The Breakdown | There has never been a Premiership run-in quite like this one
In the minutes after Harlequinsâ Champions Cup semi-final defeat by Toulouse on Sunday, the sense of frustration, of missed opportunity, was palpable. To a man they believed they would have pulled off the greatest European victory in their history without…
Champions Cup organisers considering one-city semi-finals weekend in 2025
Champions Cup organisers are exploring the possibility of hosting âdestinationâ semi-finals in the same city in the future with Portugal among the places under consideration. In a move that would ape the Top 14, which staged both its semi-finals in San…
Dupont steers Toulouse into Champions Cup final to leave Harlequins with regret
Another gallant English defeat, another tale of the Premiershipâs plucky losers but ultimately another tinged with regret. Toulouse booked their place in the final to secure a widely expected showdown with Leinster but, just as was the case with Northampton…
âWeâre looking at losing 20% of Olympic nationsâ: how the climate crisis is changing sport
The drive from the tiny Eldoret airport to the town of Iten in the south-west corner of Kenya takes about an hour. Itâs a winding unlit road with few road signs: you need to know where youâre going to get…
Blair Kinghorn: âThe mentality at Toulouse is that we win trophiesâ
Itâs been five months since Blair Kinghorn decided to move from Edinburgh to Toulouse mid-season. Heâs played 10 games and won every one of them. Toulouse are second in the Top 14, two points off Stade Français, and have a…
Lowe fires Leinster into Champions Cup final despite Northamptonâs late rally
They were not given much of a chance â and sure enough, for most of the match they did not have one. But Northampton, having looked completely lost in front of the 82,000 spectators at Croke Park, burst into life…
Weight of history: Saints look to seize day in Leinster Champions Cup clash
By his own admission, Northamptonâs director of rugby, Phil Dowson, is a history buff. This week he invited the clubâs Irish strength and conditioning coach, Eamonn Hyland, to give his players an âincredibly powerfulâ lesson in the cultural and historic…
Billy Vunipola admits ânot knowingâ when to stop drinking led to taser arrest
Billy Vunipola admitted he has a problem âknowing when to stopâ drinking as he explained the circumstances behind his arrest in Mallorca. The England No 8 issued a public apology after being fined âŹ240 (ÂŁ205) by an express trial for…
Quinsâ Danny Wilson believes past wins in France will aid side in Toulouse semi
Harlequins will look to draw on their previous French success stories as they bid to reach their first Champions Cup final on Sunday, according to their head coach, Danny Wilson. Wilsonâs side travel to Toulouse for a daunting clash with…
Sports quiz of the week: Issy Hobson, Ronnie OâSullivan and Monty Panesar
Source: theguardian.com