5. “The great Winston Churchill said, ‘when you’re in hell, just make sure you keep going’.” Geordan Murphy, admitted that Leicester Tigers are at “their lowest ebb”. They were on their worst losing run since 1975.
6. “I am English, this is England, of course it would be great to have an English coach. But we have got to have the best coach for the job.” Acting RFU chief executive Nigel Melville has stated that the search for Eddie Jones’ successor has already begun. While he said that the search would encompass all nationalities.
7. In June, France hosted the Under-20 World Championship, with the hosts beating England 33-25 in a fantastic final in Beziers. Sale Sharks flanker and captain Ben Curry remained humble in defeat. “Not many players our age can say they have played in front of 20,000 fans. We’ll learn from this experience.”
8. “I have friends working on scaffolding sites back home who are quicker than Jonny May. That’s where football and those other sports have cracked it. Is rugby really grassroots? When I was younger, I never felt comfortable sitting in the clubhouse having my chips and sausage, because I just felt everyone was looking at me thinking, ‘Who the fuck is this’?” Leicester’s Ellis Gengequestions whether rugby union is truly inclusive.