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
Rugby
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
12:30 PM BST England centre Ben Te’o will leave Worcester Warriors at the end of the season, the club has announced. Te’o, 32, is one of eight players confirmed to depart in May after making just 33 appearances for Worcester since joining the club in 2016. 1 Related He became the Warriors’ best-paid player at
11:49 AM BST Japanese police have been encouraged to take a “light touch” approach to fans during the Rugby World Cup, with organisers warning they are likely to “drink a lot” but will not be a threat. Tournament officials have been visiting host cities to emphasise that fans will be boisterous but are unlikely to
3:39 AM BST Long-time teammate Bernard Foley says Israel Folau has hurt the NSW Waratahs but isn’t a bad guy. The superstar back was stood down by the NSW Rugby Union last Friday following the furore generated by his latest social media posting. He won’t play in Saturday’s crucial Super Rugby clash against Australian conference
2:02 AM BST The panel for Israel Folau’s code of conduct hearing has been confirmed, with John West QC the chair. Rugby Australia’s Kate Eastman SC and Rugby Union Players’ Association representative John Boultbee AM are the other panellists as Folau fights to save his career. The three-time John Eales Medallist requested the hearing, expected
11:45 AM BST Ireland captain Rory Best has announced he will retire from rugby after the World Cup in Japan later this year. Best, 36, has won 116 caps for Ireland since making his debut in 2005, leading his country to three Six Nations titles since replacing Paul O’ Connell. 2 Related The hooker has
10:00 AM BST Wallabies vice-captain Will Genia has slammed international teammate Israel Folau and believes he’s played his final Test alongside the controversial star. Rugby Australia issued Folau a breach of contract notice following repeated homophobic social media posts, but the 30-year-old will fight for his career at a code of conduct hearing next week.
9:50 AM BST Sam Bruce Close ESPN Associate Editor Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPNscrum after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Andy Withers Close ESPN