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HAS the world gone mad? I saw suggestions earlier in the week from Scotland's new coach, Matt Williams, that perhaps the Scotland crowd should try and be more appreciative of [...]

THERE'S no other word than sensational. For me yesterday was the best day in an England jersey and one, I'm sure, that I will remember for the rest of my [...]

IT was an England changing-room of mixed emotions last night. We were a little disappointed to go off the boil after half an hour but were absolutely delighted with our [...]

IT IS great to be back and finally involved in the 2003 Six Nations Championship - you can be as philosphical as you like when you are injured, but there's [...]

ANYBODY who thinks the Six Nations has become a straightforward shoot-out between England and France is seriously deluded and Saturday demonstrated exactly why it is such a difficult tournament to [...]

THE recall of Jonathan Humphreys after such a long time out of the international game sends a big message to England and is, I believe, a cute selection by Steve [...]

IT HAS not been the best week of my life. Like every rugby fan and player in England, I've been looking forward to the game with France more than almost [...]

A DOCTOR who was accused of being involved in the Glasgow Airport bomb plot is working in the casualty department of a British hospital, it was confirmed yesterday. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

England captain Age: 29. Club: Saracens. Position: Lock. Caps: 43. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

CREDIBILITY is on the line at Twickenham this afternoon — for England and for skipper Steve Borthwick. He needs a big match and he's not the only one. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

MARTIN Johnson has made it clear that winning is the be-all and end-all for his England team and that he's not worried if they play 'sexy' rugby or not. Well, I expect them to start his reign with a sexy win. Results are all that matter to Johnno and the result this afternoon against the Pacific Islanders is not in any doubt, as far as I'm concerned. England have so many quality players, they have had good preparation time together and they're playing at home. It would be no surprise to me if they win by 25-30 points. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

LET'S clear one thing up straight away. Danny Cipriani was not punched by Josh Lewsey because of his glamorous lifestyle, or all the fame and fortune and attention that is coming his way. It really doesn't matter whether he is going out with Kelly Brook and dining at The Ivy as long as when Danny is in a Wasps shirt, he gives his all for the club. So far, that is what he has done and the other players respect him for it. There is no way Josh would have lashed out through jealousy. Rugby players don't tend to think like that. It is a fact that fly halves get all the limelight because of the nature of their position. They score the points and get the headlines. Other players just deal with that. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ENGLAND'S disappointing results in New Zealand proved yet again that we need better coaches working with the national team. The players don't seem to be learning enough at Test level. They should be almost in awe of the work being done within the camp, but they're not. This has been an on-going issue for the last couple of years. I don't think the players are coming away from the England squad thinking: 'Yes, I've learned a new skill and improved my game.' The problem needs to be urgently addressed by Martin Johnson, the new team manager. Just look at the way Wales have benefited in such a short space of time since Shaun Edwards joined them. I would like to see, or hear about, players coming away from training with England thinking: 'Wow', rather than saying: 'I'm tired. We've done too much of this or not enough of that.' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THERE is nobody I would rather see given the opportunity to revive England than Martin Johnson. I think he can make a success of the job if the RFU support him and leave him to do whatever it takes to get the team back on track. There will be huge pressure on Johnno, but he seems to thrive on that. Even in the tightest corner he keeps his composure and just thinks about what is needed to get the job done. People shouldn't think that he can wave a magic wand to make instant improvements, but he desperately wants England to reclaim their place at the top of the international game. Like a lot of former players, he has been frustrated by what has happened in the past four-and-a-half years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ENGLAND will be desperate to earn a convincing win today so that they can come out of this RBS Six Nations claiming some progress has been made. But I have a horrible feeling that Ireland are going to cause them serious problems. If I had to make a prediction with a gun to my head I would want to die a patriot, so I would say Brian Ashton's team can win by a point or two. But it is going to be agonisingly close. It could even be a draw. If Ireland play out of their skin and England do likewise, defend brilliantly and win, they would deserve credit. In those circumstances even a narrow victory should go some way to lifting the cloud hanging over them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AFTER the World Cup, England promised that they would move forward into a new era, but they have made no progress at all. They were rudderless at Murrayfield and the coaches' jobs must now be on the line. Head coach Brian Ashton will be under huge pressure going into the match against Ireland at Twickenham. He and his assistants have not proved that they have what it takes to develop this England team, so they have reached make-or-break time. After the Six Nations, the next stop is New Zealand, where England are bound to struggle, so they have to deliver something next weekend. If Brian is going to save himself and the rest of the coaching staff, I think changes have to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THIS afternoon at Murrayfield, England will be without a player who could have brought a new dimension to their game, because of a massive over-reaction by coach Brian Ashton. Danny Cipriani is guilty of nothing more than being naive. Now that he is in the public eye, he should not be going to nightclubs in the days before a game, however innocent the motives. But he is a young guy and should be given some slack. He was not drinking, was in and out of the club within 15 minutes and drove himself home, after giving a friend some match tickets. The players don't have a curfew, so Danny can't have broken any rules if there aren't any. His behaviour has been labelled 'inappropriate', but who deems it inappropriate? In Clive Woodward's time there was a book of 'dos and don'ts'. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AFTER England's poor performance against Italy, I feared that France would thrash them by 15 or 20 points, but since then I've changed my mind. I just have a hunch that Phil Vickery and his team will win. It's going to be mighty close, though. If this was a game of poker and you gave me £5 for a bet, I would go for a 'gutshot flush draw on the river!' To put it in layman's terms, my instincts tell me that England are going to snatch a two-point victory. They have such a powerful pack that there is every chance they will dominate the French up front, which would lay the platform for an upset. Having said that, if France's forwards scrummage well, England will be doing well to hold them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ITALY are gearing up for a backlash from England tomorrow and I think that's a very wise move. After last week's shock defeat against Wales I expect Brian Ashton's players to come out all guns blazing in Rome. They should win by 14 or 15 points and, in fact, I would go further than that and say there is no reason why they can't go through the rest of the RBS Six Nations undefeated. But it depends how mentally strong they are. My only worry is that if they are slightly unsure about strategy early on, they could wobble. The Italians have the firepower to put England under pressure but I don't think they are capable of scoring two or three tries so they will have to rely on goalkicking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]