It’s Christmas in July as the Northern behemoths head south to upside-down-world and a feast of rugby! With this being the last July tour before the World Cup next year in France, there are markers to be put down, there are points to be made and there are matches to be won! Not the usual ‘development tours’ we see, but full-blooded Tests, with a capital T and an exclamation mark to boot. So who’ll be the turkeys (not Türkiye, as they’re not playing anyway), who’ll get a stuffing and who’ll provide the trimmings and the sauce? A veritable smorgasbord awaits:
Romania v Italy
After slaying the Welsh dragon in February, there’ll be a sprightly step in the Italian dressing room before facing off with a Romanian side that lost its last two matches (narrowly to let’s-replace-Italy-with-Georgia, and more convincingly to Spain) to end a decent five match winning streak prior to that. Solid second tier, but not enough to get past Italy, who broke a 36-match losing streak at the Principality with THAT try. It won’t be a canter, but Italy should start their summer series with a fairly comfortable win: Italy by 15 over Romania
Australia ‘A’ v Samoa
Much talk around the improvement of Australian sides in Super Rugby this year, but frankly I’m not sure where that came from. A couple of wins against Kiwi sides masked the fact that they only got one side in the semis and propped up the bottom of the combined table along with the Samoan and Fijian sides. The Brumbies were the only consistent side in Australia, but they’ll have too much depth anyway to field an ‘A’ side that will see off Samoa easily enough. No idea what to expect from Samoa, or who they’ve selected, but history tells us they’ll be blood and thunder for 60 minutes, whilst still getting the wrong end of the scoreboard and cards, and fade away as the superior conditioning and game plan of the Aussies takes control: Australia ‘A’ by 23
Fiji v Tonga
A spicy affair for sure, although Fiji have emerged as the most consistent of the Pacific Island sides in recent years, combining some electric running from all 15 (or 23) players at times, with brutal defence and a set piece that’s better than most of their neighbours. It’ll be fierce, it’ll be fast, it’ll be fun to watch from afar, but ultimately Fiji will have too much: Fiji by 13
Japan v France
Two of the world’s great cultures and two of the world’s great cuisines. Most recent and next hosts of rugby’s great showpiece. Two sides renowned for silky skills and derring-do with ball in hand, but that’s where it ends, I’m afraid. France are building up a fearsome head of steam in the lead up to their home World Cup and have oodles of talent and power in most positions, led by Dupont and Ntamack at 9 and 10, behind a pack that won’t step back for anyone. Japan have been solid recently, with good wins over second-tier sides and running the likes of Scotland, Australia and Ireland relatively close (bar one blowout against Ireland), so they have the wherewithal to mix it with the big boys. However, this is a France on a mission and they should stroll away with it in the end: France by 33
New Zealand v Ireland
One of the most eagerly awaited July series, with Ireland having got the measure of the Kiwis in recent years. But not in New Zealand. Both sides come into the series with question marks hanging over them – the All Black pack got dusted in Dublin and flayed in France last year and they’ve gone with Scott Barrett at 6 in an effort to bolster the lineout and scrum. Worked a treat in the 2019 Semi against England, didn’t it? Ireland’s Leinster-dominated side has struggled against top packs, but they’ll probably fancy they’ve got the wood on the Kiwis up front. The AB backline has suffered some Covid disruptions, but such is the depth of talent in New Zealand, they’ll be fine there. The noises coming out of New Zealand are ominous and they’ll throw everything at Ireland this week. Perhaps overly generous, but it’s New Zealand by 17
Australia v England
Another hugely anticipated match as Eddie’s eagles got their wings clipped in the 6N, amidst rumblings around his sometimes leftfield selections. Australia have been building quietly under Dave Rennie and demolished a Bok scrum last year thought to be their key weapon. The Aussies always bring that mongrel spirit to matches like this and they won’t back down against England’s forwards. It’s an intriguing match-up with England’s centres – as ever – a topic of debate and the backs in general, from 9 to 15, with the exception perhaps of Marcus Smith being anything but nailed on. Both sides are actually a little unsettled and it could go either way, with the match-up between Smith and Cooper at 10 a key contest. Australia will look to run England around the park, whilst England will look to smother the Aussies before letting loose later on. Could go either way, I’m backing Rennie’s Roos to break some hoodoos: Australia by 2
South Africa v Wales
