James Harrington
French Column: Ten players who could hit the spot in ProD2
It's high summer in France – not that you’d necessarily know it given the weather over recent days, which has been more mid-April than end of...
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James Harrington
/ 3 weeks agoFrench Colummn: Bayonne in the fast lane for No.9 Leo Coly
It was mid-August last year – the 13th, to be precise – when Racing 92 suddenly confirmed their highly rated and,...
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Columnists
/ 1 month agoFrench Column: Top c14 lubs getting back in the swing
The Top 14 final brought the curtain down on the 2024/25 French rugby season just 15 days ago, with Toulouse lifting...
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Columnists
/ 1 month agoFrench Column: Mystery surronds Uzair Cassiem’s future
One-time Scarlets and Springbok back row Uzair Cassiem is at the centre of a transfer storm in France. The 35-year-old knew...
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Columnists
/ 1 month agoJames Harrington: Fabien Galthie’s squad will need to step up in New Zealand
After all the fuss from players and New Zealand Rugby, after the negotiations between union and league bosses, after the hints...
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Columnists
/ 2 months agoJames Harrington: Back to the future again for Biarritz
The decision, when it came, was no great surprise. ProD2 side Biarritz, relegated for financial reasons shortly after the end of...
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Columnists
/ 2 months agoFrench Column: Fabien Galthie prepares to spring surprises for New Zealand tour
White smoke of a sort was spotted this week, heralding FFR and LNR agreement on tweaks to the player release deal...
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James Harrington
/ 4 months agoFrench Column: Big guns want to take on All Blacks
By James Harrington Could Fabien Galthie head to New Zealand for July’s three-Test tour with a France squad that looks more...
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James Harrington
/ 4 months agoTop 14: Raffaele Storti set to get his chance at Grenoble
French Column by James Harrington Portugal winger Raffaele Storti has made a habit of not doing things the easy way –...
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James Harrington
/ 4 months agoTop 14: All set for exciting race to the finish
French Column - By James Harrington Twelve Top 14 teams were involved this Champions and Challenge Cup round-of-16 weekend. The two...
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James Harrington
/ 5 months agoTop 14: Paul Gustard to stay at Stade Francais after all
French Column - By James Harrington So, Paul Gustard will remain at Stade Francais next season after all, despite asking to...
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International Rugby
/ 5 months agoRomain Ntamack: I’d love to take on All Blacks
By James Harrington - French Column So, Romain Ntamack wants to go to New Zealand in July. New Zealand have already...
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James Harrington
/ 6 months agoTop 14: Racing 92’s delight at smash and grab
French Column - By James Harrington Racing really needed that. A first win in the Top 14 since they beat Pau...
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James Harrington
/ 6 months agoPatrice Collazo’s mission to rescue Racing 92
French Column - By James Harrington Lo! And, indeed, behold! Former Montpellier, Toulon, Brive and La Rochelle coach Patrice Collazo has...
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James Harrington
/ 7 months agoEncore for exiled prop star Rabah Slimani
French Column by James Harrington Last Wednesday, Fabien Galthie named six uncapped players in his 42-strong list for the first match...
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James Harrington
/ 7 months agoFabien Galthie’s Six Nations dilemma: Who gets the vote at 10?
French Column - By James Harrington There are bigger rugby weeks to come in 2025, but the Wednesday between January’s twin...
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James Harrington
/ 8 months agoStuart Lancaster looks like he will hang on
French Column, By James Harrington In the end, after weeks of speculation, chairman Laurent Travers will leave Racing 92 at the...
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James Harrington
/ 8 months agoOyonnax must live without Joe El-Abd
By James Harrington Oyonnax’s seven-try 53-10 bonus-point win over ProD2 rivals Soyaux-Angouleme on Friday – their first victory since October 25...
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International Rugby
/ 8 months agoFrance won’t play All Blacks in USA
French Column - By James Harrington The FFR has rejected a proposal from New Zealand to relocate the third Test of...
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Columnists
/ 10 months agoManu Tuilagi makes mark for Bayonne
French Column, by James Harrington While the focus of French rugby attention is on Stade Ernest Wallon and the return to...
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James Harrington
/ 11 months agoHenry Chavancy notches No. 400 for Racing 92
French Column - By James Harrington Racing 92’s veteran centre Henry Chavancy reached a remarkable career milestone on Saturday when he...
