The squad has only two players with over 50 caps and four with two caps or less. That is not to say the team is inexperienced; six of the final…
News
World Cup squads selections continue to raise eyebrows
By Will Macpherson Making sense of World Cup squads is an exercise carried out on two levels. Firstly, things are best kept simple: who’s in, who’s out, which coach nailed…
Five Talking points – August
Argentina make rugby history August was largely a month of Rugby World Cup warmups and national coaches carefully pruning their squads like Mister Miyagi tending to a bonsai tree. But…
Rugby World Cup: the top 5 scams to watch out for
1. Fraudulent tickets Demand for World Cup tickets since the application phase opened last year has been huge, with the initial ballot stage massively oversubscribed for many games. Whilst a…
England v Ireland: Taking the positives
By Adam Hathaway Whatever the result at Twickenham on Saturday when England host Ireland we can be certain of two things. One coach will say that the result does not…
Wales 2015 Rugby World Cup squad
A regulation split of 17 forwards and 14 backs formed the 31-man Wales World Cup squad, which hail predominantly from the regions, which is a testament to the efforts of…
Rugby Statistics: How fair is the 2015 Rugby World Cup Schedule?
In 2013 World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper declared that the 2015 tournament would have “the most balanced and equitable match schedule in the history of the Rugby World Cup”.…
Rugby World debates: Paul O’Connell’s clear-out
Picture the scene: Wales and Ireland are locked at 10-10, close to the hour mark. Dublin’s Aviva Stadium is expectant. The hosts have taken a while to click into gear but are finally…
Ireland’s 2015 Rugby World Cup squad
The squad has 14 players with World Cup experience and many of those without were involved with Ireland’s Six Nations victories in 2014 and 15. Over half the squad named today…
World Cup watch: France can thrive with English style
Scotland will present an awkward challenge to France on Saturday evening. Awkward because only a dominant victory will do for the French public, who are still on a high after…