News about Mike Catt

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: If England were to win in New Zealand on Saturday morning, it would be a massive scalp by anyone's reckoning. As an international player, you don't get many chances to face the All Blacks in their own backyard, so my message to Steve Borthwick and his squad is to not let the opportunity pass by. This summer's two-Test series is the first time England have toured New Zealand in a decade. There is no stiffer challenge in rugby than what Borthwick's side are about to face.

CHRIS FOY – WORLD OF RUGBY: How sad it is to learn that another of the mighty has fallen. Phil Vickery has been declared bankrupt, causing the former England captain and World Cup winner to withdraw from several enterprises. The 'Raging Bull' is expected to owe nearly £100,000 to Vix Ltd, his management company, which has gone into liquidation. Following the announcement that the 2011 Celebrity Masterchef winner's No. 3 restaurants had been ordered to close earlier this year due to the cost-of-living crisis that has wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry, there were also allegations of unpaid tax bills. Vickery, 48, seems to be suffering with his health issues as well as his financial problems. The great prop idol had joined the group litigation against various rugby governing bodies late last year, on behalf of ex-players who were still recovering from the after-effects of repeated head injuries.

This player may have been a regular member of Steve Borthwick's England squad in 2024, but almost 20 years ago, he may have been preparing for Ireland ahead of the team's Six Nations match on Saturday. The heavily decorated player had split loyalties for a while, until a youth rugby team treated him properly. Here, the player weighs in on the highly awaited Twickenham tussle. Can you guess who it might be?

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: For the first time in World Cup history, northern hemisphere teams dominated all the pools, bringing up four exciting quarter-finals. Ireland's draw in South Africa shows how absurd the draw is. Both these games will be deciding finals. Two big teams are likely to be disqualified, and there is a chance that the semi-finals will be made entirely of Six Nations teams. Here's my guide to the start of the knockout stages:

SHANE McGRATH: The Ireland camp is now relishing the prospect of becoming the world champions in Paris on Saturday night, after being greeted by a tumultuous start to the World Cup. South Africa rested their front-liners for Sunday's clash with Romania, with their attention occupied by Andy Farrell's guys' challenge. However, the Irish set-up, who won tonga in Nantes on Saturday night, is still waiting for two soaring declarations of intent that have seen 20 attempts in a week.

Hansen will not be included in the match-day squad for tomorrow's match against Romania in Bordeaux, and he is the only one of Andy Farrell's regulars who will not make the team's squad rather than the 23. Josh van der Flier and Robbie Henshaw are on the bench, but Hansen has been left out completely. Farrell made it clear at his team's announcement on Thursday that the winger was not injured, sparking rumors of a possible discipline based reason.

Danny Cipriani has reported that England captain Owen Farrell and George Ford were part of a leadership group that steered the 2015 Rugby World Cup team like a'mafia'. In his autobiography, 'Who Am I? Cipriani lifted the lid on the England team and his tumultuous debate with coach Mike Catt.' Owen [Farrell], George Ford, Chris Robshaw, Dan Cole, Ben Youngs, and a few others appeared in an excerpt from his book, which was also published by the Sun.

After defeating England, the St Patrick's weekend celebrations will culminate in a tumultuous climax at 7 p.m. on Saturday, when Ireland clinches the Six Nations championship and their fourth Grand Slam in history. There is no hint of danger or confusion in the air. Put green ribbons on the trophy now and line up the 'black stuff' for the celebration. The party's sighs are beyond today's visitors to Aviva Stadium, as Steve Borthwick's gap fear will be backed up once more. After No. 2 France trounced them at Twickenham last weekend, England's head coach knows exactly how far his team lags behind the sport's new heights, and the No. 1 nation is poised to pounce on the exposed English jugular. This could be a traumatic, painful experience.

SIR CLIVEWOODWARD: I didn't sleep a wink after England's humiliating of France, and I hope everyone who is really passionate about our sport was tossing and turning as well. Now is the time for everyone connected with English rugby to take a look at the mirror and ask tough questions of themselves about what has been happening and how we can ensure that every generation of player has every chance of being successful on the international stage. I was sleeping on Saturday night, and there was no way to sleep. Not just the England team, but also the entire world, this is an alarm bell for everyone. It's completely unfair for our senior men's team to lose 53-10 in a home Six Nations tournament.

SHAUN EDWARDS: A lot of people are knocking rugby right now, and it has irritated me a bit. If so, the Six Nations will certainly change the mood. It's great to be back in action. Every year, I adore it. It's been a trying time for the sport lately, but it has given me so much in my life. It's given me a name and has given me a purpose. So, I've had enough of the doom and gloom to go around. Nothing is perfect, but I want to send a note out that rugby has a lot of positive things and a large number of outstanding individuals. You don't know many people in rugby who you don't like, and the sport has so many positives as well as these negative ones that have been gaining a lot of buzz lately.