The Roar
The Roar

The Roar

Nicholas Bishop

Expert

Joined January 2016

3.03m

Views

426

Published

49.9k

Comments

Nick Bishop has worked as a rugby analyst and advisor to Graham Henry (1999-2003), Mike Ruddock (2004-2005) and most recently Stuart Lancaster (2011-2015). He also worked on the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and produced his first rugby book with Graham Henry at the end of the tour. Three more rugby books have followed, all of which of have either been nominated for or won national sports book awards. Nick’s latest is a biography of Phil Larder, the first top Rugby League coach to successfully transfer over to Union, entitled “The Iron Curtain”. He is currently writing articles for The Roar and The Rugby Site, and working as a strategy consultant to Stuart Lancaster and the Leinster coaching staff for their European and Pro 14 playoff matches. Leinster achieved the double of European Champions Cup and Pro 14 league winners in 2018. They repeated their Pro 14 win in 2019 and finished runners-up to Saracens in Europe.

Published

Comments

Older Submissions

Spot on Miz, the Lord was just stating the obvious!

'Inappropriate': Eddie puts Laurie in his place over Wallaby criticism, explains Quade battle, gives Hoops, TT update

View Comment
Rugby
 
Jul

Cheers H, for a welcome dose of sanity in the site’s alternate rugby universe! 👍

Fresh meat: Loftus Versfeld smells like an abattoir. Tom Hooper and co were skewered and thrown on the braai

View Comment
Rugby
 
Jul

The best informed article on the site for a number of months Bren. Eds take note and well done!

Quality early development gives young French rugby players a running start on their southern opponents

View Comment
Rugby
 
Jul

This is TWAS-twaddle and you probably know it. 😂

Meafou is far more advanced than Amatosero and last season kept Richie Arnold out of the Toulouse starting lineup.

If he was avalable for France for the WC, they would start him instead of Willemse.

Exclusive: 'I won't wear another jersey' - 'Mini Will Skelton' reveals why he's returning to Australian rugby

View Comment
Rugby
 
Jun

Good stuff JD!

New blood, plenty of mongrel, unreturned texts: What we learnt from All Blacks squad announcement

View Comment
Rugby
 
Jun

Not bad for Saints OM, mostly 13/wing utility – but they shipped 86 tries second worst in the league on D (especially wide D) so he won’t help there. Best to tailor expectations to reality not fantasy.

Exclusive: Rebels sign ex-All Blacks gun as Hodge replacement, Brumbies hang onto Wallaby

View Comment
Rugby
 
Jun

Great article Geoff, cutting right through all the BS floating around today….

The marketing and media manipulation in Aussie rugby is rapidly creating an alternate universe, a very Foxy tactic indeed!

The point about the signings made by Ireland is also very important. Those guys were developed in Ireland to the level of Test-match players even if they were born elsewhere. Nobody has yet explained to me why Mack Hansen could not get a SRP contract in Aussie.

The Wrap: In a race to rewrite rugby history, the bull--t rises to the top

View Comment
Rugby
 
May

Great article Geoff, cutting through all the BS. I don’t often look in but this is sort of piece that makes the Roar worthwhile. Kudos fella!

The Wrap: Two egotists swinging their appendages in public isn't a ‘code war’ - but it is tiresome and demeaning

View Comment
Rugby
 
Apr

Good spot Jez. Just a quick wave to you and Numps and Miz and all the others who made the Roar forums such a great place to be! Look after yourselves, all. 👍

To catch SRP's ‘haves’, the Waratahs and Reds need to find their spine

View Comment
Rugby
 
Apr

Mick, maybe you could have saved Eddie from his England exit by pointing out he didn’t need all the research and analysis guys, just a well-travelled journo alongside him, with an eye that can take everything in at one glance! Then he might still have a job in West London 😂

Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Lots in flux atm H. We’ll see.

Yes, it comes to something when England can’t even reduce the game to a boring slug-fest, doesn’t it? 😁

Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Great point H, and a more interesting one than any made in the article itself!

Since the EP abandoned relegation try scoring has gone through the roof. Teams are much more content to develop their styles of play throughout the season, and not ‘contract’ around defence and kicking if they are under threat to drop.

So there is much more ball movement and the refs tend to clamp hard on defensive spoiling around the ruck. It will prob benefit English rugby in the long term but there are teething problems, for sure.

Northern View: Whole world 'laughing their tits off' at bang average battlers, Dupont the greatest No.9 in generations

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

In fact I’m not too sure if they have that much depth there. For example no yet convinced Flament is such a great replacement for Woki (who was himself converted from 6). Both Willemse and Meafou ofc qualify by residency!

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Canes midfield has looked pretty solid so far. Good size in the centres and on the wing.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

As opposed to figurative LOL 😁

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Not much time left over for any CC’s right now Ken!

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Don’t recall Simmons ever having a gut G!

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Poss but you’d be stretching the envelope.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Looked it up and it was Hosea + Michael Wood starting, Frost on bench duty.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Yep Smith and Blythe are triers for sure, but the other three have an edge in quality when it comes to international football.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Thx.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

You should hear the prayers in Wales atm!

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

We can talk for a long time on that one. 😔

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

Top post Mo.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar

I must say I tend to think of Gleeson/Bobby V as an either/or situation.

Why Brumbies star is becoming a pivotal figure in Eddie's RWC hopes - and the big blow to the Wallabies

View Comment
Rugby
 
Mar
Older Comments
close