The Autumn Internationals or End of Year Tours start in earnest this weekend after two weeks of watching the Kiwis dismantle half-baked sides in the name of ‘growing the global game for a few million pounds, mate’. Gents that they are. After the rancour of the Lions Tour (with more of the players now tearing up the St Gats Bible and tossing it onto the fire of missed opportunity, and the gross miscarriage of justice in holding the Rugby Championship in the backwater towns of a backwater penal colony, we get to some good old fashioned, meaty, North versus South matches: the northerners itching to avenge the defeats of the Lions tours or for those not involved to pick up some scalps as we hurtle towards France 2023 and putting down markers. For the southerners, it’s a chance to meet up with childhood family and friends who’ve strayed from home and been punished for it by having to endure the long bleak winters of their discontent (and weather and losing to the fleet of foot colonials). So to it!
Ireland v Japan
The unsmiling Irish will be looking for another, more convincing win against the Brave Blossoms, to further eradicate the memories of losing in the World Cup to Japan. They got a 39-31 victory in July, but will be looking to turn the screws this time and stamp their authority on the match. Sexton’s century and a very strong looking pack will be too much for the Blossoms, as Ireland take it by 25.
Italy v New Zealand
Not really much point in discussing this one, other than whether or not the Kiwis have put out a second- or third-choice side against the Abject Azzurri. Dane Coles and Sam Cane are the most experienced starters in the side with 75+ caps each, but from there is a long way down to Damian McKenzie and Richie Mo’unga at 38 and 29 respectively and then down to most having not more than a handful of caps. ‘A youthful combination’ is how the Kiwis have framed it, but whatever, they’ll still stick loads on Italy. New Zealand by 56
Spain v Fiji
Absolutely no idea what Spain’s 15s side is like and I can’t be bothered to Google it either. They’ve had a couple of decent wins in the 7zzz in recent years, but won’t be a match for Fiji who should simply be too physical, fast and inventive. Fiji blow hot and cold though, both temperamentally and skills wise, so it may not be the massive blow out expected. Fiji by 19
Portugal v Canada
Last time I looked the Cannucks were bloody awful. They got slapped silly in July by both Wales and England and have a win and a loss against both the USA and Chile in the current 2023 World Cup campaign, so not much to write home about. Portugal currently sit second in the Rugby Europe Championship behind powerhouses Georgia (drop Italy etc!) and look like a decent emerging side at that level. They’ve thumped Spain, Russia and Netherlands and lost to Georgia and Romania. Should be a narrow win for Canada based on experience, but stuff that – Portugal by 2.
England v Tonga
England injecting some new blood into the system, but retaining enough firepower to demolish Tonga after a sluggish start. Don’t expect any surprises in this one, bar perhaps all 15 Tongans staying on the pitch. England to win by how much they want to, and how much they’re keeping in reserve for the bigger matches to come. England by 51.
Wales v South Africa
One of the matches of the round! Wales have had the Boks number in Cardiff in recent years and have their foreign-based players back in the side after missing out against the Kiwis. An under-strength Wales were game for 55 minutes nonetheless and will feel confident that they can go one further and compete with – and beat – the Boks this weekend. The loss of AWJ is massive however, and the Boks arrive in town buoyed by their win over New Zealand and with a very strong pack. Some doubts out wide with Kolbe and Nkosi both missing and le Roux dropped, but the Boks will reverse recent form and win a hard, uncompromising duel in the end. South Africa by 8.
France v Argentina
This would have been a lip-smacker a few years ago, but Argentina have gone off the boil in the last year or so. France have improved, but still manage to confound every now and then. Which France will pitch up etc and which Pumas side will pitch up? No idea on either score, but at home, and with the depth they’ve got, it’s France for the win. Being a conservative Saffer, I’ve gone by 11 points to France, but it could be a lot more if they get going. Or not, if they don’t.
Romania v Uruguay
Romania may not be the side they were under Ceausescu, but they’re handily placed in Tier 2 of European rugby. They narrowly lost a friendly to Argentina in July, for what it’s worth, so do have some ability at the top level. Uruguay had a great 2019 World Cup and have qualified for 2023 as well, belting the USA out of the way in the process. That should see them as favourites for this match, but in a Romanian autumn, anything is possible. Romania by 4.
