#Marcus Smith

All being well, Courtney Lawes will become a centurion this Saturday at Suncorp Stadium by winning a 95th England cap to go with his five Tests for the British and Irish Lions. His pedigree is unquestioned and there is more for him to achieve. But it is a curiosity of the 33-year-old's fantastic career that his best position has remained a matter…

Returning Wales coach Warren Gatland will have been thrilled at how the regions fared, winning four from four across the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, while players old and new staked a claim to new England boss Steve Borthwick. England and Wales, as well as Scotland, will all be naming their squads for the Championship next week,…

The rugby boot has come a long way. From the game's genesis in the mid-19 century through to the 1970s, rugby and football players shared heavy boots made of leather and metal. As both games evolved, so did the level of research and quality of materials used to construct footwear for optimum performance. But unlike association football, rugby union…

After another disappointing Six Nations and an embarrassing defeat by the Barbarians, Eddie Jones leads England into a three-Test tour of Australia with odds of 6/4 to be sacked before the 2023 Rugby World Cup. England are unbeaten in eight games against the Wallabies under Jones, but it's the hosts that are 8/13 favourites to win the first Test…

With Steve Borthwick set to announce his chosen 36-man squad on Monday morning, former England number eight and ex-Worcester Warriors defence coach Nick Easter spends a morning playing selector, with balance and Premiership form at the top of his thinking. "Borthwick's first England side is obviously a key selection," Easter said. "The simple truth…

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Sunday's European Champions Cup games. London Irish+3 1pm 2pts 10-11 Hills Harlequins+10 3.15pm 1pt 10-11 Betfred Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers and all you need is an account. Sign up here Sky Bet are offering new customers multiple free bets when they sign up.

Ireland kept their Six Nations titles hopes alive with a bonus point victory over a 14-man England at Twickenham. The home side had to play nearly all of the match a man down after Charlie Ewels saw red for a high tackle that saw James Ryan leave the field. Ireland were quick to take advantage of the extra man. In the the sixth minute an…

Sale fly-half Rob du Preez started the weekend as the Premiership's top point-scorer Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Sunday's Premiership match between Harlequins and Sale. BT Sport 1, 3pm Sunday Sale 2pts Evs general Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers and all you need is an account. Sign up here Sky…

Bath Rugby tighthead prop Will Stuart will start his fourth consecutive Test for England as the club's only representative in the matchday 23 to face Australia in the series decider at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. Bath's giant wing Joe Cokanasiga misses out on selection while Northampton captain Lewis Ludlam replaces the concussed Sam…

Harlequins boss Tabai Matson has confirmed that England fly-half Marcus Smith won't return to action until 2023. Smith went off midway through the second half of England's 27-13 loss to South Africa last weekend with what appeared to be a nasty ankle injury. He could though be a doubt for the start of the 2023 Six Nations, as the number 10 is now…

Kiwi youngster Lewis Gjaltema will start for Harlequins Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Northampton v Harlequins in the Premiership BT Sport 1, 3pm Sunday Harlequins+6 1pt 10-11 BoyleSports Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers and all you need is an account. Sign up here Sky Bet are offering new customers…

The Gallagher Premiership is back and now in full swing. Most of the internationals have made a return to their clubs after a busy summer period at Test level too. Eyes are coming around to the national team once more. The Autumn Internationals and the Six Nations are the last opportunities for Eddie Jones to whittle down the huge English player…

The official men's World Rugby rankings have, for some time now, been widely dismissed. Too often the prescriptive modelling does not accurately reflect the true balance of power. At present World Rugby's top fivereads: 1. South Africa (90.61) 2. France (88.88) 3. All Blacks (88.75) 4. Ireland (88.22) 5. England (84.50) This week, following the…

With the Rugby World Cup under nine months away, we thought it was worth picking seven players to watch out for in 2023. There are plenty of established figures here who have their own individual stories and targets over the next 12 months so without further ado, here's our selection. The centre is set for a big 2023 after getting back to full…

Harlequins' Cadan Murley scores against Northampton Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Harlequins v Bristol in the Premiership. ITV & BT Sport 1, 4.15pm Tuesday Cadan Murley to score a try 1pt Evs general Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers and all you need is an account. Sign up here Sky Bet are offering…

Pieter-Steph du Toit says he was confident of victory in the last Rugby World Cup final after the first 10 minutes. In that opening spell in Yokohama two years ago, England's Owen Farrell chose to spin the ball wide from behind his own posts and team-mate Billy Vunipola, facing a fast-advancing South Africa defence, chucked a pass to ground deep in…

