Neil Back

While Wales were justified winners in Cardiff, I am pleased to say that I thought England produced a much-improved performance. With a bit more belief they might even have gone on and won the game. Wales are a good side, and the England guys now know that if they stick...More

17 comments

It has been a while since Wales were such strong favourites to beat England, but judging by the form of the two teams in the autumn and last week in the Six Nations, that is exactly what they are. Martin Johnson and his England side will know this and in some...More

1 comments

I need to take a long, deep breath before writing this blog because most of what I am about to say pains me.If anyone was confused about where England were in terms of their development, then the Italy game has made it crystal clear. We now know how difficult a...More

9 comments

Some of the choices for the England starting XV against Italy on Saturday will have caused debate, none more so than the recall of Andy Goode. I must admit I was surprised at Goodie's call up, but Martin Johnson and his coaching staff will have thought long and hard about it. I do not subscribe...More

17 comments

It is an exciting time of the season with the Heineken Cup quarter-final line-up having been settled and the Six Nations around the corner.It's hard to pick one team to win the Heineken Cup because it has been such an open tournament this year, with Cardiff Blues the only team...More

5 comments

Gouging is unacceptable in the game of rugby and any player found guilty of it should be punished accordingly.The fact that it is a Leicester player who has been accused doesn't prejudice my view, although I did not see the Leicester Tigers versus Ospreys game or the alleged incident.Knowing Martin,...More

1 comments

Lewis Moody's broken ankle is a big blow for England and Leicester, there is no doubt about that.He is a quality back-rower and someone who brings a huge amount of experience to a squad; I am sure he would have been someone that Martin Johnson would have been looking towards...More

London Irish face a tricky trip to Sale on Friday evening that will be a real test of their mental strength.The Exiles are full of confidence and playing a really exciting brand of rugby at the moment, but they will need to show mental toughness if they are to come...More

With Tom Rees effectively ruled out of the Six Nations after picking up a knee ligament injury, Martin Johnson will have to find a replacement for the Wasps player.There are a number of very good English opensides putting their hands up at the moment - Michael Lipman, Steffon Armitage and...More

It has been another fascinating year for rugby at both a domestic and international level, and even though the world appears to be in economic meltdown, I think the game as a whole is in rude health.Obviously there was no World Cup this year, and obviously we are only half...More

1 comments