Last week’s post-Christmas block of fixtures took us beyond the halfway point in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and a number of the round nine results have certainly whetted the appetite as English ruby welcomes in the new year.
The Stormers have removed the injured duo of Steven Kitshoff and Damian Willemse from their Investec Champions Cup squad just days before their campaign gets underway.
Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Steve Diamond is stunned his 18-year-old scrum-half Joe Davis has not been included in England's U20 elite player squad.
It was last March when the class of 2023/24 clinched the championship with a win away in France and they followed up that success by securing World Cup glory in July in South Africa.
After a humbling loss in Paris, there were vocal demands all week for changes and the coach has responded by making five to the starting XV.