Facing a formidable foe in No. 3 England, Canada will be looking for small victories Saturday at Twickenham. Coach Kingsley Jones is hoping to see the 23rd-ranked Canadian men make inroads at scrums, lineouts and other parts of the rugby test match. "We know the odds are stacked against us. We have to look for those small wins," he said Friday.…

Given the short timescale England have to turn around their Barbarian mauling into lessons learned for both selection and tactics, Eddie Jones is likely to go with a team of tried and trusted but with a little seasoning from a couple of the more effective players from last weekend's match. Courtney Lawes is his biggest headache; Lawes professes he…

Texas Rangers vs Colorado Rockies 3/26/2022 Picks Predictions Previews The Texas Rangers are gearing up to take on the Colorado Rockies this Saturday afternoon at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona in MLB spring training action. The Texas Rangers are currently riding on a five-game winning streak after dominating over the Kansas City Royals…

Now that the 2022 international season has been wrapped up, we delve into the state of affairs in each of the competing nations. Next up, England. To find the right adjective to describe England's 2022 Autumn Nations Series campaign is hard. Dismal would be at one extreme, underwhelming might be somewhat kinder, but one thing is for sure - rather…

England head coach Eddie Jones has selected his England team to play Japan in the Autumn Nations Series on Saturday. The Aussies' side lost 30-29 to Argentina last Sunday, a sixth defeat in ten matches this year. "We've worked hard this week to improve on last week's performance. We've taken a good look at our preparation and we are happy with our…

Exeter Chiefs conclude the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season at home against Harlequins on Saturday. Exeter have failed to make the play-offs for the first time since 2015. The Chiefs' only victory in their last five Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches was 42-22 at home to Bath in Round 22. Exeter have only been defeated once in their last six…

Next weekend, the 2022 edition of European rugby's treasured showpiece begins and there is huge expectation of a classic Six Nations campaign. Sportsmail's panel of experts - columnists Sir Clive Woodward, Danny Cipriani and Andy Nicol, along with former Wales coach and captain Rob Howley and former Ireland full back Geordan Murphy - debate the…

Rugby's Greatest Championship returns this Saturday and will feature what is set to be a titanic clash between two fierce rivals at Twickenham. It will be the first home match of the tournament for Eddie Jones' side who are looking to build on their 33-0 demolition job in Rome while Wales are riding a wave of confidence following a 20-17 victory…

South Africa's Autumn International Series 27-13 demolition of England on Saturday at Twickenham was a brutal reality check for English rugby. England were completely dominated in every department. To further compound what was one of the worst displays by an England rugby team in many a year, the Springboks were down to 14 men going into the final…

England men U20s head coach Steve Bates has named his 28-player squad for the 2019 World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina (4-22 June). The group includes nine players who have appeared in the tournament before - including several from Gallagher Premiership Rugby - with props Joe Heyes, Marcus Street, lock Joel Kpoku, backrow forwards Josh…

Henry Arundell added a different dimension to England's attack from the bench in the first Test Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Australia v England in the second Test on Saturday. Sky Sports Action, 10.55am Saturday England 1pt 7-5 Betfair, BoyleSports All the numbers in last week's first Test in Perth should have added up to a win for…

Japan came close to besting the All Blacks, and now they face another world powerhouse in England in a litmus test of their improvement. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 2:15am (AEDT). England coach Eddie Jones made five changes from the team beaten by Argentina last week. Leicester's Guy Porter, formerly of Sydney Uni, comes…

Every November, there's talk about how nations from the northern hemisphere finally are ready to dethrone their counterparts from southern hemisphere in the best test rugby has to offer. That chat is amplified every four years during the November test tours prior to a World Cup. In the past, it remained just that - talk. Wishful thinking. Delusions…

England are out to put their disappointing defeat to Argentina behind them when they host Japan on Saturday. Having lost 30-29 to the Pumas last weekend, they'll need to show a significant reaction after a below-par performance from many of Eddie Jones' key performers, and will need to be very wary about the threat posed by his former side. Japan's…

With each of the 15 players that make up a rugby team playing a vital part, we take a look at the roles they all play during a match ahead of Rugby's Greatest Championship getting underway. Loosehead prop Wears the No.1 jersey, stands to the left of the hooker at the scrum Plays a key role in helping a team get on top at scrum time Often involved…

With the Autumn Nations Series resumes this week with more intriguing clashes on offer, Planet Rugby dives into five storylines ahead of the action. Pressure is once again compounding on England head coach Eddie Jones after his team fell short to Argentina 30-29 on Sunday. Jones took responsibility for the loss claiming he was experimenting ahead…

