Category Archives: rugby

Confessions of a No.7

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Sam Roberts

My interview with Luke Wallace of Harlequins on RugbyPass

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Five Fantastical Picks

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Sam Roberts

Slowly but surely, a new Premiership season is creaking in to view. And my goodness, aren’t we glad about it? The off season is when we really start to wonder what we would do without rugby. And in the current … Continue reading →

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Babchenko-ing and the Boks

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Sam Roberts

Babchenko. Soon to be a verb. As in, he’s babchenkoed himself on the end of that move. Meaning: assumed gone, only to appear alive and well to the surprise of everyone. If a commentator doesn’t describe a player babchenko-ing themselves … Continue reading →

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Lions, England and an unsatisfactory Six Nations

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Sam Roberts

To rest or not to rest, that is the question. Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune at having so many Lions and a club system that just wants their players to play. England are trying to pick over the bones … Continue reading →

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A Game of Union

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Sam Roberts

Five rounds of international rugby becomes the Six Nations Championship. Seven weeks of ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ manifest themselves as a final table. Sporting potential into rugby fact. Ireland rode out the storm exceptionally well, took their chances and defended … Continue reading →

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When the hurly-burly’s done

Posted on February 25, 2018 by Sam Roberts

Hurly-burly indeed. If ever a word had been invented to describe the way Scotland would undo those bastard English in the 2018 Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield, Shakespeare had it. Impudent navy blue shirts dipped and rose poetically, like the words … Continue reading →

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Six Nations Round 1: That Friend Of Yours

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Sam Roberts

The Six Nations. That friend of yours. The one you hadn’t heard from in a while, that you hoped had mellowed a little, settled down perhaps, and yet within half an hour of the reunion is asking you to stay … Continue reading →

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The Joy of Six

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Sam Roberts

February clocks on; a licking of lips. Buoyed by rounds of European pounding and a previous summer of British and Irish togetherness, we turn on each other. This feels so good. Humming each other’s tunes and yet, every melodious note … Continue reading →

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Picking a team, not players

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Sam Roberts

Many people are puzzling over upcoming England Rugby selections. The Six Nations is but weeks away and England are looking at an unprecedented hatrick of championship wins. Other narratives exist too; just how good are Scotland and Ireland; whereabouts are … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a feint No.2

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Sam Roberts

In the original ‘Anatomy of a feint’ article, we looked at Liam Williams’ sidestep on Kieran Read in the first Lions’ test earlier this summer. At the time of writing, I was unaware of just how important that feint would … Continue reading →

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