SPORTS DIGEST: 9-15 Feb 2026
SIX NATIONS RUGBY
England’s winning streak ends in Edinburgh heartbreak
England Men – Six Nations Championship Scotland 31-20 England (Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh) – Saturday, 14 February
England’s 12-match winning streak came to a shuddering halt at Murrayfield as Scotland claimed the Calcutta Cup with a commanding performance that exposed defensive frailties in Steve Borthwick’s side. Henry Arundell’s early yellow card proved costly as Scotland exploited the numerical advantage with clinical tries from Huw Jones and Jamie Ritchie, racing to a 24-10 halftime lead orchestrated by the brilliant Finn Russell.
Despite England’s attempts to mount a second-half comeback, Scotland’s intensity never wavered. The result marks a significant setback for an England team that had been building momentum through the autumn and early 2026, and sets up a crucial test against Ireland at Twickenham next Saturday where the men in white will need to rediscover their defensive solidity.
The defeat is all the more painful given the psychological blow of losing the Calcutta Cup on Scottish soil, where Murrayfield’s atmosphere proved as formidable as the home team’s attack.
France storm past Wales in Cardiff rout
Six Nations Championship Wales 12-54 France (Principality Stadium, Cardiff) – Sunday, 15 February
France returned to the top of the Six Nations table with a devastating eight-try demolition of Wales in Cardiff, scoring 54 points in front of 57,744 fans at the Principality Stadium. The comprehensive victory showcased the full range of French attacking prowess as they overwhelmed a Welsh side unable to cope with their pace and precision.
Six Nations Championship Table
| Pos | Team | P | Pts | W | D | L | PD | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +64 | 2 |
| 2 | Scotland | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +8 | 2 |
| 3 | England | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +30 | 1 |
| 4 | Italy | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 1 |
| 5 | Ireland | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -15 | 0 |
| 6 | Wales | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -83 | 0 |
PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL
Chelsea held in dramatic Stamford Bridge stalemate
Chelsea FC – Premier League Chelsea 2-2 Leeds United (Stamford Bridge) – Monday, 10 February
Chelsea squandered a two-goal advantage as Leeds United fought back to claim a point at Stamford Bridge. João Pedro and Cole Palmer from the penalty spot had put the Blues in command, but Leeds refused to surrender. Lukas Nmecha converted a penalty before Noah Okafor’s equalizer earned the visitors a share of the spoils, leaving Chelsea frustrated at dropping two points in their pursuit of European qualification.
Fulham swept aside by ruthless Manchester City
Fulham FC – Premier League Manchester City 3-0 Fulham (Etihad Stadium) – Wednesday, 12 February
Fulham’s daunting record at the Etihad continued as Manchester City cruised to their 20th consecutive home victory over the Whites across all competitions. Antoine Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland struck inside the opening 36 minutes to effectively end the contest before halftime, extending City’s astonishing run to 17 consecutive home Premier League wins against Fulham – the longest streak in English football history. Marco Silva’s side rarely threatened as City’s dominance at home shows no sign of ending.
Premier League Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 26 | 57 | 17 | 6 | 3 | +32 | DLWWL |
| 2 | Manchester City | 26 | 53 | 16 | 5 | 5 | +30 | WLDWW |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 26 | 50 | 15 | 5 | 6 | +10 | LWLDW |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 5 | Chelsea | 26 | 44 | 12 | 8 | 6 | +17 | WWWWL |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 12 | Fulham | 26 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 12 | -5 | LWLWL |
FA CUP
Fulham edge past Stoke in fourth-round thriller
Fulham FC – FA Cup Fourth Round Stoke City 1-2 Fulham (bet365 Stadium) – Saturday, 15 February
Fulham advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with a hard-fought victory at the bet365 Stadium, though they were made to work for their passage. Bae Jun-Ho opened the scoring after 19 minutes before Kevin doubled the advantage midway through the second half. Harrison Reed’s 84th-minute strike gave Stoke hope of a dramatic comeback, but Fulham held firm in front of 14,871 fans to secure their place in the next round.
LEAGUE ONE
Bugiel brace secures point in six-goal thriller
AFC Wimbledon – League One Barnsley 3-3 AFC Wimbledon (Oakwell) – Saturday, 14 February
Omar Bugiel’s stunning first-half double inspired AFC Wimbledon to snatch a dramatic point at Oakwell in an end-to-end encounter that showcased both teams’ attacking intent. The Dons found themselves 2-0 down inside 14 minutes as David McGoldrick and Tom Bradshaw put Barnsley in command, but Bugiel struck twice in three minutes to level the scores at 2-2.
