12:51 PM BST The Lions will be hunting another stunning upset, this time against the Crusaders, when they hit Christchurch for the final game of their Australasian tour. Meanwhile, the Waratahs will experience Bankwest Stadium for the first time when they face the Sharks on Saturday night. (Note: All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Rugby
12:51 AM BST Craig Dowd Close Craig Dowd played 60 Tests for New Zealand between 1993 and 2000, including in two World Cups, and he was part of the All Blacks team that won their first series in South Africa in 1996. He played for the Blues and Auckland in New Zealand domestic rugby, and
4:49 AM BST Karmichael Hunt says he feels for Israel Folau but believes the Wallabies star’s absence could allow the NSW Waratahs to finally get some consistency in their backline. Folau faces a Rugby Australia (RA) code of conduct hearing early next month after his latest controversial social media posting. Like Folau, Hunt has fallen
2:27 AM BST Dan Carter would not be out of place in the All Blacks squad at the Rugby World Cup in Japan later this year if selectors handed him a shock call-up to fill the gap left by the injured Damian McKenzie, former New Zealand coach Graham Henry has said. Utility back McKenzie was
1:12 AM BST Brumbies coach Dan McKellar says injured Wallabies ace David Pocock is missing the trip to Argentina as a precautionary measure to get him healthy for his team’s final six Super Rugby regular season games. Pocock has played just 138 minutes in three games through 10 rounds this season due to a concussion
7:30 AM BST Israel Folau’s future in Australian rugby may be decided within two weeks after his code of conduct hearing was set for Saturday, May 4. The following day has been reserved in case the hearing runs into a second day. The Wallabies superstar has been charged with a high-level code of conduct breach
11:48 AM BST Brittany Mitchell Close ESPN Assistant Editor Brittany Mitchell has been a sports fan from an early age, with a keen interest in netball, cricket and rugby. Brittany interned at Rugby Magazine and the Australian Rugby Union before joining ESPN. Andy Withers Close ESPN Senior Editor Andy loves all sport, in particular football,
5:50 PM BST Johnny Sexton returned to action and top form to lead holders Leinster to the European Champions Cup final on Sunday, outclassing Toulouse 30-12 in a clash of the competition’s two most successful teams. The Leinster captain, who had not played for the province this year and was out of form at the
7:04 PM BST Saracens produced a powerful second half surge to reach their third Champions Cup final in four seasons by beating Munster 32-16 at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday. The English champions edged a tight first half 12-9 thanks to four Owen Farrell penalties, with Munster’s Tyler Bleyendaal kicking six points and Conor Murray
10:34 PM BST Without one of their biggest stars, the Waratahs were always going to be under the pump to make up for the absence of Israel Folau, but with their impressive second half turnaround to seal a 23-20 win, the side showed they could step up without their linchpin. In the lead up to