Articles

Paul Rees

About Paul Rees

Paul Rees was born in Cardiff and has been a full-time writer on rugby union since 1986, first for the South Wales Echo, then Wales and Sunday and, from 2001, the Guardian and the Observer, having contributed to the former on a freelance basis since 1988.

He has covered every World Cup since 1991 and five Lions tours. When time allows, he also write on cricket, mainly Glamorgan. And away from work, he a season-ticket holder at Arsenal, watching them home and away, including the European Champions League final against Barcelona in Paris in 2006.

Paul Rees's latest articles

The price of Anglo-Saxon stoicism

The tours showed, yet again, that there the game in New Zealand and Australia is fundamentally different to that in Europe.

We haven't won for a bit so can we change the rules please

The bleating clubs of England and France demand a change to the qualification process as Ireland continues to dominate the Heineken Cup.

Wales triumph is more Grind than Grand Slam

Wales will now find out if their pragmatic, physical, kicking style of rugby is enough to beat Australia in the southern hemisphere

Wales success built on their superb second half performances

The most successful teams have made the fewest mistakes because they have risked little in what has been a poor quality Six Nations.

Priestland key to Welsh Success

Rhys Priestland started playing at outside-half for Wales only last August, and then by accident. He had been picked at full-back against England at Twickenham in a pre-World Cup friendly, only to be told a few minutes for the start that he would be wearing the 10 jersey because Stephen Jones had suffered a calf injury in the warm-up.

History points to another Wales Grand Slam

England shut down Priestland but cannot break down a Wales team that is learning how to win tight matches.

Six Nations: a two-tone tournament

The match of the round in the Six Nations this weekend may be Wales’s visit to Twickenham, but arguably more significant for the tournament itself is the meeting between Scotland and France at Murrayfield on Sunday.

Gatland tells Wales to hit and run

Paul Rees looks at Wales’s history against England at Twickenham and believes they will run from anywhere if they spot a lack of defensive cover

Dull England ploughs on through the snow

Paul Rees watches lucky England plod to victory despite creating very little except a midfield full of cumbersome forwards

Robinson and Kidney may soon be looking for a new job

Paul Rees wonders if defeat at the weekend would mean the end for a couple of Six Nations coaches… Is history about to repeat itself? Two Six Nations coaches who had taken their teams to the previous year’s World Cup found themselves looking for a new job within weeks of the end of the 2008 tournament.