced in Stuart Lancaster's England Elite Player Squad for the Six Nations. Previous player of the month for November, Chris Robshaw, a team-mate of Brown's was also announced in the squad and is a strong candidate for England captain.

Will Greenwood on England's Six Nations potential

Credit: Rugby Media/Nick Heath

Video: Stuart Lancaster EPS Announcement

Credit: Rugby Media/Nick Heath

England name Six Nations Squad

Forwards: Mouritz Botha (Saracens) Calum Clark (Northampton Saints) Alex Corbisiero (London Irish) Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers) Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers) Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints) Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) Joe Marler (Harlequins) Lee Mears (Bath Rugby) Ben Morgan (Scarlets) Tom Palmer (Stade Francais) Chris Robshaw (Harlequins) Matt Stevens (Saracens) Rob Webber (London Wasps) David Wilson (Bath Rugby) Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)

Backs: Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints) Brad Barritt (Saracens) Mike Brown (Harlequins) Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints) Owen Farrell (Saracens) Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers) Ben Foden (Northampton Saints) Charlie Hodgson (Saracens) Joe Simpson (London Wasps) Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby) David Strettle (Saracens) Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins) Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Lancaster, Robshaw & Farrell Preview EPS Announcement

Russell Hargreaves caught up with a handful of the England hopefuls as well as interim head coach, Stuart Lancaster, ahead of today's Elite Player Squad announcement. In the interviews below we hear from Stuart Lancaster, Chris Robshaw, Owen Farrell and David Strettle.

Rugby World Cup 2015 Interviews

The new offices of the Rugby World Cup 2015 were opened today and the organisers decided that cheaper tickets were key to attracting big crowds.

The group, which included ex-England players Will Greenwood and Lawrence Dallaglio, also decided that the Aviva Premiership wouldn't be played during the Rugby World Cup.

Simon Ward from the RFU.com podcast caught up with Paul Vaughan and Maggie Alphonso as well as Greenwood and Dallaglio.

Aviva Premiership Round 13 Review

Northampton put 24 points past Quins to seal victory at Franklin’s Gardens. The win puts the Heineken Cup runners-up into third place in the Aviva Premiership table. Jim Mallinder was pleased with his side's performance and said "Defensively we shut them up and stopped them playing, which of course they are good at, so we're very pleased.”

Sixways was full to capacity for Worcester v Gloucester in a local derby match. Tries from Andy Goode and Marcel Garvey for the Warriors sealed the win whilst Jonny May's try gained Gloucester a losing bonus point.

Gloucester boss, Bryan Redpath, said “I felt that Freddie Burns directed us around well in the first half, but in the second half our retention of possession was poor and we tried to throw the ball around a bit too much.”

Post-match reaction: Saracens 26-19 Bath

Russell Hargreaves chatted to Mark McCall, Owen Farrell, David Strettle and Dave Attwood post-match after Saracens' 26-19 victory over Bath at Vicarage Road in Round 13 of the Aviva Premiership.

Interview with George Ford

IRB Young Player of the Year, George Ford, talks to Simon Ward from the RFU.com podcast on the chance to play with his brother Joe at Leeds.

At the age of 18, the young fly-half won the prestigious IRB award among an array of talented opposition. Ford, currently at Leicester, is a former England U18 captain and is the youngest player ever to take part in a professional club match.

Super Rugby Preview - Part 1

By David van der Merwe
Our South African columnist, David van der Merwe, will be providing a weekly team-by-team preview of the Super Rugby season. He will preview one team from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia every week and in this edition he will preview The Brumbies, The Lions and The Blues.

Who is Stuart Lancaster?

You might be wondering, who is Stuart Lancaster? Well, he hasn't coached the world's best teams or clubs but Stuart Lancaster has had a successful playing career and his coaching career looks to be going in the same direction. In this article we highlight 3 things that make him the right man for the England job...

Is it time for a shake-up in scrum laws?

The scrum is becoming ever worse in the sport of rugby. It should be a contest between each side’s forwards pack but it has become almost a waste of time that is bound to result in a penalty or free kick. Games with scrums that are all completed successfully have become a thing of the past.

One of the main problems with the scrum is the referee’s interpretation of the laws. During one game, a referee could be very lenient but during another a referee could be very strict. At the end of the day if the players followed the laws then there would be no issues, but that probably won’t happen because each side want to win!

Graham Rowntree and Stuart Lancaster Interviews

England interim head coach Stuart Lancaster and coach Graham Rowntree spoke to Russell Hargreaves of the RFU.com Podcast earlier today. In the interviews both talk about Danny Care's suspension, Ben Morgan's decision to opt for England and recent injury worries.

They also talk about their general preparations and ethos as we build up to the 2012 Six Nations Championship at the start of next month. Stuart Lancaster announces his Elite and Saxons performance squads a week today (11th January).

England Press Conference ahead of Six Nations

Nick Heath from Rugby Media was at the England interim coaching team press conference and in the video below Stuart Lancaster discusses why he dropped Danny Care from the England squad and he also looks ahead to the Six Nations.




Credit: Nick Heath/Rugby Media

Rugby on the Box: Sky Sports vs ESPN

One of the big battles going on in the world of modern rugby union is the battle of the television channels. In a new media age, rugby fans have become ever reliant on watching games on the box. The two main channels currently showing rugby union are Sky Sports and ESPN.

Sky has been around a while with Simon Lazenby being the main man along with a host of ex-rugby playing experts but ESPN is “the new kid on the block” having agreed a deal with the Premier Rugby back in 2009 with Mark Durden-Smith fronting up the ESPN presenting team.

Post-match reaction: London Wasps 0-6 Worcester

Former Aviva Premiership champions, London Wasps, have slipped to second bottom of the table after losing for the fifth straight time in the league. Worcester now climb above them in the table after winning a game with the joint-lowest overall scoreline in Premiership history. After the game at Adam's Park, Russell Hargreaves spoke to Wasps lock Richard Birkett and Worcester's former England scrum half Shaun Perry.

Top 10 Rugby Union Blogs of 2011

After another incredible year of rugby, the digital age is ever-growing and more and more blogs and websites have been developed for people to give their opinions, provide news stories and more.

We have selected ten blogs that have stood out amongst a lot of opposition and we hope you will enjoy checking them out and reading them as much as you do reading ours! Don't forget to post a comment with your favourite blog from our list and why!