Scotland v Australia
Scotland warmed up for their bunnies with a sumptuous performance last weekend, missed by some Scots here who were foolishly hiding behind their sofas. They ran in some excellent tries, albeit some of the tackling was optional at times, but you’ve still got to get them in. They face an Australia that recovered from their traditional shellacking by the Ballsacks to beat both the Boks and Argentina twice, albeit all matches played in Australia. Still, the Aussies seem to be growing in confidence and getting a bit of backbone into their side. A tough match, but one I think will go the Wobblies’ way in the end. Australia by 7.
Preview gracias a Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Friday 5th November
| Leicester v Bath | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
| La Rochelle v Bordeaux | 20:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
Saturday 6th November
| Ireland v Japan | 13:00 | Channel 4 / RTÉ2 |
| Italy v New Zealand | 13:00 | Prime |
| Toulouse v Perpignan | 13:45 | Premier Sports 2 |
| England v Tonga | 15:15 | Prime |
| Brive v Racing 92 | 16:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Wales v South Africa | 17:30 | Prime |
| France v Argentina | 20:00 | Prime |
Sunday 7th November
| Scotland v Australia | 14:15 | Prime | ||
| England v New Zealand (women) | 14:45 | BBC2 / iPlayer | ||
| Wasps v Harlequins | 16:30 | BT Sport 1 | ||
| Clermont v Toulon | 20:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
The massive cocks on the French shirts are good.
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I think the T one was due to the sponsor, Talbot.
All Coventry kits here:
http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Coventry_City/Coventry_City.htm
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The Thibaud Flament story’s pretty neat:
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/thibaud-flament-the-6-foot-8-flyhalf-who-went-from-loughboroughs-fifths-to-the-engine-room-of-toulouse/
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Serge has always looked fifty years older than his actual age
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I take it the presenters are wearing masks because of the rules in France? Seems odd as they’re outside and can easily stand 2m apart. Wonder if Benjamin still wears it when he’s commentating?
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Funnily enough despite Deebee’s complaints I’d give SA a pass for playing like that on a day like that. It’s the rest of the time when there’s no such excuse for it that does my head in a bit. Great effort from Wales, didn’t think we were still able to do that. Don’t think Liam would have scored without the pitch invader, pass wasn’t good enough or he’d overrun in the first place. Wasn’t convinced Ellis Jenkins was really back when I’ve seen Cardiff, but today rather suggests he is. Getting so close when it’s pissing down and every knock-on is a penalty to the opposition was pretty impressive and I’m much more convinced that we can still hang in there with the better teams after that. Got to think we do need a better scrum though…
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Also amazed we won almost all of our lineouts with Elias throwing in. Fair play to him that was much better.
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I really don’t understand why the roof isn’t closed on the Principality Stadium when there is the slightest chance of rain.
Good try from the French lock
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So THAT France have turned up now. Such a shame if that’s called off for a knock on.
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@Ticht – Bit mystifying. Don’t think any of the big three sides from down south are normally bothered about having to play in the dry so no idea what that was about.
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Covid, ticht. Has to be an “open” venue.
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Not sure that goes forward.
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Good spot by O’Keefe. It was top play by France after the knock-on but no dice.
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Is there no ventilation in such a huge venue then?
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Hmmm. Don’t think that’s correct.
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I thought that was a bit shit, it *might have gone” forward but it wasn’t clearly so and it had absolutely no bearing on what happened next.
That’s a bean counter chalk-off of a brilliant try
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ticht, not sure. The rules are strange. You have to wear a mask while walking around the stadium but not if you’re in your seat. There was an article on the Beeb the other day with a guy from Swansea University criticising the rules.
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I like Alldritt but that was really dumb.
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Embra legend Boffelli brings Argentina to within three
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CMW – agree with your 21:11 completely.
Re the roof, I would be extremely wary of going to any rugby match at the mo, but I certainly wouldn’t go to one in a closed venue.
