| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RUINOUS | |
| One after Rugby Union talent is extremely harmful (7) | (I after RU) + NOUS | |
| 5 | DEFIANT | |
| I gave food to retired worker ready for a fight (7) | [(I + FED) reversed] + ANT | |
| 9 | PUPIL | |
| Mouthpiece excited about one with class? (5) | (LIP + UP ) reversed | |
| 10 | AEGEAN SEA | |
| Age affected each couple transporting Poles in part of the Mediterranean (6,3) | Anagram of AGE + [(EA + EA) outside N+S] | |
| 11 | FORWARDS | |
| People who play football for local areas (8) | FOR + WARDS | |
| 12 | AT HEEL | |
| Athlete, losing time, manoeuvred close behind (2,4) | Anagram of ATHLETE minus T | |
| 14 | DIRECTORS CHAIR | |
| Rich actors shifted following terrible seating arrangement (9,5) | Anagram of RICH ACTORS after DIRE | |
| 17 | MULTIPLICATION | |
| Leader of major political unit organised expansion (14) | (M)ajor + anagram of POLITICAL UNIT | |
| 21 | SELECT | |
| Choose love’s restrictions embraced by religious group? (6) | (L)ov(E) inside SECT | |
| 23 | ELLIPTIC | |
| Oval pill used in quote the wrong way (8) | (PILL inside CITE) reversed | |
| 25 | IMAGINARY | |
| Grain reprocessed in one month – that’s unreal (9) | Anagram of GRAIN inside (I + MAY) | |
| 26 | OMAHA | |
| Some from a happy place in Nebraska (5) | frOM A HAppy | |
| 27 | GAS JETS | |
| Burners start to jam in different stages (3,4) | (J)am inside anagram of STAGES | |
| 28 | RANGERS | |
| Conclusion of hiker greatly annoys park officers (7) | hike(R) + ANGERS | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | RIP-OFF | |
| Pop mostly used in repeated music scam (3-3) | (PO)p inside RIFF | |
| 2 | IMPARTIAL | |
| One joined with power bound by military objective (9) | I + (P inside MARTIAL) | |
| 3 | ON LEAVE | |
| Stewed veal eaten by one having a holiday (2,5) | Anagram of VEAL inside ONE | |
| 4 | STANDSTILL | |
| Stop two saints in a bad way? (10) | (ST AND ST) + ILL | |
| 5 | DOGS | |
| Setters, say, fill in empty grids? (4) | DO + G(rid)S | |
| 6 | FRANTIC | |
| Wild songbird briefly spotted in French capital once (7) | TI(t) inside FRANC | |
| 7 | AISLE | |
| Supermarket section is taken up by alcohol (5) | IS inside ALE | |
| 8 | TRAILERS | |
| Means of transport featured in concise, abbreviated advertising (8) | RAIL inside (TERS)e | |
| 13 | BRICKLAYER | |
| Builder’s first stack upset early worker on site (10) | (B)uilder + RICK + anagram of EARLY | |
| 15 | ABOUT-FACE | |
| Turn around mismanaged cafe after a fight (5-4) | Anagram of CAFE after (A + BOUT) | |
| 16 | SMASHING | |
| Great serving of Paris mash in gravy (8) | pariS MASH IN Gravy | |
| 18 | INCLINE | |
| Lean mince’s contents kept on file? (7) | m(INC)e + LINE | |
| 19 | TRICORN | |
| Hat we pinched from distracted town crier? (7) | Anagram of TOWN CRIER minus WE | |
| 20 | OCEANS | |
| Canoes handled rough seas (6) | Anagram of CANOES | |
| 22 | LIARS | |
| Storytellers so ignored by sailors at sea (5) | Anagram of SAILORS minus SO | |
| 24 | GAPS | |
| Piano played in wonderful openings (4) | P inside GAS |
