The following four fixtures will be shown on the World Rugby site, and they will be available to watch afterwards, so even the most fevered rugby fans will not be found wanting for action.
Saturday, 20th November
Brazil v Kenya: (3rd/4th place play-off Stellenbosch Challenge, Men’s) Markotter Field, Stellenbosch – 10:00 GMT)
Zimbabwe v Namibia: (Final Stellenbosch Challenge, Men’s) Markotter Field, Stellenbosch – 12:00 GMT)
Russia v Chile: (Men’s) Yug Sports Stadium, Sochi – 12:00 GMT
Georgia v Fiji: (Men’s) Estadio El Deleite, Aranjuez – 14:30 GMT
Now on to the main attractions.
Italy vs Uruguay
Uruguay have qualified for RWC ’23 as Americas 1; however, they fell to Romania last week. Italy did better than most commentators thought they would against the might of the All Blacks but a loss against Argentina will mean they will be looking to make amends. Italy are currently ranked 14 against Uruguay’s 17. The visitors will not be overawed, but I expect the home team to win.
Scotland vs Japan
Scotland were overpowered last week by a very good Springbok side. It would have been understandable if many of those players were stood down, but Toonie has gone for a strong selection as he welcomes Scott Cummings back into the second row. There is rotation on the loosehead side with Schoeman and Bhatti swapping the starting jersey, and there will be new caps: the large shape of Scarlets’ Javan Sebastian, and Dylan Richardson from the Sharks (not the Sale ones) débuting in the back row.
Japan haven’t had the best results, losing heavily in Dublin and beating Portugal by 13, suggesting that this is not the Japan of the last RWC.
Scotland to win.
England v South Africa
South Africa will be after a full house from their three fixtures in November. They have selected a strong side: you know what’s coming, it’s dealing with it that is the problem.
Rodd, Blamire (Blay-mire), Sinckler, Dolly, Marler and Stuart will be under the microscope: it’s a well-known fact of life that you don’t out-Bok the Boks, so unless England can run South Africa around and keep away from set pieces, one would think this is only going to go one way, which is counter-intuitive when talking about England.
Elsewhere, Marcus Smith will be looking to sprinkle a bit of fairy dust on the Battle of the Orcs going on in front of him; he can turn his own Orc outside him in the formidable shape of Manu Tuilagi.
On the other hand, De Allende and Am are a very good midfield partnership; this is a tough game to call because Twickenham is a difficult place to go to play rugby.
I’m going to go for a very tight away win here, less than 7. Unless England’s pack end up as roadkill, like Scotland’s, then it will be a bigger margin: the Boks will be well up for this.
Wales vs Australia
Wales have had a mixed series. Putting out a B team against New Zealanders is never a good idea, but their hand was forced due to the international window agreements. They were five points short of South Africa and overcame the all-singing and -dancing (and big-hitting) Fijians.
Australia have had also had a mixed run of results. After downing the World Champions as a highlight of their year, they beat Argentina twice but lost to Scotland and were thumped by England.
Tupo being back will help their scrum, but they will be without skipper and talisman Michael Hooper, which kind of cancels out AWJ missing from the Welsh boilerhouse.
Wales at home is never a team to bet against, even with a relatively unfamiliar midfield.
Another tough call, but I’m going for a home win here.
France vs New Zealand
New Zealand don’t often lose two in a row. They did last year, but it’s only happened five times since 2000 in around 250 tests (I was surprised at how many they’d played, but then they do tend to play almost all the games possible at the world cup as well as the RC and tours).
Fabien Galthié has chosen partnerships for this match: Dupont and Ntamack at half-back, and Danty joining his erstwhile colleague Fickou in the midfield, which means Jalibert drops to the bench.
Elsewhere there are changes with Mauvaka coming in to the front row with Willemse joining Woki in the locking positions
Is this rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic?
I don’t think the current iteration of the All Blacks present as insurmountable a problem as before, but they are still the All Blacks.
The ABs side hasn’t been announced yet, so just for fun I’ll call this a draw.
Ireland v Argentina
Ireland were HUGE last week: a top-end performance full of fire, commitment, cool heads in the heat of the battle, and extraordinary focus. That is what it takes to beat the top teams, and Ireland had it all.
Can they back it up this week?
At the time of writing the teams have not been published, but everything points to a home win. For me, they have been the most impressive team over the series so far, and the only problem they may face is injuries, which will only serve to open the door for more Leinster players to make the step up to international level, the gits.
A comfortable home win.
Thanks to Tichtheid2 for the preview.
