Italy vs Argentina
Two sides struggling to make an impact in recent times. Well, for Italy, pretty much forever despite one win over the Boks at our lowest ebb, for the pedants and pot stirrers who like to keep dredging that up. Argentina seemed to be on the up when they pasted the All Blacks last year (funny how competitive they were not having been beasted by the Boks beforehand), but have reverted to the mean (in a marshmallowy sort of way) this year. Can Italy use home ground advantage to eke out a win, or will the superior talent available to Argentina tell in the end? Tricky one this, but I’ll go for a Pumas win by about 9 as the Azzurri Fade to Grey.
Scotland vs South Africa
A fabulous match in store in this Currie Cup Clash, as Ticht called it. Much spoken about the four Saffas in the Scotland side, but in all honesty there’s plenty more for the Boks to worry about than a couple of down the pecking order forwards and backs who sought lucre over homeland. Scotland showed just how dangerous they can be ball in hand against the Aussies last weekend (one just past, keep up at the back), but couldn’t quite put it together as a complete package. The Scots forwards were excellent and showed some real grunt, which they’ll need on Saturday if they’re to get decent ball to Finn and Co. The Boks will surely try to batter them like a lonely Mars Bar on a Saturday night though and with a more settled back division, will probably squeak it in the end. The bench to do the job again, Boks by a score or thereabouts as they say it in Broken English.
Ireland vs New Zealand
The respective unsmiling sides of the two hemispheres go toe to toe, both having eased into the contest with little in the way of stern opposition: usually the Kiwis use this as an excuse for World Cup exits (along with Suzi, norovirus, referees, time zones, grass type and anything else rather than decent oppo), but both sides have had lopsided wins in the last week, with Ireland’s dismantling of Japan possibly slightly better than the Kiwis mangling of Italy with a reserve-ish side. Ireland will have a real go at the Kiwi pack at set pieces, where they were vulnerable against the Boks in both 4N matches this year and have been for a while now. The Kiwis will look to decimate Ireland out wide and in broken play and it should be a huge match. Kiwis are pretty confident at the moment, so I’m picking them (against the heart) to win by 4. Either way, it’ll be a Crowded House in Dublin, weather permitting.
Portugal vs Japan
Can Japan be as bad as they were against Ireland? I’ve no idea and writing this on the hoof not having seen the line-up for either side (not that that would make much difference, let’s be honest), it remains to be seen if they can bounce back. They’ve still got good players and should have too much nous for Portugal, despite the Iberians’ recent decent form at Tier Two level. Japan by 15. The House of the Rising Sun will once again shine. Tenuous link if ever!
England vs Australia
Keep feeling tempted to just write ‘looks weak’ and leave it at that. England have stormed out of the blocks with a hammering of hapless Tonga, which probably means little in reality, whilst the Wobblies duly wobbled after a five-match winning streak against stubborn Scotland last weekend. However, the result would probably have been very different but for the discipline issues they suffered from, that potentially cost them 14 points. They’re still a decent side, even without the J-League party-poopers and love nothing more than a crack at the Poms. But they’ll possibly be without Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou, leaving their improving front row in tatters. Dave Rennie will need to crack the discipline whip harder than a dominatrix at a Tory dinner party to keep them in the game. England, with a very good pack, Owen ‘Venus de Milo’ Farrell cleared of Covid and some good gas out wide should have too much for this now more disjointed Wallaby side. It’ll be tight and feisty, as always, but in the end, it’s England by 12. And as the man who sold the world, Eddie Jones will be smiling.
France vs Georgia
Doesn’t matter which France pitches up, Georgia are no match for them or as replacements for Italy in the 6N. That’s the Boks’ next target, ahem. A brutal mismatch that will put Georgia firmly back in their box. France may be distracted by the looming challenge of the All Blacks the following weekend, but even that shouldn’t see this being anything other than a training ground run for Les Bleus. Georgia’s last outing was a 40-9 thumping by a very rusty Bok side in July, although they’d be doing okay in the Tier 2 stuff before that. France by 35. You know I’m gonna say it, it’ll be a rainy night for Georgia, Randy Crawford to the fore.
Wales vs Fiji
Another mismatch in store, with Wales looking to bounce back from their narrow defeat against the Boks last weekend. Fiji, as everyone knows, have some superb individuals in their side, but haven’t been able to put it all together into a coherent package for a long while. Wales have had to re-jig their side a bit, with the Horse back on the wing and Adams moving into midfield, but you sense that won’t make much difference in the end. It’s Wales’ match to win by pretty much whatever score they’d like to, especially after Fiji struggled to subdue Spain last weekend. Fitness, structure, technique and a stronger bench will see Wales home comfortably in the end. Wales by 28. And as every Manic Street Preacher in Cardiff’ll tell you – if you tolerate this, your children will be next. You’ve been warned, Fiji.
