Rugby Union

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says it is up to him and his coaches to get the side out of its current poor run of form. The Chiefs were thrashed 69-17 by French Top 14 leaders Bordeaux in the Champions Cup on Saturday. The loss, which saw Exeter concede …

Ilona Maher’s first try for Bristol Bears helped them to a dramatic 41-31 Premiership Women’s Rugby win at Exeter Chiefs. The American back, whose three-month contract with the Bears began this month, had made her debut as a substitute in a defeat by Gloucester-Hartpury last weekend. She started against the …

Gwalia Lightning produced a second half fightback and scored a try in the 80th minute to earn a dramatic victory over winless Glasgow Warriors in the Celtic Challenge. The Welsh side were favourites, having won two of their first three matches, while the Warriors remain at the bottom of the …

La Rochelle: Dulin; Nowell; Seuteni, Favre; Leyds; Hastoy, Kerr-Barlow; Wardi, Lespiaucq, Atonio; Lavault, Douglas; Boudehent, Jegou, Alldritt (capt). Replacements: Clavier, Nail, Garnier, Marchais, Boichot, Kamoto, Thomas, Obiang Hguema. Leinster: Barrett; J O’Brien; Ringrose, Henshaw; J Osbourne; Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Healy, Kelleher, Furlong; J McCarthy, Ryan; Baird, van der Flier, Doris (capt). …

“Instead of conceding points, regrouping and working your way back into the game, it’s almost like a panic mode hits in.” As Ian Humphreys sums up, and in a familiar story of Ulster’s season, it was a disappointing night at the office against Leicester in the Investec Champions Cup. It …

Clovers moved level with Irish rivals Wolfhounds at the top of the Celtic Challenge table with a comprehensive 40-19 victory over Edinburgh in Cork. Amee-Leigh Costigan, Beth Buttimer, Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, Enya Breen, Jemima Adams Verling and Chisom Ugwueru all crossed as Clovers secured their third bonus-point win to …

Ben Murphy scored a hat-trick as Connacht hammered Lyon in the Challenge Cup to secure top spot in pool 1 with a game to spare. Scrum-half Murphy, who signed a contract extension earlier this week, bagged two tries before half-time with Sean Jansen and Finlay Bealham scores sealing the bonus …

Toulon: Domon; Drean, Frisch, Sinzelle, Wainiqolo; Garbisi, Serin; Priso, Lucchesi, Sinckler, Halagahu, Ribbans (capt), Ludlam, Abadie, Isa. Replacements: Ivaldi, Brennan, Setiano, Alainu’uese, Rebbadj, Coulon, White, Biggar. Harlequins: Green; David, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Launchbury, Hammond, Chisholm, Kenningham, Dombrandt (capt). Replacements: Riley, Jones, Kerrod, Cunningham-South, W Evans, …

Gloucester-Hartpury moved top of the Premiership Women’s Rugby table with a 36-19 win against Loughborough Lightning, as Saracens thrashed Leicester Tigers 100-0. Sisilia Tuipulotu’s try gave Gloucester-Hartpury the lead before Bulou Mataitoga went over to level the match. Tries from Mia Venner and Lucy Simpson helped give Gloucester-Hartpury a 19-5 …

Exeter: Wyatt; Hammersley, Wimbush, Tua, Brown-Bampoe; Slade, Townsend, Sio, Frost, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (capt), Molina, E Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau. Replacements: Norey, Goodrick-Clarke, J Roots, Tuima, Tshiunza, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Rigg. Bordeaux: Buros; Penaud, Moefana, Van Rensburg, Uberti; Jalibert, Lucu (capt); Boniface, Lamothe, Sadie, Petti, Cazeaux, Swinton, Matiu, Tatafu. Replacements: Latterrade, Poirot, Taufa, …

Edinburgh started well and took an early lead, battering at the Vannes line before a lovely long pass from Price put Goosen over. Price was then the beneficiary when Darcy Graham broke through and drew the cover defence before feeding the scrum-half to score. The French side had to respond …

Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Rhys Henry, Will Spencer, Will Griffiths, Jac Morgan (capt), Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris. Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Garyn Phillips, Tom Botha, James Ratti, Morgan Morse, Kieran Hardy, Evardi Boshoff, Harri Houston. Newcastle …

Dragons: Cai Evans; Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Harri Ackerman, Jared Rosser; Angus O’Brien (capt), Che Hope; Rodrigo Martinez, Elliot Dee, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Barny Langton-Cryer, Shane Lewis-Hughes, George Young, Taine Basham. Replacements: James Benjamin, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Dmitri Arhip, George Nott, Dan Lydiate, Morgan Lloyd, Lloyd Evans, Ewan Rosser Pau: …

Freddie Steward will make his 100th appearance for Leicester Tigers in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup match with Ulster. The England international will start at full-back as he marks a century of caps since coming through Tigers’ academy. Ulster will be led by Iain Henderson, who will make a welcome return …

Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong will make his first appearance for Leinster since October in Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup game with La Rochelle. Furlong, who missed Ireland’s autumn internationals with a hamstring injury, will make his 150th appearance for Leinster, a landmark that will also be reached by scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park. …

Bristol: Elizalde; Bates, Ravouvou, Williams, Heward; Byrne, Marmion; Thomas, Thacker, Lahiff, Owen, Batley, Grondona, Harding (capt), Mata. Replacements: Oghre, Genge, Kloska, Barker, Luatua, Randall, Van Rensburg, Lane. Benetton: Smith; Gallagher, Menoncello, Brex, Ratave; Albornoz, Uren; Gallo, Maile, Zilocchi, N Cannone, Ruzza, Lamaro (capt), Zuliani, L Cannone. Replacements: Bernasconi, Ferrari, Avaca, …

Glasgow Warriors booked their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup with a clinical destruction of Racing 92 at Scotstoun. First-half tries from George Horne, Jamie Dobie, Sebastian Cancelliere and Sione Tuipulotu put the hosts in control, with Vinaya Habosi responding for the French side. Rory Darge crossed …

Costelow, who turned 24 on Friday, was replaced by fellow Wales international Ioan Lloyd, who started at full-back at Kingsholm. But there was better news for Gareth Anscombe who has been given the all clear after a knee injury that kept him out of facing Scarlets and Costelow. Gloucester head …

Gloucester: Barton; Wade, Harris, Llewellyn, Hathaway; Carreras, Englefield; Vivas, Singleton, Knight, Thomas, Clark, Clement, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann. Replacements: Blake, Ford-Robinson, Gotovstev, Jordan, Clarke, Tuisue, Williams, Atkinson. Scarlets: Lloyd; Mee, Page, James, Murray; Costelow, Hughes; Mathias, van der Merwe, Thomas, Craig, Douglas, Plumtree, Macleod (capt), Fifita. Replacements: Evans, Hepburn, Hawley, Lousi, …

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Ojomoh, McConnichie; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit; Roux, Ewels, Hill, Reid, Barbeary. Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Stuart, Molony, Bayliss, Schreuder, Bailey, Staddon. Clermont Auvergne: Newsome; Delguy, Fouyssac, Simone, Tauzin; Belleau, Jauneau; Akhaladze, Fainga’a, Montagne, Simmons, Yato, Tixeront, Kremer, Lee (capt). Replacements: Fourcade, Lotrian, …