The Rugby Paper: "The 23-year-old Exeter fly-half has learned his trade next to Gareth Steenson, and has proved over the last two seasons that he has an all-court game. The same can be said for his two marginally younger rivals, Jacob Umaga (Wasps) and Marcus Smith (Harlequins), but playing for the Chiefs means that Simmonds has more big match…

The Rugby Paper: "The 23-year-old Exeter fly-half has learned his trade next to Gareth Steenson, and has proved over the last two seasons that he has an all-court game. The same can be said for his two marginally younger rivals, Jacob Umaga (Wasps) and Marcus Smith (Harlequins), but playing for the Chiefs means that Simmonds has more big match…

Week two went next level in the drama and force of the north-south conflict. Despite the win-loss count, the south made some ground back. North No. 1 (Ireland) struggled to put an experimental version of South Africa (south No. 2) away, their attack stymied and depending on marginal passes, looking spent in the last ten minutes and like the final…

Hardcore rugby fans the world over will be licking their lips as the armada of Southern Hemisphere giants steams north to take on the old world powers of the Six Nations. New Zealand laid down a statement of intent last weekend when they stopped off in Washington DC to cuff around a callow United States Eagles team, shorn of their more experienced…

The 2022 Six Nations Championship returns after a the first of two bye-weeks with three exciting international fixtures, two of which look very difficult to call. After a perfect start to our predictions in Round One, correctly guessing the winner of all three fixtures, things took a turn in Round Two where we got just one result correct. Only…

Castres' scrum-half Rory Kockott Free rugby union tips, best bets and analysis for Harlequins v Castres in the European Champions Cup on Friday. BT Sport 2, 8pm Friday Castres+15 1pt Evs bet365 Harlequins can secure top spot in Pool B with a bonus-point win on Friday but could be made to work hard for their rewards by a stubborn Castres…

Will Edwards of Harlequins in Premiership action Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Worcester v Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership. BT Sport 1, 7.45pm Friday Worcester+5 1pt 10-11 general Worcester and Harlequins both snapped losing runs last weekend but this looks set to be a hard-fought contest despite the gulf in the standings…

Marcus Smith will make his first appearance of the season for Quins at Exeter Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins in the Premiership on Sunday. BT Sport 1, 3pm Sunday Harlequins+8 1pt 10-11 Boyles, Hills The big guns are back for Exeter and Harlequins this weekend for a clash between two sides who may be more…

The 2022 Six Nations looms in four weeks time. Six storylines are apparent. Five are about the rugby. Take your pick. Parity is the new rarity Five of the teams are capable of winning the tournament. Three (France, England, and Ireland) seem able to win a Grand Slam. Whilst France is the clear favourite of the bookmakers, courtesy of a dream draw…

Last year's Six Nations was the perfect illustration of just how tight the tournament is and how fine the margins are. Winners Wales were sent off 16-1 shots after a poor 2020 campaign, 6-5 favourites England finished fifth, while the three teams who finished between the pair ended up with identical records of three wins and two defeats. Of the ten…

We were treated to a stunning spectacle of rugby last weekend which saw all four Southern Hemisphere nations take the chocolates, while France was the only team from up north to collect a win. With several series on the line can England, Ireland or Wales fight their way to victory in Game 2? Read on for all the line-ups and key team news as it…

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Scotland v England in the Six Nations on Saturday. BBC One, 4.45pm Saturday Scotland to win by one to 12 points 1pt 2-1 Betfred Scotland penalty first scoring play 2pts 8-5 bet365 England coach Eddie Jones has claimed that Scotland are "red-hot favourites" for this Calcutta Cup clash and while he may be…

It is not difficult to feel a mood of doom and gloom about the Premiership in England. An opening weekend disrupted by outside events, clubs losing money hand over fist, no uplift in sight from the involvement of CVC, severe doubt over whether Worcester will continue, fixtures clashing with England matches, mystification as to why Harlequins'…

There was a lost to take in during game week one where we got plenty of questions answered but a few new ones opened up. What next for England after their defeat? Can Scotland challenge for the title? Will anybody be able to stop France this year? Here are six talking points from the opening weekend of the 2022 Six Nations Championship: Paolo…

Harlequins and Marcus Smith will surely light up the Premiership again this term Will Harlequins be amongst the best in the league once again or will there be a dip? Quins have been one of the most exciting teams to watch over the past two seasons, but will they be able to keep up with the rest of the Premiership with only two senior…

Bottom of the pile last season but with Johann van Graan's arrival comes a degree of optimism that things will improve. At the very least supporters can expect more commitment than was shown in the humiliating defeat by Gloucester in April and in Chris Cloete, Dave Attwood and Quinn Roux, the South African coach has added some heft to his forwards.…