Marcus Browne appeared to have won it for Wimbledon when he tapped into an empty net in the 74th minute to send the travelling support wild, but Scott Banks’ 87th-minute equalizer rescued a point for the hosts. The result continues Wimbledon’s unbeaten run and demonstrates Johnnie Jackson’s side won’t be easily beaten even when trailing by two goals on the road.
League One Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 31 | 66 | 20 | 6 | 5 | +28 | DLDWW |
| 2 | Lincoln City | 31 | 62 | 18 | 8 | 5 | +22 | WWWWL |
| 3 | Bolton | 32 | 56 | 15 | 11 | 6 | +12 | WWWWL |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 15 | AFC Wimbledon | 30 | 39 | 11 | 6 | 13 | -6 | LLWWD |
| 16 | Barnsley | 28 | 38 | 10 | 8 | 10 | -2 | LWLDL |
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE
Chelsea cruise past Liverpool at Kingsmeadow
Chelsea Women – Women’s Super League Chelsea Women 2-0 Liverpool Women (Kingsmeadow) – Saturday, 15 February
Chelsea Women maintained their WSL title challenge with a professional victory over Liverpool in a kickoff at Kingsmeadow. Sjoeke Nüschen opened the scoring five minutes before halftime before Lauren James sealed the points with a second-half strike, ensuring Sonia Bompastor’s side kept pace at the top of the table.
FA WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE
Fulham Women march into cup semi-finals
Fulham Women – Capital Women’s Cup Quarter-Final Fulham Women 4-1 Atlético London (Motspur Park) – Saturday, 15 February
League leaders Fulham Women booked their place in the Capital Women’s Cup semi-finals with a commanding first-half performance against Atlético London. The Whites scored four times before the break to effectively settle the quarter-final, with manager Chris Green rotating his squad in the second half ahead of crucial league fixtures against QPR on Wednesday and another opponent on Sunday.
New signings Hannah and Layla both found the net, with Hannah scoring for the second consecutive week from a set-piece routine, while Layla’s goal marked her first for the club. Stella added two clinical finishes, with her second a particularly impressive guided effort into the bottom corner. The victory maintains Fulham’s unbeaten start to the season and keeps them top of FA WNL Division One South-East with 38 points from 14 matches, one point ahead of Norwich City.
FA WNL Division One South-East
| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | W | D | L | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulham Women | 14 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 0 | +32 | WWDWW |
| 2 | Norwich City Women | 15 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 2 | +30 | WWWLW |
| 3 | London Bees | 15 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 4 | +18 | WWDLW |
PREMIERSHIP WOMEN’S RUGBY
Harlequins claim crucial bonus point despite Gloucester defeat
Harlequins Women – Premiership Women’s Rugby Gloucester-Hartpury 54-26 Harlequins Women (Kingsholm) – Saturday, 14 February
Harlequins Women secured a vital try bonus point despite suffering a heavy defeat to reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury at Kingsholm. After an even start, the hosts pulled away with clinical finishing, but Quins’ determination to claim a fourth try could prove crucial in the final league standings.
Ella Cromack crossed twice for the visitors, first clawing Harlequins back into the match with abrasive carrying from the back row providing the platform, then delivering a picture-perfect pass for Lauren Torley to score before halftime. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u crashed over from close range in the second half before Aoife Wafer’s maul try secured the bonus point that Ross Chisholm’s side will take back to London.
Kate Williams, Sisilia Tuipulotu twice, Kelsey Jones, Tatyana Heard, Maud Muir and Lucy Simpson all crossed for the champions as they demonstrated the clinical edge that has made them the team to beat in the PWR.
STORY OF THE WEEK
Bugiel’s brilliance salvages point as Dons fight back twice
Omar Bugiel’s quickfire double exemplified AFC Wimbledon’s never-say-die spirit at Oakwell. Facing a two-goal deficit inside 14 minutes against promotion-chasing Barnsley, lesser teams might have crumbled. Instead, Bugiel struck twice in three first-half minutes to level the scores before Marcus Browne appeared to have won it late on. Scott Banks’ 87th-minute equalizer denied the Dons all three points, but the manner of their comeback performance underlines why Johnnie Jackson’s side remain firmly in the League One playoff picture with 49 points from 30 matches.
