1:52 PM GMT Saracens face the prospect of being ejected from this season’s Champions Cup after the club said they may have fielded an ineligible player against Racing 92. Saracens are already enduring a nightmare season, having confirmed last month they will be relegated from the Premiership at the end of the term for breaching
Rugby
1:27 PM GMT EDINBURGH — When the Calcutta Cup match kicks off on Saturday, one of Scotland’s two best players, Finn Russell, will be sat watching in Paris. He’s not injured. Gregor Townsend, historically Scotland’s greatest ever fly-half and current coach, will select Adam Hastings for their Test against England. Hastings is no mean replacement,
5:10 PM GMT James Harrington The first week of the 2020 Six Nations went mostly to plan. Wales duly dispatched Italy at the Principality, and got their anticipated bonus point, too; the Azzuris’ interim coach Franco Smith won’t be impressed that his side were shutout in the tournament opener. Ireland’s win over a Finn Russell-less
10:55 AM GMT England head coach Eddie Jones has made five changes to the starting lineup to face Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday, with Ben Youngs dropped to the bench. Gloucester’s Willi Heinz will replace Youngs at scrum-half with Lewis Ludlam, Mako Vunipola, George Kruis and Jonathan Joseph all set to start. –
8:10 AM GMT England flanker Lewis Ludlam expects Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Scotland to be a “war” and says the hostile atmosphere at Murrayfield will bring out the best in him. England are aiming to avenge a 25-13 defeat by the Scots at the same venue two years ago when tempers flared following the
3:26 PM GMT Rugby’s Super League has said it accepts that Australian Israel Folau has been legally registered as Catalan Dragons player but says it has taken steps to be able to intervene in controversial signings. Former rugby union player Folau had his contract with Rugby Australia torn up in May for posting a meme
1:44 PM GMT England and Bath winger Anthony Watson will not be fit for his side’s Calcutta Cup match against Scotland on Saturday, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced on Wednesday. Watson suffered a calf injury before England’s opening game at the weekend and played no part in the side’s 24-17 defeat to France. –
2:32 PM GMT Ireland coach Andy Farrell has made two changes to the starting lineup for their second Six Nations game against champions Wales on Saturday, with Robbie Henshaw and Peter O’Mahony named as injury replacements. Henshaw replaces injured centre Garry Ringrose, who was ruled out of Ireland’s next two matches against Wales and England
12:54 PM GMT England and Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi has been ruled out of his side’s second Six Nations match against Scotland on Saturday with a groin strain, head coach Eddie Jones has announced. Tuilagi picked up the injury in England’s 24-17 defeat to France in Paris last weekend and will play no part
2:46 PM GMT Scotland and Racing 92 fly-half Finn Russell has been left out of Gregor Townsend’s 37-man squad to face England in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield on Saturday, Scottish Rugby have announced. Russell, 27, was axed by Scotland ahead of their Six Nations opener against Ireland on Saturday for disciplinary reasons after he