2 h. ago The Breakdown | A November to remember: let’s celebrate the good in international rugby

We turn the dial towards whimsy and revisit some of the moments that made the autumn internationals irresistibleSouth Africa and Ireland played out a slugfest for the ages and the discourse has been dominated by yellow cards and flying shoulders to the head. England held off a spirited Argentina to claim their 11th consecutive Test win and it seems all anyone can talk about is some alleged after-the-whistle shoving. Wales and New Zealand traded 11 tries in a ding-dong encounter and yet the narrative is weighed down by caveats concerning fading empires.What, exactly, is the point of Test rugby? Beyond winning World Cups and regional crowns, does this chaotic sport hold any value? A bit of spice elevates almost every dish, sure, but it has felt as if this autumn’s brilliant rugby fare has been smothered in a sauce with a needlessly high Scoville count. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago WRU issue statement on controversial South Africa match as Springboks decimated

Your morning headlines from the world of rugby on Tuesday, November 25

Politics

18 h. ago England know how to win under Borthwick – now to handle great expectations | Gerard Meagher

After 11 successive victories, England will go into next year’s Six Nations as the team to beatA Six Nations grand slam, plus Nations Championship victories against South Africa and Fiji and England would head to Argentina next July having equalled their record run of 18 wins, in pursuit of a ground-breaking No 19. Sounds simple put like that, but there’s more chance of Steve Borthwick busting his best moves in England’s next viral TikTok video than him entertaining any thought of record runs.That is not to criticise, because even though Borthwick is allergic to looking too far ahead, doing so would be to get drastically carried away. The point here is that the more England keep winning, and they will enter the Six Nations next year as the team to beat after 11 on the trot, the more expectation increases. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago Wales call up four new players ahead of daunting South Africa game

Steve Tandy has called for reinforcements after seeing 13 players leave his squad

Sport

27 h. ago Wales set to call up Scarlets star after raft of players leave squad

Steve Tandy will be forced to call in reinforcements today ahead of Wales playing South Africa

Sport

43 h. ago Wales must make permanent appointment to fix biggest problem amid desperation

Wales have conceded 127 points in just three games, with South Africa still to come to Cardiff

Politics

45 h. ago Cyril Ramaphosa bangs gavel to close G20 summit after US handover row

South Africa rejects proposal from US, which hosts next summit, for president to hand over to embassy officialSouth Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, closed the G20 summit in Johannesburg by banging a gavel, having rejected a US proposal for him to hand over to a relatively junior embassy official for the next summit in Florida in a year’s time.South Africa presented the two-day event as a triumph for multilateralism but it was marred by a boycott by the US, which has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against white minority Afrikaners, a claim that has been widely discredited. Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago Cyril Ramaphosa closes G20 summit after US boycott and handover row

South African president bangs gavel after rejecting plan from US, which hosts next meeting, for him to hand over to junior officialSouth Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, closed the G20 summit in Johannesburg by banging a gavel, having rejected a US proposal for him to hand over to a relatively junior embassy official for the next summit in Florida in a year’s time.South Africa presented the two-day event as a triumph for multilateralism but it was marred by a boycott by the US, which has repeatedly accused South Africa of discriminating against white-minority Afrikaners, a claim that has been widely discredited. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Developing nations push for climate action and debt relief at G20 summit in South Africa

Poorer nations at the Group of 20 summit in South Africa have urged world leaders to address climate action and debt issues affecting the developing world

Politics

50 h. ago The G20 summit in South Africa is set to end with another diplomatic spat involving the US

The Group of 20 summit in South Africa is set to end with another diplomatic spat involving the United States after the host country refused to hand over the rotating presidency of the bloc to what it described as a junior U.S. official

Politics

62 h. ago Sir Keir Starmer insists there will be no 'vexatious prosecutions' of British veterans over killings in Northern Ireland after SAS group announced legal action against Labour's Troubles Bill

The Prime Minister told reporters travelling with him to the G20 summit in South Africa that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill strikes the right balance.

Events

64 h. ago Ireland vs South Africa live: Springboks survive madcap clash as brave Ireland fall short

Ireland 13-24 South Africa: The Springboks prevailed in a crazy encounter in which the hosts were reduced to 12 men

Events

64 h. ago Cards, chaos and carnage: How South Africa secured wild win over Ireland

Ireland 13-24 South Africa: The Springboks survived a battling performance from the hosts as James Ryan saw red

Events

64 h. ago South Africa make heavy weather of victory over indisciplined Ireland

Ireland 13-24 South AfricaHome side have five players sent to sin binThe IRFU may be disconnected from a chunk of their audience on the price of Test rugby at Lansdowne Road but at least those who ponied up large can claim to have witnessed a truly crazy event. Back in the 2013 Six Nations in Rome Ireland had their backline sundered by a freakish run of injuries, leaving holes being filled by men who didn’t know how to hold a shovel. But here, on a perfect night for rugby and with a game promising to develop into a gripping contest, we saw four players banished for crimes and misdemeanours in the first half alone. Mad stuff, at the end of which the world champions stumbled to a win that should have been managed with half the effort.The passage to the overflowing sin bin was halted only by the half-time whistle, at which point the referee, Matt Carley, was booed off the field with a venom you don’t often get at these events. Their sense of injustice kicked off with the decision not t...

Politics

65 h. ago Ukraine’s allies rally around Zelensky ahead of crunch talks as Trump offers lifeline to Kyiv

European leaders are meeting in South Africa to discuss alternatives to a US plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine

Politics

65 h. ago Ireland vs South Africa live: Springboks lead but hosts battle back after card chaos

Can Ireland prove that they can still mix it with the best as they host the world champions?

Events

65 h. ago Ireland v South Africa first half ends in chaos as hosts down to 12 and boos ring out

The first half ion Dublin ended in quite extraordinary fashion

Events

66 h. ago Keir Starmer finally given voice in Donald Trump's controversial Ukraine 'peace plan'

International leaders held crunch talks on Ukraine today at the G20 summit in South Africa, shunned by Trump, where they rejected parts of the US President’s peace plan

Politics

66 h. ago James Ryan red card: Why was the Ireland lock sent off against South Africa?

Ryan was shown red early on in the clash at the Aviva Stadium

Politics

68 h. ago Keir Starmer rejects parts of Donald Trump's Ukraine plan ahead of crunch talks

Leaders held urgent crunch talks on Ukraine at the G20 summit in South Africa, where they rejected parts of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the war-torn country

Politics