Ben Coles

1 day ago | observer.co.uk | Ben Coles

The new craze on a collision course with credulity and a ‘don’t try this at home’ health warning There is nothing subtle about the marketing for rugby’s new craze. The title for the latest video on the Run It Straight YouTube channel reads: “4 knockouts in ONE episode – Campbelltown got violent!”Run It Straight has an easy premise; an attacker carrying a rugby ball runs into a defender with as much force as possible. Whoever handles that coming-together best, wins.

1 week ago | observer.co.uk | Ben Coles

“I don’t know about any of that in terms of fate,” said Phil Dowson, Northampton’s director of rugby ahead of the club’s return to Cardiff to play in a Champions Cup final, just as they did 14 years ago when Dowson was a player. There was ultimately no healing yesterday in the Welsh capital. Defeated 28-20 by Bordeaux-Bègles, the fifth French winners in a row of this competition, Dowson’s players now have to find a ways to process the same pain their coach experienced in 2011.

1 week ago | observer.co.uk | Ben Coles

“I don’t know about any of that in terms of fate,” said Phil Dowson, Northampton’s director of rugby, this week. Admittedly, it was a sensible response. Daydreaming about how the stars have aligned to deliver Northampton Saints not only to a first Champions Cup final appearance in 14 years, but also back in the same stadium in Cardiff where they were beaten in their last shot at the title, is probably an unproductive use of your time as a coach.

2 weeks ago | observer.co.uk | Ben Coles

Recently, in a WhatsApp group created specifically by a subsection of our family to discuss sport, came the latest message praising the brilliant play of Northampton Saints and England fly-half Fin Smith. Except it said: “Finn Smith”. Not surprising, given another fly-half with the same name featuring an extra “n” has been one of the best in the game for the past decade, but a clear problem. The kind of mix-up which had to be nipped in the bud.

4 weeks ago | observer.co.uk | Ben Coles

Maro Itoje being named captain of the British and Irish Lions is not a surprise. Speak to enough players and you quickly realise which of them will make exceptional leaders. Itoje felt destined for this role even before his England debut. At the Premiership Rugby Awards a decade ago Itoje, then 20, held court with a group of reporters shortly before his first cup final with Saracens, as speculation simmered that the uncapped forward may be part of England’s Rugby World Cup squad.