Neil Back

Warren Gatland has come out and said that the Premiership is the weakest he has ever seen and while everybody is entitled to their opinion, I cannot say that I agree with him. For me, the Premiership is the most competitive club competition in the world. It is a long...More

11 comments

Managing expectations ahead of England's autumn internationals always had to be a careful process even before Martin Johnson had a spate of withdrawals.Last year there was a lot of hope before the games and there ended up being some disappointing results. However, you saw a style of play beginning to...More

3 comments

Injuries have become the hot topic in rugby recently, especially after the experiences of England and Wales ahead of next month's internationals. Martin Johnson will be without 12 players for England's opener with Australia, while Warren Gatland is missing a handful of key starters for their clash with the All Blacks.It...More

4 comments

I had the pleasure of attending a dinner in honour of Ian McGeechan earlier this week and it struck me that the great man is the ideal candidate to take over at Quins. Geech played for Headingley during his club career and it is a mark of his standing in...More

3 comments

There were some surprise results in the opening round of the Heineken Cup during which a number of young England players caught my eye. London Irish's victory in Leinster may not have produced any tries but it was enthralling none the less. It was a high pressure game and Ryan...More

There is always something special about playing in Europe, especially when you have an away match in France. Although there is plenty of passion and intensity in the Guinness Premiership, it is of a different kind when you play in France.We failed to get a win at Bourgoin last weekend,...More

I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the Guinness Premiership has yet top catch fire this season, and as a result I cannot see an English team lifting the Heineken Cup. Don't get me wrong, I want an English club to win it, but I don't think it will...More

8 comments

An away game at Bourgoin may not be everyone's idea of an ideal break from the intensity of the Guinness Premiership, but everyone at Leeds Carnegie is looking forward to the trip. I think it could be just what we need, despite the fact Bourgoin finished runners-up in the European...More

You've got to feel for Saracens: four wins from four and they're still getting it in the neck from some of their fans.I appreciate that Sarries are not playing expansive rugby at the moment and are relying on a kicking game more than most Premiership clubs, but they are top...More

1 comments

A lot of people might think that we are really down at Leeds after losing another game last weekend, but I can say without any doubt that it is quite the opposite. In fact, we are feeling really positive despite the defeat at Northampton because the guys showed for long...More