Onna telly this week
Friday 19th November
| London Irish v Saracens | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
Saturday 20th November
| Italy v Uruguay | 13:00 | Prime |
| Scotland v Japan | 13:00 | Prime |
| Ireland v Japan (women) | 15:00 | RTÉ2 |
| England v South Africa | 15:15 | Prime |
| Wales v Australia | 17:30 | Prime |
| France v New Zealand | 20:00 | Prime |
Sunday 21st November
| Ireland v Argentina | 14:15 | Channel 4 / RTÉ2 | ||
| England v USA (women) | 14:45 | BBC2 / iPlayer | ||
| Wales v Canada (women) | 17:00 | BBC2 Wales |
Ovally Balls 
Ticht – you might be interested in this (and so might others) – I watched a documentary on Alan Hull of Lindisfarne on BBC4 tonight.
This is one of his – seems quite appropriate with today’s weather….
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I love that song, BB
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I also love Lindisfarne. Might have to watch that programme.
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Here is one for the diary.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0012bsy
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40 years to the day since this was released:
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Tomp – I was -6 months old. Remember it well.
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I was 12. Coulda sworn it came out when I was about 16 or 17.
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Men’s Baabaas match cancelled due to 6 Covid cases in camp. Women’s being shown instead.
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Samoans are gutted – last game for their country for some of them. Seems the (some) Baabaas decided to go out partying in London. Complete wankers.
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After the last Baabaas lockdown debacle, you would have thought they would have thunk twice. Idiots.
On another note, there is quite a nice article by Monty Panesar about Michael Vaughan in the kipper today, I also note a distinct lack of furore about the alleged anti-semitic comments between Azeem Rafiq and his buddies.
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Baa-baas score through a lovely cross-field kick.
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Thaum – hope the Japanese players get another chance too tbh.
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‘Nother good score!
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And a third!
This is quite fun to watch.
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4th (by a Scot)! Practically a solo try.
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Oh bollocks. Benetton beat Glasgow with last kick of the game. 19-18.
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HT Baa=Baas 38 = 0 SA
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Seems Jiffy is too cool to commentate on women’s rugby, but the other 2 blokes (Umaga & ?) have stuck around. Fair play to them.
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@BB
Glasgow shot themselves right in the face in that game.
Gave away an incredibly soft try after 30 seconds, then, camped near the benetton try line with about a minute to go, gave away several penalties in quick succession
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South Africa finally get a penalty, but bounce it off the posts, where it’s gathered by BB scrum-half & booted down the field, where SA knock it on again. Not having a great match.
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BBs end up mauling over the line.
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Ha, the try-scorer was an Irish prop, so they let her attempt the conversion before bringing her off. She missed (it was accurate enough in direction, but well short).
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SA finally get a score, and a good one, too.
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FT: 60-5. Very entertaining. There weren’t half some big hits going in.
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Nice start to boffeli’s embra career
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Here’s hoping Embra don’t bollock things up the way Glasgow did.
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It’s embra, playing away. There’s a high likelihood BB
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As we speak we pass up on 3 points then chuck the ball into touch
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That was nice though . Multi phase attack and moyano in for no. 2
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We went to watch a club match today – D4 Derby between Old Belvedere and Old Wesley. Some good lads playing – an Ireland Under 20 scrum half from last year and a former Ulster wing.
My boy asked a decent question – what do the players do if they have to have a pee during the game? – and was answered by the sight of the Wesley left-winger nipping off at half time to do a wee in the trees next to the 2nd XV pitch. The winger then scored a good try at the start of the second half, so it did him some good.
A lot of very unMethodist language employed by the Wesleyans at points during the match.
On the way home we passed the hotel where URC clubs stay when in town. Saw a couple of large Ulster forwards carrying their coffee carefully down the stairs.
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Too loose in attack, knock on and drags get free for an iks pleasing score
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Classic embra, all the territory and pressure, now 2 points down.
*sigh*
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I don’t know how we are not out of sight already, but the Dragons have taken their chances.
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Dunno what you two are on about. Have just turned the match on, and Embra are leading.
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Thaum, the stats say we should be thirty points up https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/matchstats?gameId=594379&league=270557
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Pffft. BPT now.
Classic Scottish underdogging.
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Pleasing win in the end
Change of approach in the second half was effective
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BP win away from home, good stuff.
We played some good stuff in the first half and clever stuff in the second
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The back row took the plaudits, but for me Venter was huge in this game, he is going to be a very important player for us as second choice to Schoey
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I’m not sure I want to watch this match at all. Maybe peek between my fingers.
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Bright start by the norngibbons
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No points though
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Why can’t commentators just shut the fuck up for a minute? It’s not radio, let the game speak for a bit.
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OH BUT WAIT … YEEESSSS!!!
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Good try Norn Gibbons, that has been coming
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Fucksakes Billy, that was a pass that should have put his man away
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Well, I would never have believed we’d have gone in at HT 7-0 up. Woohoo!
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ShouldaWouldaCoulda been more, Thaum
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That being a song by the brilliant Beverly Knight, she stood her ground as a woman in the music industry, as a result she never got the recognition she deserved.
Great voice
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