Source: Scottish Rugby

Scotland turn a Corner

Scotland v USA Result: Scotland 24 USA 14 Player of the Match: Evie Gallagher After relatively easy opening matches last week both sides knew this clash could be a clincher. You could well view this game as the moment Scotland turned a corner. They are now enjoying a 4-match winning streak, untold riches after decades

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Source: Hagen Hopkins:Getty Images

A Win, but not a Demolition

Australia v England The two teams had the honour of launching the top tier of the new WXV venture. Result: Australia 7 England 42 Player of the match Holly Aitchison England gained their expected win at the Sky Stadium, Wellington, but they couldn’t keep a clean sheet. They were nearly picture-perfect at the start. After

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Source: Mike Lee - KLC fotos for World Rugby

‘The man who wasn’t there’

‘The man who wasn’t there’ is a 2001 movie by the Coen brothers narrating the story of a laconic, chain-smoking barber who blackmails his wife and lover for money to invest in dry-cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong. Fortunately for the RFU the only connection between that unseemly tale and the arrival of John

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Source: Johan Rynners - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images

Scotland v USA – Round 2

This is a fascinating match-up between nations ranked seventh and ninth in the world. But within the structures of WXV2, the Eagles sit top of the pile, and they will be intent on proving their right to be there. Though they haven’t found victory easy in recent times, the aim now must be to prove

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Italy v South Africa – Round 2

Two head coaches make plentiful changes Nanni Raineri has made sweeping changes to the side that faces the Boks in Cape Town on Friday. With the withdrawal from action of the skipper, Sofia Stefan, Beatice Rigoni assumes the captaincy. She may well have held that honour before, but if so, I don’t recall it. In

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Source: INPHO/Ben Brady

Hannah Jones’ big Day

Wales prepare for Canada showdown It’s a big occasion for the Welsh skipper, Hannah Jones. As she leads her team out for their first ever dip in WXV waters, she celebrates her 50th cap. A first cap at the age of 16 shows how an early talent has developed to this high level. Ioan Cunningham

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Source: Hannah Peters - World Rugby via Getty Images

A much-changed Wallaroos’ Squad to face England

Jay Tregonning has not been afraid to experiment with the 23 he’s selected to face England on Friday 20 October. The Squad: 1 *Brianna Hoy (NSW Waratahs), 2 Tania Naden (ACT Brumbies, 6 caps), 3 Eva Karpani (NSW Waratahs, 17), 4 Michaela Leonard (captain, Western Force, 18), 5 Annabelle Codey (Queensland Reds, 4), 6 Siokapesi

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Source: INPHO/Women’s 6 Nations

The French 23 to face the World Champions

We should have expected it, but we didn’t. This French squad to face the Black Ferns is far from what most people might have expected. How many French fans got it right? The squad: 15 Morgane Bourgeois (Stade Bordelais), 14 Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier HR), 13 Marine Ménager (Montpellier HR), 12 Gabrielle Vernier (Blagnac), 11 Émilie Boulard

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Source: RFU

Dreadful News from Sixways

The news from Warriors could hardly be more distressing. They become the first club to withdraw ‘voluntarily’ from the elite league. Four others were unceremoniously ejected by the RFU. That makes five in six years. Belinda Moore, CEO of the PWR, expresses her deep disappointment, but it begs the question whether the newly formed company

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Source: INPHO

WXV1 – the top three

The biggest drama still awaits. The three best rugby sides in the world will compete over the next three weekends. It’s only a year since they met up at the World Cup. A reminder: after thrashing Wales 55-3 in their quarter-final New Zealand scraped home by a combined four points against France then England. England

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