Olly Barkley

GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP BRIEFING

Saturday, November 15 Bath (1) v Leicester (2) Bath's former England lock Danny Grewcock is named in a Premiership line-up for the first time this term following a lengthy injury absence, with South Africa fly-half Butch James...

Lewis to make first Gloucester start

Scrum-half Dave Lewis will be rewarded for his game-changing cameo against Newcastle a fortnight ago with his first Guinness Premiership start against Saracens on Sunday (3pm). The 19-year-old, who is part of Gloucester's...

Jamie Noon England's midfield survivor sees off challenge of Mathew Tait

Martin Johnson made two changes to his forward pack for the Test against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, but could the England manager have gone further? None shall pass: Jamie Noon's powerful midfield play has been...

Danny's lucky break: Cipriani returns for England

On the basis that Danny Cipriani – aka Danny Celebriani, the Marquis of Mayfair – can hop faster than most outside-halves are able to run, there was always a faint chance that Martin Johnson and his coaching team would have him...

Rugby Union: Gloucester coach Dean Ryan happy with an ugly victory

An EDF Energy Cup semi-final place, it seems, is not enough of a prize. Perhaps the competition's stock is lower than that of Newcastle's sponsors, Northern Rock, or maybe the north-east on a frosty Sunday afternoon is just an...

Cipriani to be focus of attention again

Back amid the five-star splendour of the Pennyhill Park Hotel in rural Surrey, Martin Johnson was not so much laid-back as horizontal. He doesn't do sitting up. Lounging in a leather armchair, his legs spreadeagled across the...

HOLDERS OSPREY SCRAPE THROUGH

Holders Ospreys flirted with elimination before booking their place in this season's EDF Energy Cup semi-finals despite going down 23-19 to London Irish. The star-studded Welsh region were made to scrap every inch of the way by...

Warren Gatland faces anxious weekend over his Welsh stars

Warren Gatland must be bracing himself for a nervous 48 hours as some of his intended Wales team to play world champions South Africa next Saturday will be in action this weekend. The demands on the Welsh players are in stark...

Ospreys take wing in Anglo-Welsh defence

The EDF Energy Cup's hold on Anglo-Welsh affairs is weakening by the day – this season's final at Twickenham in mid-April will be the last dying breath of the competition in its current format – yet while few will mourn the...

HOLDERS OSPREYS SCRAPE THROUGH

Holders Ospreys flirted with elimination before booking their place in this season's EDF Energy Cup semi-finals despite going down 23-19 to London Irish. The star-studded Welsh region were made to scrap every inch of the way by...

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