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James Harrington
/ 12 months agoCarbonel will add the flair for Stade
James Harrington French column Last season, Stade Francais finished second in the Top 14 to qualify directly for the semi-finals –...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoVannes facing a tough early test
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Promoted ProD2 winners Vannes will kick off their first-ever season in the Top 14 at home against...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoTime for players to behave properly
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN There are no ‘good’ responses to Melvyn Jaminet’s violently racist outburst on social media, or the serious...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoJalibert is top of the ‘wanted’ list again
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Never mind that the words ‘Stade Toulousain’ have only just been meticulously punched into the plaque on...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoTerrific Toulouse go on the rampage
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN “We didn’t just lose the arm wrestle – we had our wrists broken under the table,” Bordeaux...
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Club Rugby
/ 1 year agoCarbonel winner ensures last-gasp Montpellier survival
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE English Football League’s Championship play-off final is sometimes referred to as ‘the richest game in football’,...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoHogg has eyes set on Top 14 surprise
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Stuart Hogg’s reported surprise reverse-ferret back into the professional game after his retirement last year – and...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoGopperth misses out on top flight
FRENCH COLUMN By JAMES HARRINGTON Jimmy Gopperth won’t be the oldest-ever player to feature in the Top 14 next season after...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoTV deal hits the €700m jackpot
By JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Jeroboams of champagne all round at Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) headquarters earlier this week, after...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoDramatic finale puts Brive into play-offs
By JAMES HARRINGTON The ProD2 supplied a final glorious regular-season round for the ages in a perfectly timed reminder to broadcasters...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoI may sell Toulon for €1 – Lemaitre
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A matter of weeks after ProD2 strugglers Biarritz were sold for €1, Toulon owner Bernard Lemaitre suggested...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoBiarritz’s fight for survival goes on
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Ten days ago, under-new-management ProD2 strugglers Biarritz gave themselves what looked a lot like a crucial safety...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoRecord crowds flock to matches
JAMES HARRINGTON - FRENCH COLUMN More people than ever are flocking through the turnstiles of Top 14 and ProD2 matches, according...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoJIFF looks likely to play a vital role
JAMES HARRINGTON - FRENCH COLUMN It's logical – as the final stop-start sprint in a hard-fought Top 14 season begins –...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoBiarritz’s future is back in its hands
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN To the relief of fans, white smoke was finally seen over the stand tops of Biarritz’s Parc...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoTV deal to break €500m barrier
FRENCH COLUMN - JAMES HARRINGTON France's Ligue Nationale de Rugby hopes to pocket more than half-a-billion euros, after launching a call...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoToulon heading in right direction
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOULON coach Pierre Mignoni earned something of a reprieve this weekend, as his side’s 54-7 win over...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoToulouse and Stade in line for a race to glory
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The top two tiers of French domestic rugby have been on hiatus this weekend, giving fans a...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoOyonnax have to keep on believing
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Oyonnax manager Joe El-Abd promised last week that his side would ‘fight to the end’ following their...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoBig clubs are hit by ‘doublon’ clashes
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN We always knew the World Cup would play havoc with the Top 14 season – as soon...
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James Harrington
/ 1 year agoToulon need to win over the critics
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Sometimes it’s not immediately obvious whether a side is in good shape or not. A simple look...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoCalvet’s likely to step in at Agen
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France Under-20s coach Sebastien Calvet has emerged as favourite to replace Bernard Goutta on the conveyor-belt of...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoDavidson relief as Castres stop rot
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The afternoon after the Friday-night chastening Six Nations defeat in Marseille before, a subdued French rugby audience...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoLyon get it right against Perpignan
JAMES HARRINGTON In a league featuring the likes of Racing 92 and Toulouse, Toulon and La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Stade Francais,...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoLucu the man to replace Dupont
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN An email drop and social media flurry confirmed the line-up of France’s 34-player training squad for the...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoNo rush to get Tuilagi involved
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Something of a big deal was made last week about the fact that, a matter of days...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoFarrell’s future the only talk in town…
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Fabien Galthie will have a reduced training squad for the 2024 Six Nations after a player release...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoSimmonds is facing a fight for survival
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN THE final weekend of 2023 – and we’re almost at the halfway point of the Top 14...
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James Harrington
/ 2 years agoO’Gara’s problems keep on coming
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Australian hooker Tolu Latu went straight into La Rochelle’s matchday squad for pre-Christmas trip to Stade Francais,...
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