Introduction and Preview to the 2015 Rugby World Cup

With less than two weeks to go until the Rugby World Cup begins, the excitement is at fever pitch - all of the squads have been announced (which you can view here), the warm-up matches have come to a close and the 100-strong Rose Army are well under way with their tasks to get the public involved in the build-up. In just twelve days, England will be kicking off the tournament against Fiji at Twickenham, so what do you need to know before it starts?

Right from the beginning of the tournament there are fixtures galore taking place at all different times throughout the week, as to be expected. To keep up with who is playing who and when, click here for a downloadable fixture list - there are 48 matches available on ITV for your viewing pleasure (40 pool games and 8 finals), and it's impossible to stay on top of them all. Hopefully the available guide will allow you to do so, and ensure that you catch as many matches as possible.

England say bye bye to another seven players

With less than fifty days to go until the Rugby World Cup kicks off, competition for the thirty-one available squad places is really heating up. The players have now completed their training in Denver, Colorado and will be returning to Pennyhill Park to continue getting ready for the warm-up against France and the matches that follow. We now have just thirty-nine players remaining after the latest cut by Stuart Lancaster, and he has made some interesting choices. Those being released to their clubs are: Chris Ashton, Lee Dickson, Kyle Eastmond, Matt Kvesic, Matt Mullan, Semesa Rokoduguni and Marland Yarde. 

I should start off by saying that, in regards to Dickson, Kvesic, Mullan and Yarde, I am fully on board with Lancaster's decision to release them. There are just too many better players at the moment who are rightfully higher up in the pecking order. Some of the other players, however, may have reasons to feel aggrieved at the decision of the England management. This is not the first time the decisions of those in charge have come under fire, although there was significantly less disagreement this time compared to previous choices.

Saints Fans Say Goodbye to Big Samu

It's always difficult to say goodbye to players who have been real servants to the club, but the loss of someone like Samu Manoa makes it much tougher. Since he joined in 2011, he was nothing short of excellent for the club and was the player everyone wanted to watch. Toulon are known for snapping up some of the world's best players, and Manoa is no exception to the rule. He is going to be missed by everyone, and it will be impossible to replace him.

When he signed for the Saints, only a very small number of people knew who the big American was, and barely anyone knew exactly what he was capable of. However, Jim and Dusty clearly saw something special in him, and how right they turned out to be. Life hadn't always been easy for Samu, but his love for rugby got him through it, and this love was more than apparent - right from the outset he put everything on the line for Northampton, and his big hits and excellent ball handling quickly set him apart from everyone else. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we were blessed to be able to have him as part of the team, and so very lucky to have been able to sign him.

Saints Fans Say Goodbye to the Squad Father

The end of the season brings both excitement and dread as we find out who will be joining the club, but also who will be leaving. Saints have lost some good people this season, with one of them being the well-loved Dowson.

Having joined in the 2009-10 season from Newcastle Falcons, Dowson immediately made a name for himself, not only going to on to lift the Anglo-Welsh Cup in his first season at the club, but also by being short-listed for both the then Guinness Premiership Player of the Season Award and the RPA Players' Player of the Season Award. Not many can say they have made that kind of immediate impact at a new club, but Phil can. Playing for Northampton turned out to be the best fit for him, and he became a giant of the game in the six seasons he played for us. 

Why this Premiership Rugby season has been the best yet

We have now reached the exciting time of the season where the pressure really tells and we see who has the metal to go on and lift the trophy. After twenty-two rounds we have our four semi-finalists: Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Leicester Tigers and Saracens. Whilst league winners Northampton and second place Bath always seemed odds on to get those home semi-finals, the race for third and fourth position made the last few weeks of the regular season in particular very exciting to watch. But what else has made this season one of the best yet?

There have been some outstanding team performances over the course of the season, some we expected, others we may not have. One team in particular is Exeter Chiefs, who have had a phenomenal season. Their meteoric rise has been witnessed by the rugby community for a few years now, but they have absolutely shined this year. With superb performances by the likes of Dave Ewers and Henry Slade, who recently won the Land Rover Discovery of the Season Award, the Chiefs have been able to really push those teams at the top of the Premiership. They did the double over the current Champions, and almost got into the top four, losing out in the final round on points difference. Having managed to secure European Champions Cup rugby for next season, they can only go from strength to strength.

Respect - due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others

We hear a lot of talk in the rugby community about how football is such a terrible sport due to the actions of their fans, and how they treat each other, the players and the officials with constant disrespect. We pride ourselves on being 'gentlemen' (or women, of course) in rugby, but is this true in reality? Respect is a huge part of the game, and for as long as I can remember this has been upheld by all rugby fans and players alike. I have some great memories where fans from opposite clubs have been nothing but cordial and polite to one another – an example that really sticks in my mind is from back in 2011 when Northampton Saints played Leinster in the Heineken Cup Final at Cardiff. It's safe to say Saints fans were pretty despondent when the match finished, but as a group of us were stood waiting to get on the coach some Leinster fans who were walking passed all stopped and shook hands with us, telling us it was a great match and we played really well. They didn't get anything out of doing that, but they did so anyway and it was actually a really lovely moment which lifted our spirits somewhat. But as the seasons go on I find respect is lacking more often than not.