Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Will Owen A rugby fanatic by trade, and English Literature graduate by education, Will has been working as an analyst for the Squidge Rugby YouTube channel since 2019. He also co-hosts the Rugby World Cup Retrospective podcast, on which he loves to reminisce about aged Romanian tightheads. He finds himself playing and coaching amateur rugby, wishing he was Rassie Erasmus. Will also has a notebook with a photo of Tonga fly-half Latiume Fosita on it.

Opinion
Will Owen

Wales' depleted squad is looking for a new captain, so who steps up?

Warren Gatland has been rocked by a raft of retirements and has to find a new leader to propel Wales into a new era

Analysis
Will Owen

Why Ireland's Dan Sheehan could transform rugby

Dan Sheehan could redefine the role of front-row forwards with his incredible skillset and versatility

Analysis
Will Owen

Can the Ospreys down Saracens in their own backyard?

There is a glut of English and Welsh internationals ready to go toe-to-toe in knockout European rugby and only one winner

Analysis
Will Owen

How Owen Williams could fire a Welsh renaissance

The Welsh attack has been blunt and ineffective in the first two rounds of the Six Nations so every position will be scrutinised, …

Analysis
Will Owen

The players set to profit from Wales' new gameplan

With the Pivac era now a distant memory, Warren Gatland has a rich seam of talent to select from in the Six Nations

Analysis
Will Owen

How Ellis Genge is redefining the England loosehead role

The Bristol and England No 1 is set to wreak havoc from the bench against the Boks but there's no doubting his importance to Eddie…

Analysis
Will Owen

Ange Capuozzo fires up the Italian renaissance

Italy are on a roll, beating Wales, Samoa and Australia in 2022 with a young, ambitious squad and South Africa need to be wary

Analysis
Will Owen

Why Tommy Freeman is one of the most exciting wings in world rugby

The Northampton Saints wing has the athletic ability and rugby intelligence to make a huge impact over the next year

Analysis
Will Owen

How Julian Montoya perfected the dark arts of Test rugby

Mario Ledesma and Agustin Creevy were tough acts to follow the the Leicester Tigers favourite has become one of the most effective…

Analysis
Will Owen

How Malcolm Marx became King of the breakdown

The muscular hooker won his 50th cap and put in a world-class performance to further weaken the All Blacks' resolve

Analysis
Will Owen

Analysis: the rise and rise of Dewi Lake

2022 has been a breakthrough year for the powerful young Ospreys and Wales hooker and he is vying for the No 2 shirt with a series…

Analysis
Will Owen

How Josh van der Flier has evolved into a world-class 7

The Leinster and Ireland open side has made huge improvements in his game and is a key cog in the Dubliners winning machine

Analysis
Will Owen

Can they kick it? Yes they can

The very notion of a forward kicking the ball in open play used to provide mirth for fans but it's becoming increasingly commonpla…

Analysis
Will Owen

France v England Women: Grand Slam showdown

They seismic battle between France and England will go some way to giving a psychological edge ahead of this year's World Cup. The…

Analysis
Will Owen

There's no doubting Tomos

Tomos Williams, the Cardiff and Wales scrum-half showed against Saracens why he is the outstanding option going forward for Wayne …

Owain Jones

The quiet genius of Jaz Joyce

The Wales Women flyer brings X-Factor to Ioan Cunningham's squad and she has been integral to their stellar start to the Six Natio…

Analysis
Will Owen

Six Nations: Kyle Sinckler's evolving role with England

The Bristol and England tighthead has developed his game to suit Eddie Jones' gameplan since his debut in 2016 and he is now one o…

Analysis
Will Owen

Scotland bank on fortress Murrayfield to repel Grand Slam chasers France

All eyes will be on Murrayfield as Grand Slam hopefuls attempt to continue their winning run against a Scotland side desperate to …

Analysis
Will Owen

Six Nations players to watch - 2022

The venerable tournament will create new stars of the game over seven weeks and The XV has picked a clutch of players primed to ex…

Analysis
Will Owen

The renaissance of Ellis Jenkins 2.0

The Cardiff and Wales backrow has fought back from adversity to put himself squarely in the frame to captain Wales in this year's …

Owain Jones

Seven wonders of the world for 2022

The XV scours the globe and picks out some of the best young stars who will shine the brightest over the coming 12 months

Analysis
Will Owen

From Youngs pretender to the throne of England

The XV looks at how the Leicester scrum-half has evolved his game to rule the roost at No9 for more than a decade

Analysis
Will Owen

Wales will relish underdog status for Six Nations

Wales had a middling Autumn Campaign that left more questions than answers but there is enough to suggest they can be competitive …

Analysis
Will Owen

England v South Africa: Unstoppable force versus immovable object

The key battlegrounds are analysed for England’s titanic Twickenham clash against world champions South Africa

Analysis
Will Owen

Red Roses lead the way

England twice put the Black Ferns to the sword. This is how they became women's rugby standard-setters.

Will Owen

Fresh faces will give England a new look

Eddie Jones has named a squad full of vim and vigour for the Autumn Series and there are names to excite every England fan

Analysis
Will Owen

Picking a 10 for Wales to take on the All Blacks

Shorn of Dan Biggar and Callum Sheedy, Wales will face New Zealand with some old and new faces vying for the No 10 shirt in Cardif…

Analysis
Will Owen

The evolution of counter-attacking

Is the counterattack as we knew it dead, or does elite rugby still have a place for hot-stepping David Duckham-esque bursts?

Will Owen

Eight new signings to set United Rugby Championship ablaze

Who will light up the rebranded and recalibrated United Rugby Championship this season?

Will Owen

Signs of good things to come

The XV picks out the ones to watch from the Premiership’s new faces

Will Owen

Are the Boks boring?

Criticising South Africa’s style is in vogue but winning won’t ever go out of fashion

Will Owen

Putting the new laws on trial

World Rugby have introduced three key changes but will they actually improve the game?

Will Owen

The keys to power at No10

A big boot, pristine pass or silky sidestep - what does a fly-half need to succeed?

Will Owen

Which locks should start for the Lions Tests?

Warren Gatland has a wealth of riches in the second row and has a big decision to make for the first Test

Will Owen

Beard perfectly groomed for Lions

Here's why Adam Beard has been selected over James Ryan and Jonny Gray for the injured Alun Wyn Jones

Will Owen

Finn Russell set to weave his Lions magic

Lions have to weigh up the risk and reward of starting Finn Russell in the Test series

Will Owen

The perfect mix

Poppy Cleall manages to combine strength and skill to set the standard at No8

Will Owen

Changing lanes

Anthony Watson is a world-class winger, but should Warren Gatland deploy his unique skills at full-back?

Will Owen

Gaining an edge

Tadhg Beirne can help the Lions combat the Springboks' brilliant back-row Pieter-Steph du Toit

Will Owen

The back-row conundrum

With Warren Gatland spoiled for Lions back-row options, who should he pick to face the mighty Springboks?

Will Owen

The defensive Lion

Chris Harris seldom features in Lions fantasy XVs. This is why the Scotland centre has a compelling case for inclusion

Will Owen

Centre stage

From hulking winger to shrewd centre - the stats and details behind George North's compelling transformation.

Search