Analysis
The revitalised Australians are pushing a Super Rugby revival
Super Rugby may be 'shrinking to glory', and the Australians are the driving force behind an enticing new season.
Nick Bishop
05 Mar 2025, 17:32
Contributors
Nick Bishop
Nick Bishop was rugby analyst/advisor to Graham Henry (1999-2003) and Mike Ruddock (2004-2006) with Wales. He has worked with Stuart Lancaster for England (2012-2015), Leinster (2016-2022) and currently for Racing 92 in France’s Top 14. Three of his four rugby books have shortlisted for, or won national sports book awards.
Analysis
How Australian rugby can combine gourmet home cooking and the overseas 'takeaway'
Player 'hubs' in Europe, coupled with the rise of domestic franchises, can pave the way towards a bright Wallaby future.
Nick Bishop
03 Mar 2025, 17:48
Analysis
Have England suddenly become a 'lucky' team?
Back-to-back victories by a single point have buoyed the Red Rose, while raising further questions about the team's progression.
Nick Bishop
25 Feb 2025, 11:03
Analysis
Jamie Joseph could lead the Highlanders to the promised land and himself to the All Blacks job
There are hallmarks of Joseph's 2015 Super Rugby champions in his newly assembled crop of a decade later.
Nick Bishop
24 Feb 2025, 18:11
Analysis
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?
The longer Richie Mo'unga remains in Japan, the greater the dearth of emerging New Zealand fly-halves seems to grow.
Nick Bishop
20 Feb 2025, 17:48
Analysis
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii can be Australia's new cross-code hero
The supremely talented Wallaby has shown he can exceed the levels reached by Israel Folau in a green and gold jersey.
Nick Bishop
17 Feb 2025, 12:45
Analysis
How will Matt Sherratt rebuild crumbling Wales?
The interim head coach has scant time to address massive issues, but can implement short-term change.
Nick Bishop
14 Feb 2025, 2:47
Analysis
How England's Le Crunch success creates Lions conundrums
As England prevail, Rugby Australia and the British and Irish Lions face seminal decisions with the series looming large.
Nick Bishop
12 Feb 2025, 4:33
Analysis
How the England firm of 'Smith & Smith' toppled France
Steve Borthwick's new playmaking axis had a huge bearing on a seminal English win on Saturday evening.
Nick Bishop
11 Feb 2025, 8:13
Analysis
When will France learn to win away from home?
The all-consuming demands of the Top 14 may actually harm the 'golden generation' and their quest to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
Nick Bishop
05 Feb 2025, 6:36
Analysis
Six Nations: The pressure is mounting on Warren Gatland and Steve Borthwick
Amid off-field reviews and on-field losses, both heavyweight coaches are under pressure to deliver.
Nick Bishop
04 Feb 2025, 4:05
Analysis
As the Lions loom, is Australian rugby really on the same page?
Young players are leaving, Joe Schmidt's future is unclear and the vaunted high-performance guru has already gone, painting a pict…
Nick Bishop
31 Jan 2025, 3:30
Analysis
Who will win the 2025 Six Nations - part two
Can England arrest their late woes, Wales emerge from the darkness and Italy continue rising high?
Nick Bishop
29 Jan 2025, 5:06
Analysis
Who will win the 2025 Six Nations?
Can ageing Ireland deliver? Or is it finally Scotland's year? A statistical deep dive into the runners and riders of rugby's ultim…
Nick Bishop
27 Jan 2025, 15:48
Analysis
'Defence has become an afterthought in the Premiership - and England may fail upwards as a result'
The free-flowing, extroverted Premiership may have grave consequences for Steve Borthwick's England defence.
Nick Bishop
24 Jan 2025, 5:05
Analysis
Why factory-fitted scrum-halves are pouring off the French production line
How has the French game and its culture crafted such a brilliant vintage of petits generals?
Nick Bishop
23 Jan 2025, 11:53
Analysis
Is the overlap dying in modern rugby?
The development of rugby's best defences may have rendered the aesthetically pleasing overlap obsolete.
Nick Bishop
20 Jan 2025, 6:13
Analysis
Will the Springboks Bomb Squad bomb out before 2027?
There are signs South Africa's fabled juggernauts may be fading as they enter their twilight years in the scrummage.
Nick Bishop
16 Jan 2025, 5:20
Analysis
How law changes are speeding up the game - but the scrum lags behind
World Rugby has made great strides with recent tweaks to the lawbook, but scrums remain a major 'time-loser'.
Nick Bishop
13 Jan 2025, 4:23
Analysis
Should Tom Willis start for England in the Six Nations?
The Saracens number eight has been in irrepressible domestic form, but does he suit Steve Borthwick's game plan?
Nick Bishop
08 Jan 2025, 9:11