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See, that to me is card, the ref is shouting “release” but they don’t within 5m of the line, far more cynical than a knock on that gets carded
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Fairy nuff, Thaum, I just would think that a stadium that size and that new would have good ventilation when the roof is closed
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What a pass off the deck!
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@TomP – That makes sense, obviously the right thing for now.
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Think that’s killed it. Nice try.
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CMW, god knows what the trains out of Cardiff are like, mind, after people have been on the piss all day.
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@Thaum – Yeah, I see the point, didn’t think about that side of things at all. I wouldn’t go anywhere near a crowd like that though for the time being regardless* and am a bit staggered that anyone does whenever I think about it even though obviously hundreds of thousands are attending football every week.
*I did go to a very busy pub a few weeks ago for what was effectively a wake for a friend that died of cancer in her thirties a year before i.e. during the first lockdown. It was still a very dodgy event in my opinion (and I’m not alone), but was glad I went.
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He doesn’t dot the ball down but Fickou’s arm’s in rather over the shoulder place stopping him getting it down.
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That Argentinian shirt is a classic, isn’t it?
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Don’t think it really made a difference as we hardly got any ball afterwards, but I can’t believe Biggar got taken off in that situation as it was completely made for him if any opportunity to somehow get the win over the line did come along.
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I think Argentina got a bit lucky there, especially wrt the earlier French one being disallowed
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thaum, I went to Leinster v Quins at the Aviva. Limited capacity, felt ok. Masks on everywhere until you were in your seats. Leinster v Zebre at RDS was no problem at all. Open stand, not sold out, masks on walking in and out.
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Just watched the post-match interviews from earlier and seen that JD2 was really gutted, could tell he doesn’t often have to do that job.
I’m very pleased LRZ is in the team, but he was poor on the kick chase a couple of times today and that cost us. Also surprised how Tompkins didn’t seem to anticipate the tackles he needed to make when chasing kicks a couple of times, he had a good game when Wales had the ball, but the errors he made were not very Sarries.
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TomP (and others) – I noticed that even when capacity was limited, the crowd was all, er, crowded together. So you’ve got a combination of alcohol, high emotions, singing and shouting. There’s always going to be some arsehole blasting air in your face, and no matter how good the ventilation is in that case, it’s not good.
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Would like to watch the Ireland – All Blacks next week, but would feel nervous about being in a 50,000 crowd.
Likewise, can go to Leinster v Bath in December but don’t fancy being in a full stadium, which it will be as it stands.
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“a combination of alcohol, high emotions, singing and shouting”
That’s just normal day to day life, it’s the thousands of other people that are the problem…
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These were the ticket prices quoted at our club, by the way, for the internationals. Japan, NZ, Argentina are the games. Japan wasn’t sold out today:
D Premium Level 100.00 165.00 125.00
A Category 1 Stand 80.00 125.00 85.00
M Category 2 Stand 70.00 115.00 75.00
N Category 3 Stand 65.00 110.00 70.00
P Category 4 Stand 60.00 105.00 65.00
K Restricted View Cat 1 40.00 62.50 42.50
Q Restricted View Cat 2 35.00 57.50 37.50
R Restricted View Cat 3 32.50 55.00 35.00
S Restricted View Cat 4 30.00 52.50 32.50
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CMW – aye, I don’t trust myself under those circs either!
Thinking back to the Heidelberg meet-up just as Covid was becoming a thing, it was madness. At first meeting up, we tried the elbow-nudge greeting, but that all went out the windy once alcohol was consumed. We were lucky, I reckon.
Since then, the only time I’ve been to a pub was in July when we went on holiday (staying in a self-catering), and then only outside. I’ve not gone into anyone else’s house (except the mister’s), and not had anyone in mine. Not been in an office. Only supermarkets and very occasional other shops.
To me, it’s a good excuse not to have to clean the house.
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So if you want more than a restricted view of a cat at the NZ game it’s 90-odd quid? Too much.
As are the other games really considering the opposition. I wonder if Argentina like to lord it over the Japanese over being worth five euros more though. Or two and a half for the cat thing.
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TomP – assuming that’s euros? Would be a drop in price since the last time I looked at a major test match, I think.
