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 
I like him too, Thaum, he really knows his stuff as well
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Stay awaaay from the big fellas, please, we need you!
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Ah, La Belle France how we’ve missed you!
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Get in, brilliant
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Well!
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Jesus.
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France are rampant. ABs look mentally shot.
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The French camera work never ceases to amuse and irritate me.
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Maybe I’m not looking forward to 6N as much as I thought. Jeebus.
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Poor Kiwis look like they would rather be on the beach at home, battered and shell shocked. Ooh la la
Yup Thaum, kaiser is one of the best out there at the moment, for sure. Really like the French pick and go thru the rucks, keeps the defence outside honest.
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France playing very well.
Am a little distracted by NZ having a poppy on the sleeves of their shirts.
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Good try. Stout defence, good patience.
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Nice try but the kick earlier from NZ hit plum on the line.
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Wow. Ioane absolutely shreds them.
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ffs France
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Bullshit refereeing for that turnover.
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Ballsacks are back. That’s some pace from Ioane.
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“Bullshit refereeing for that turnover.”
Whitelock took the 9 out, in every other game that’s a penalty to Dupont
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NZ didn’t get penalised for being in the way of the ball coming back just a minute ago
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NZ playing with a lot more power now. Savea very strong for the try. Replacement prop and hooker have added good carries, too.
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That looked so clear I can only think that Dupont had lifted the ball.
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France totally off the boil this half. Infuriating!
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Passages of play like that are why you fall in love with rugby!
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Fabulous counter-attack and rightly a card shown.
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I was so hoping that was going to be another try from the ends of the earth
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And just like that they come onto the boil!!
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What a match!
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Allez les Bleus
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Nice by Penaud.
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Wow! (Again).
What a match!
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When was the last time all 3 Sanzar teams lost to the NH on the same day?
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France back to a 12-point lead, but you’d still not bet the house on the result with 10 mins to go.
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Was Jordan injured?
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When was the last time all 3 Sanzar teams lost to the NH on the same day?
Ha! At a guess: never. But this one ain’t over yet….
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Tupea and Havili is not a good enough centre combo.
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The pace France attack with is fantastic
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9th November 2002, apparently, although they didn’t say who to.
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Only once in the last decade have NZ lost back-to-back games.
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Gwan France
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“Only once in the last decade have NZ lost back-to-back games.”
Argentina and Oz last year
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That might have been the day England beat New Zealand by 3 points. I remember it cos I was on holiday in Spain and caught the result the next day after a nightmare journey back to Madrid from Salamanca.
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Best game of the whole Autumn this. (Sorry, Ireland and England fans).
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France have set down a marker for the 2023 World Cup.
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@BB the quality of the play from both sides has been outstanding. Even when being beaten the skills NZ show are quite something!
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bravo france,
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Magnifique!
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(I don’t believe that. All the other teams know their decent and they know lots of other teams are decent but it’ll be said in the press about the result).
Great win for them.
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TomP – France will have home advantage. :-)
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~ #15 for France had a wonderful game
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What a cracking game to end a great day of rugby. Lordy, France look quite the team on the boil. Dupont has to be the biggest handful of a 9 in the world, and Ntamack oozes class.
Great performance both teams, really chuffed for France.
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