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Barbarians ethos alive and well as England await

There a sure to be a few bleary eyes and painful heads packed onto the trains heading towards Twickenham on Sunday afternoon. England might expect there to be a few on the Barbarians team coach as well.

Cipriani named on England bench

Danny Cipriani will have to wait for his first England appearance in almost three years after he was named on the bench for the game against the Barbarians on Sunday.

Ashton returns to Twickenham with point to prove

Chris Ashton pauses when asked how he might be received by the Twickenham crowd on Sunday. "I might have been forgotten," he says with a smile, "hopefully!"

Super Rugby

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Rugby

Moody, Franks bans at odds with safety focus

Given all the talk of player safety being a priority in rugby, the two-week bans handed to All Blacks props Joe Moody and Owen Franks are grossly inadequate, Craig Dowd writes.

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Tahs' win must be the beginning, not the end - Growden

A second Waratahs triumph in a row over a Kiwi opponent is far from a faint dream - it should be an anticipated non-negotiable. They must convince themselves they are dominators, not spectators -- Greg Growden writes.

England

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Saracens reluctant to let Sanderson go

Saracens would be reluctant to lose Alex Sanderson to England after Mark McCall revealed he is seen as his eventual successor as the club's director of rugby.

England: Who could replace Gustard?

Paul Gustard's decision to join Harlequins has given Eddie Jones a headache he could have done without on the road to Japan. ESPN looks at three candidates to plug England's defensive hole.

All Blacks

Taufua's All Blacks selection a lesson in persistence

Brad Shields may have decided his future lay elsewhere but Jordan Taufua's ascension to the All Blacks shows that talented New Zealanders should never give up on Test rugby, Craig Dowd writes.

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Hansen: Shields 'would have been an All Black'

Steve Hansen has claimed Brad Shields would have been an All Black this year had he not switched allegiance to England.

Aviva Premiership

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Vunipola set to start Premiership final

Billy Vunipola is expected to start Saracens' Aviva Premiership final against Exeter at Twickenham on Saturday despite coming off at halftime in Saracens' semifinal victory over Wasps.

Willis to miss England tour of SA

Wasps' Jack Willis has been ruled out for up to a year after suffering "a significant multi-ligament injury to his right knee" in the defeat to Saracens, the club have announced.

Weekend Review

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Weekend review: Player of the weekend, flop & more

Plenty was sorted out over an enthralling few days but who shone, who had a weekend to forget and what will fans be talking about ahead of a busy period of domestic action?

Rebooted: Australia's drought breakers

After 40 games, Australia finally saw the end of their New Zealand hoodoo with the Waratahs putting on a slick display to thump the Highlanders, while the deliberate knockdown debate continues to rage.

Super Rugby

In or out? SARU must end SANZAAR gossip

The Royal Wedding may be the headline act in London this week but a meeting to discuss a union already 20 years old will also take place. It's time SANZAAR puts the heat on South Africa and seeks some clarity around its position in the alliance.

Should South Africa ditch SANZAAR?

KweséESPN's John Goliath looks at some of the pros and the cons if SA Rugby decides to ditch their southern-hemisphere partners for their northern counterparts.

Barbarians-like Sunwolves are Super Rugby's entertainers

Amidst the continual Waratahs bleat over 'we wuz robbed' refereeing decisions, an important Super Rugby moment has been overlooked -- a group of battlers have at last been rewarded for their initiative, writes Greg Growden.

England

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England must deliver for Jones in South Africa

Eddie Jones has tasked England with solving the issues that blighted their Six Nations campaign as he seeks to find the final 30 percent of his Rugby World Cup squad in South Africa.

England's new faces: Who are they?

England coach Eddie Jones has included seven new faces in his squad for next month's tour of South Africa. ESPN gives you the lowdown on those hoping to impress.

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