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Cracking days rugby. Didn’t see Irish game, But England Tonga was enjojable, Furbank looked a good sub, Smith had a nice intro, and everyone showed up well. Slade looked great, he works really well with Manu, and even grandad Youngs looked sharp. Didn’t miss Faz in any way whatsoever. Steward looks set to get a run at 15 too.
Wales Boks was an absolute classic game of rugby, considering the weather, I was surprised how good the handling was , from Wales in particular. Benches wot won it. Bok bench better, Wales bench a touch short of class.
Not actually that sure Zammo is entirely ready for games like this, He is a great threat in attack, but I think defensively and in the air is is still callow, and I think Williams would have done better. Adams is great.
Wales rearguard action was superb, but it always looked like the dam would burst at some point. Not sure about Tompkins being that bad , reckon Foxy is bit past it tho.
Good luck Scotland tomorrow.
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@SBT – Thought Tompkins was good and bad, but JD2 was neither which is ultimately ‘not good’ and unfortunately is pretty much what’s now expected. Liam would have been a better pick in the conditions than LRZ though of course if he’d scored at the start I’d be thinking differently. I was also surprised it was a good a game as it was (and not just because I didn’t expect it to be close).
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My club published prices for the away games in the 6N (or two of them) Wales was £100 per ticket, Ireland was E120. Italy will be similar.
I guess I’ll never get to another 6N game, my first was in 1977.
I think our tickets were around £2
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thaum, I think the New Zealand tickets are the most expensive they’ve ever sold. But NZ are the major attraction in World Rugby. It was the same when I lived in SA – Australia and Argentina tickets relatively cheap.
Friend of mine’s going next week with his wife, who’s going cos she wants to see the Haka live. Pricey for that.
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Not sure what the Murrayfield prices are like now, but I suspect I only got to go to the 6N games I did a few years ago because they were struggling to fill the stadium at the time.
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Recap of today….
Ireland Vs Japan – we were good, Japan not. Played with a degree of invention but next week is a different matter. Watching Fra vs Arg… Argentina might be a better measure of where we’re at.
Wales vs SA – it seemed to me that SA were clearly on top physically as the game went into the final quarter…. and gradually wore them down.
(Didn’t watch England vs Tonga).
France and Argentina was entertaining – Argentina defended like demons….looked better with Sanchez on ….
At local level – our U14s bounced back from a defeat last week to beat our local rivals 34 – 7 (the 7 was the ref whistling them in for a score on the last play – but at 34-0 we weren’t complaining)
Probably our best performance – although opposition weren’t up to much. Tackling was good, passing (on a wet and windy day) was good too, and our support running improved.
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ticht, tickets for Ireland v Scotland aren’t on sale yet so that’s probably a guide but I doubt it’ll be much cheaper. At least you’d be in posh seats.
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Thaum, yeah, and no. Just flew into UK again to sort some stuff out, air travel bad enough. Would love to catch up with some old pals for a few pints and see some live rugby and maybe a band or two, but can’t bring myself to. Been visiting this week, and we all seem happy to hang around drinking coffees and chatting outside, wooly hats weather depending. not just sitting in the stadium that seems nasty, its the queuing to get in or out, transport etc, stuck for ten minutes shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people slowly walking up steps . Yuk.
Spent 5 hours in Dublin airport Monday morning, kept waving to Tomp, but he didn’t see me :(
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Went to two tests in SA – v Argentina and Australia. Think tickets were 500 Rand for each. Good seats both times but it pissed down with rain for the Argentina match. For SuperRugby games I always paid 150 Rand – a tenner at the time, more or less (more less) – for main stand seats between the 22 and 10 metre line.
Cricket in SA was very competitively priced compared to the UK. Went to all 4 days of the SA-Aus test at Centurion and paid about 400 Rand in total. Alcohol was cheap there too.
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Tam, aye but then if you add in the travel the accommodation and the beer it’s not an affordable weekend away anymore, as much as the Skerries weekend is the highlight of the Dunbar year, it will cost up to £1000, probably more.
I’ll always be up for spending a lot for the home games and going to the Skerries dinner etc, but I can’t see me ever getting to Paris, London, Dublin, Cardiff or Rome for a game now.
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