Tom

@thepaulwilliams @SquidgeRugby Great Wales are making their way back. Never doubted the character, hoped it would be sooner but given the backdrop, terrific resolve from that squad.

@SquidgeRugby Standard of this game is incredible.

Rugby is so good right now

@AndyGoode10 Andy - is there a story behind Ben Keyser’s yellow gloves? Charity thing or something?

Hello Ireland, are you all England fans tonight and dinking Guinness and blackcurrant with me?!

@brps77 Is there a story behind the gloves? Charity thing or something? #6Nations

Benjamin Kayser and his weird yellow gloves on ITV coverage of England v France

@SeanMBurns Anyone in film critic land heard from @aliarikan? ‘Dear Slim’ etc..

At WBUR this week I wrote about Black History Month salutes to Sidney Poitier at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Somerville Theatre and the Somerville Cine-Club. wbur.org/news/2026/02/0…

@HarraH89922 @TelegraphRugby If they can be picked for England, demand from the Top14 drops. T14 can afford star squads and more player rotation due to bigger salary cap - made possible because the game is bigger and there is no PL football taking tv and live audience wallet. Eng (like Ire) policy iscorrect.

@TelegraphRugby I think the ex Wasp players understand how fragile a rugby career can be. I personally have no issues with his move. The bigger issue is two of England best back row now play in France. Things need to change.

📞 Three days before naming his England squad, Steve Borthwick received a call that changed everything Inside the decision that stunned England’s head coach, and ended Tom Willis’s Test future ⬇️ telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/20…

@barbedquill @CharlieFelix The Loughborough Vs St Lukes (now part of Exeter University) game was arguably the biggest fixture in the old UAU. It featured on Rugby Special every year in the 70’s. Absolutely worth bringing back and curating.

@CharlieFelix Loughborough U 42 Exeter U 39 on Saturday was a classic of its kind and one of the most entertaining games I’ve seen for a while If I was looking for some content for my new sports channel I wouldn’t need to look much further

Long read on BUCS Super Rugby, hooked on a phenomenal game in front of around 9,000 at The Rec last Wednesday. Links between Unis and two Prem sides now very tight. So much to love about the ecosystem... and its next direction seems up for grabs. telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/20…

@CharlieFelix Most of the Super Bucs players are Prem Academy players so standards are there. Alumni fanbases could be cultivated, Front it with some relatable anchors, could be a cult hit. Weds ‘bridging’ action. ZA have televised their top schoolboy games for 50 years and get 20k+ crowds.

@louwjl @TightFive_Rugby Yes, Borthers showed no guts capping Asher Opoku-Fordour (aged 20) during last year’s Autumn Internationals. Asher can play both sides y’know. Feyi-Waboso has done ok too. He was 21.

@TightFive_Rugby Meanwhile Rassie selects a 21 year old at tighthead for the Autumn internationals who made his Stormers debut May this year. Borthwick has not got the guts to get Noah out on the pitch

Hearing that Noah Caluori is joining the England squad next week as a ‘development opportunity’ agreed by Saracens. Makes perfect sense - get him into the environment early! #PREMRugby

@andNickMullins @premrugby East Midlands. Match ups could be very instructive: esp Mitchell v JVP. That said, the eye is drawn to CCS vs Willis and Bracken v Murley(c)

Which is the spiciest @premrugby derby this weekend? Which is the Carolina Reaper? My two assignments both come with heat warnings. Reckon the East Midlands might just edge it. But it’s close on the Scoville Scale 🌶️

@haribaldijones Unofficially, you aren’t supposed to other than by pushing. Hookers contesting = instability. Instability & increased mass+power could result in devastating injury. If game reverted back to endurance rather than 40-50min shifts of size and power, that contest might return.

How do you contest that?

@Hurricane15 @simondoyle76 @nathan_wake @TightFive_Rugby I think its a 5/3 bench with Mitchell, Farrell and Ringrose now. Toss up between Kinghorn and Keenan at 15. Kinghorn would have done better to have contested more attacking kicks.

@simondoyle76 @nathan_wake @TightFive_Rugby Yep agreed.

For the second time this tour, burn the footage. Not sure anyone stood up enough to inject themselves in the Test team. #Lions2025

@growler110 @TightFive_Rugby O’Keefe reffing. Jac wont get much chance to compete over the ball. Curry better in the tight. Jac couldn’t have made a better case tbh, but horses for courses on this one. Different problem in 2nd test with Skelton and Valetini.

Absolute nonsense - just check the stats - on almost every measure Jac is the better player, overall he has the most active interventions in a game on average in the 6 nations apart from Caelan Doris- not saying. Tom Curry isn’t a good player - just that Jac is better and it’s clear

So no Jac Morgan in the squad for the first test. I don’t think it deserves that outrage that it’s currently getting. Yes he’s been the form back rower during the warm up games, but Tom Curry is the better player. Over the last few years, you’d have Curry over Morgan all day in a test match environment. #AUSvBIL

@GutoShon @JohnnyPerchard @Jamiehuwroberts @butts18455 The plan is to outmuscle the Aussie forwards while they are without Skelton and Valetini. Morgan isn’t playing because O’Keefe is refereeing - he won’t get the chance to compete over the ball which he’s been superb at. Decision stacks up.

@JohnnyPerchard @Jamiehuwroberts @butts18455 As is Jac, and he’s in form. Curry is not. Beirne also not playing well. It’s where Australia win the game.

This aged well. Yours, Nostradamus 😬🤦‍♂️

@TJGlos89 @CharlieFelix Worked well enough for Joe Worsley. Not seen much of it since.

@CharlieFelix The "I'm going to run into you as hard as I can, on no actually I'm just going to spin out of that contact" thing is definitely something.

Psst Tom Willis did that thing his brother does where he looks like a wily, physically superior 43-year-old mugging off teenagers in a 3rd XV game. Except he did it in a Test match.

@haribaldijones @CharlieFelix Yes indeed - sub 11 at that size is impressive. Devil’s advocate question: If Jacques Vermeulen had qualified for England and was healthy/in form - do you think he’d figure at 6?

@CharlieFelix Phenomenal

A piece on Ted Hill's extraordinary athleticism 🛀 Quickest at Bath, back or forward 🗺️ Tackle map of Bristol game 🇿🇦 Compared to Pierre Spies 🏀 Basketball profile telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/20…

@markismith50 Strong team. If one of the Lions looseheads breaks down would you have Nicky S in to double down attacking the scrum off bench, or would you go ‘all court’ with Bevan or Asher?

🪖 Tin hat on! I’ve taken a stab at my Prem Team of the Season in this issue. Soz like if you disagree with any of my picks…

@EJofIreland @patmccarry @lionsofficial Yes.

@patmccarry @lionsofficial and honestly same for VDF and Ryan

Justice squared 🦁🦁 Fully deserved debut @lionsofficial tours for this pair ☘️

@Tom_Courtney_7 @rugbyontnt Great choices these.

@rugbyontnt Jiffy and George Ford

Missing out on a Lions tour is always tough, but who do you think is the best to have never donned the red jersey? 🦁

@SaleSharksRugby Some game that. Sale are looking very capable. Well done sirs.

Are you not entertained?! 😉

instagram.com/reel/DIasB4EoJ… @aliarikan