Stuart Lancaster tips the man to replace Sean O'Brien
A little under three years ago, Stuart Lancaster was an unemployed rugby coach with the ugly feat of overseeing England’s worst-…
Jamie Lyall
26 May 2019, 4:36
Contributors
Jamie Lyall
@jlyall93
After abandoning a career in veterinary medicine, Jamie turned to sports journalism six years ago, aiming to harness his passions for sport, writing, and complementary pre-match buffets. While his career has not grown as prolifically as his body fat percentage, he was fortunate enough to learn his trade with Planet Rugby and BBC Scotland before entering the freelance world. He has since been offered several brilliant opportunities to launch his commentary career, and when not writing for RugbyPass, can often be found bellowing names into a microphone for the BBC, BT Sport and others.
'Rugby brings everyone together, as cheesy as it sounds. It's got nothing to do with any of the bigoted nonsense that goes on'
Leinster's Leo Cullen brought Glasgow's Old Firm divide into the narrative for the PRO14 final, but Jon Welsh is keen not to take …
Jamie Lyall
25 May 2019, 4:16
Romance, momentum and belief lie firmly in one camp today
Leinster easily had Glasgow's number last season but while the Irish side's ruthlessness remains, Glasgow’s brawn has grown this…
Jamie Lyall
25 May 2019, 3:15
Someone made a massive spray-painted sign saying, 'Celtic, we're coming for you - Warrior Nation'. Stuff like that is special
DTH van der Merwe was one of the stars when Glasgow made their 2015 Guinness title breakthrough - now he's back for seconds with t…
Jamie Lyall
23 May 2019, 15:33
'I thought, oh ****, nah, surely they're not going to play me in this game'
At the end of his fourth-ever game of professional rugby, Thomas Gordon wandered to the Scotstoun touchline exhausted, jubilant an…
Jamie Lyall
16 May 2019, 14:27
For a Townsend squad announcement, this one was unpredictably predictable
With the countdown definitely on for Japan, Scotland's training squad announcement highlights how the pool of players Gregor Towns…
Jamie Lyall
07 May 2019, 14:05
'You don't go into sevens for the money... the guys at the top of the Scotland set-up will be on £35k'
Having carved out a reputation for being fleet-footed on the sevens pitch, Mark Robertson will have to move quickly to have his Fr…
Jamie Lyall
05 May 2019, 4:20
'I saw The Greatest Schoeman t-shirts, but I don't think they wore them when I shouldered the guy from Munster'
Pierre Schoeman has proven to be one of Edinburgh's most popular ever overseas signings... but his first season boiled down to tha…
Jamie Lyall
25 Apr 2019, 15:27
'Everyone is quite obsessed with size back home, everyone wants to be bigger than the next person'
Ahead of Toulouse's European semi-final against Leinster, diminutive Cheslin Kolbe is reminding everyone that rugby is a game with…
Jamie Lyall
16 Apr 2019, 15:39
Slimmed down Scottish giant Gray reveling in new physique after losing 'four or five kilos'
These past two years, Richie Gray has been cruelly besieged by injury, his back, his calf and his hip doing their damnedest to kee…
Jamie Lyall
13 Apr 2019, 5:57
'It will be good to immerse myself in Scotland... and save my old man getting up at the crack of dawn to watch Super Rugby'
Playing rugby professionally wasn't on the mind of Murray Douglas when he landed in Melbourne in 2014, so his route into Super Rug…
Jamie Lyall
10 Apr 2019, 15:24
What Edinburgh and Glasgow must overcome to reach the Champions Cup semi's
Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors face Munster and Saracens respectively in their Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals and get…
Jamie Lyall
29 Mar 2019, 11:03
Newly minted Glaswegian understands those that don't want him in a Scottish jersey
Kyle Steyn tells a story about unity, forgiveness and love, the tale of a white South African cop assigned to protect Nelson Mande…
Jamie Lyall
28 Mar 2019, 15:58
How getting dissed in public by Gavin Hastings drove ex-Scotland full-back Brendan Laney's career
Former Scotland international Brendan Laney has been shaken by recent terror attacks that left 50 people dead in Christchurch, a l…
Jamie Lyall
27 Mar 2019, 16:01
'I stood up and was struggling to breathe... it was very scary' - Cornell du Preez on the moment he accidentally felt full force of Joe Launchbury
Initially, Cornell du Preez says, there was no pain – only fear. He got to his feet wheezing, the air catching in his throat and…
Jamie Lyall
20 Mar 2019, 16:32
Don't be seduced by the Calcutta Cup second half, it masks Scotland's grim failings
The danger when reviewing Scotland’s Six Nations championship is that the dizzying second half at Twickenham erases the horror o…
Jamie Lyall
18 Mar 2019, 13:36
Pre-match analysis: Scotland v Wales
When it comes to controversy, farce and an avalanche of statements, Brexit has nothing on Welsh rugby. In the midst of what could …
Jamie Lyall
08 Mar 2019, 6:00
'The Gray brothers, Gilchrist or Toolis - there's none you would class as hard men'
Jim Telfer talks about the toughest characters in the great Scotland teams of yore as a proud father would beam over his offspring…
Jamie Lyall
02 Mar 2019, 6:41
'We fill stadiums for the All Blacks but that's about it...If you don't try things, it's going to be a disaster'
When Gregor Townsend was handed the reins at Glasgow Warriors in 2012, he embarked on a voyage of discovery, a journey to the home…
Jamie Lyall
27 Feb 2019, 15:46
Pre-match analysis: France vs Scotland
Recently, the pilloried French coach Jacques Brunel has given the impression of a child at the controls of a fighter jet – pushi…
Jamie Lyall
22 Feb 2019, 10:44