Preview by the incomparable Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Friday 12th November
| Gloucester v Bath | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 13th November
| Wales v South Africa (women) | 12:15 | BBC2 Wales |
| Italy v Argentina | 13:00 | Prime |
| Scotland v South Africa | 13:00 | Prime |
| Ireland v New Zealand | 15:15 | Channel 4 / RTÉ2 |
| England v Australia | 17:30 | Prime |
Sunday 14th November
| England v Canada (women) | 14:30 | BBC2 / iPlayer | ||
| Wales v Fiji | 15:15 | Prime | ||
| Scotland v Japan (women) | 16:10 | BBC Alba / iPlayer |
Ovally Balls 
Carberry’s got quite a small face.
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What a game, well done Ireland, everyone played out of their skins.Ringrose and Lowe particularly good, but over 70 mins from Porter, even down to the super subs Earls and PO’M. Cracking .
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Wow! Wow! Wow! What a match! Absolutely brilliant!
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Beautiful performance by Ireland
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……very sporting ‘afters’ from the ABs as well
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Brilliant from Ireland!
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She didn’t hold back on that anthem
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Right, let’s see how Marcus Smith goes
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The moustache count is high in this game
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High and deadly.
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My uncle’s comment on the Ireland match: ‘We’ll just have to learn to be crap again by the next World Cup.’
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Magnificent by Ireland. NZ still had a chance and that forward pass was a big moment. Ireland coming back even stronger was amazing.
Some trivia: of the finishing back line 4 were from Blackrock College, 2 from St Munchins in Limerick, and James Lowe.
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Nice try
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Ooh, nice try.
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yeah well, keep that up Owen, if you play like that I will stop moaning about you for a YEAR.
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great to see LAwes playing when fit
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Farrell is taking a lot of pressure off Smith, he’s taking the kicks and playing first receiver off first phase
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Inspired by the commentary, but might also apply to earlier matches:
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Not sure how much ‘mitigation’ they can find for this.
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Oh fuck off. Shoulder to the head is a ‘yellow’????
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Yellow is fair, I think.
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…for the reason Flats expressed. He seemed to absorb the contact rather than going forward in to it.
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…imagine if it had been FAz
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Arm was tucked, the Aus player didn’t even attempt to bend to tackle, George wasn’t falling. If that was Farrell, there would be screams of blue murder.
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Refit made a fair point last week about either you have zero tolerance for head contact or you don’t.
Meanwhile Oz are giving away an awful lot of penalties here!
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You can shoulder someone in the head so long as it’s “passive”
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Faz, fuck off out of it and let the boy play 10.
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Very frustrating half of rugby for England. Had much of the play but gave away kickable penalties under little pressure. Yellow seemed fair enough to me – looked a soft contact. Always feels like a lottery when Peyper is the referee – his approach makes for a stop-start game. Think England could rue the soft points conceded by the end of the match.
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Ooh, another yellow?
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Why are they playing ‘Ra-ra Rasputin’, when there’s a score?
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Can’t see why that wasn’t red. Shouldn’t matter whether the player protects themself when you throw them upside down like that.
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Strange game. England are clearly superior by some distance but donating regular dumb penalties and mistakes.
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Well, Aus’s 15 should have left that pass for the 13. All a bit disjointed on both sides.
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Why take Underhill off? He’s been our best player and looked fresh as a daisy!
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This game just seems a bit flat compared to the previous two.
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Nic White looks like the drunken brother in Peaky Blinders.
Marcus White is rather a pleasure to watch: when he celebrates something, there’s no arrogance in it, just joy.
Farrell looking a bit fucked.
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BB – yes, but the last two were VERY intense.
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England appear to have brought on a small child at 9.
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England appear to have brought on a small child at 9.
My youngest sister, who is short, recently had a nightmare trip home to South America from the US. With flights cancelled and so on, it took her 3 or 4 days to get home. She arrived in Santiago and was one of the lucky passengers because, unlike most, her PCR test hadn’t expired. She then managed to get the last available hotel room because she was pulled ahead in the queue as they thought she was an unaccompanied minor.
“I’m 35!” But she took the room.
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England been better across the park. Deserved lead.
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Hooker try!
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What was that try??
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Well well, Oz frankly looking a bit shit. Well done, England.
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Well a win’s a win.
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Think Australia have been even worse this week than they were last week.
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score’s a fair reflection but difficult to follow Ireland’s performance
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Aus shit or not, England got the job done. Should be a cracker next week at Twickenham!
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Not impressed by England tactics. Undermanning the breakdown, we will get turned over constantly by the Boks. I think we would learn more about Smith without Faz there. I dont think Manu should be on the wing, its quite specialised defensively. Yet again, May gets 1 pass outwide., and I have to say Slade butchered that one, should have been a walk in try.
Would quite like to see a bcak row of Underhill, Simmonds, Dombrandt, with lawes back in the second row.
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End of the day, a win is a win, and at least some youngsters are getting game time. Forwards handling and drive looking good,
Aussies did the best with a scratch backline, but looked disjointed too.
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There you go, Eddie lays down his plans for the future, Faz and Smith together.
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