Everyone in Wales apparently thinks the Boks will smash Wales. So does everyone here. Except for the people who think it’ll be a tight, ugly affair. Of which I’m one. The Boks are generally slow out of the starting blocks in the international season and are probably most vulnerable in this first Test. That said, it’s a pretty settled squad, with most of the players in their prime, or near enough. They’ve all played together for a few seasons and so should be settled enough. Wales, on the other hand, have come off a horror 6 Nations, only winning one match and losing to Italy in the final match – but they also got three losing bonus points, so three tight defeats. Whatever the missing links are in the Welsh side, it’s not guts and defence and bloody-mindedness. And the matches between Wales and South Africa have been tight in recent years, so I expect another tight affair, with the Boks perhaps easing away at altitude later on: South Africa by 9
Argentina v Scotland
This has all the potential to be a cracker, with Argentina now under the tutelage of Michael Cheika and with some of the Euro-based players back in the fold. Having stunned the ABs in 2020 and played some fabulous rugby in the process, they slipped back badly in 2021, winning only one match, against Italy. Scotland’s all-new, all-singing, all-dancing style fell a bit flat in the 6 Nations after a promising start and the Scots once again failed to live up to expectations. That said, they have some wonderful, athletic forwards and some serious gas out wide that can blitz most defences on its day. This could be a great match. Would back Argentina’s 2020 version, but not the 2021 version, albeit they’ve changed management and got a few players back: Scotland by 5
Merrily foretold by Deebee7
Onna telly this week
Thursday 30th June
| Scotland v Italy (U20s) | 19:00 | YouTube |
| Wales v Georgia (U20s) | 19:00 | YouTube |
Saturday 2nd July
| Japan v France | 07:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| New Zealand v Ireland | 08:00 | Sky Sports Action |
| Australia v England | 10:55 | Sky Sports Action |
| South Africa v Wales | 16:05 | Sky Sports Action |
| Argentina v Scotland | 20:10 | Sky Sports Main Event |
Tuesday 5th July
| France v South Africa (U20s) | 16:00 | YouTube |
| England v Ireland (U20s) | 19:00 | YouTube |
Wednesday 6th July
| Scotland v Georgia (U20s) | 16:00 | YouTube |
| Wales v Italy (U20s) | 19:00 | YouTube |
Ovally Balls 
Lolesio kicks a penalty in the 42nd minute and the teams go in all square.
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@Slade – Hill and Swain have been niggling each other all half. Came to a head (literally) when they were jammed together in the middle of a maul.
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Very underwhelming performance by both sides so far. Really daft by Swain. Red card for stupidity rather than headbutt.
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You have to think that given the disruptions Aus have suffered that they’ll be happier to get off and regroup at level pegging.
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Catching up only now.
Good win for France, sobering game for Ireland (except hooker and Henshaw)
Third game a bit meh.
I’d’ve given a RC to both locks, if only for sheer stupidity.
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SBT, not a great half at all, England showing more enterprise than Australia. Watching the replay of the red card again, it was beyond dumb. Love the way Hooper asks hopefully “two yellows?” after Hill gets his card!
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“A moment of madness – which is ironic coming from me,” says Dylan Hartley on Sky Sports.
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From the Beeb commentary
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Aus penalty at the start of the second half and they take the lead for the first time.
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Got the YouTube feed back! Closed the page and opened the link I’d emailed to myself again. Will probably have to do it again hust now but better than no commentary.
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Try England. Maul in the far corner. Aus do well to stop it initially, but England wheel it and a pod splits off, with Genge on the ball.
9-11 50 mins
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Good turnover by Hooper, as England attack the Aus line. Gets his hands on the ball as Ludlum is tackled.
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George wins a penalty at the breakdown and Faz has his aim back. 9-14
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Great restart by Aus. Long kick and Koriobete gets the ball at the same time as Nowell and they win a scrum.
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Well worked try by Aus. Game on.
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At last, a great try by Oz. Doubt it will be enough, but nice work.
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Aus pick and go for multiple phases, then go wide. Petaia does a little shimmy and Care is unable to stop him getting over the line. 16-14
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Yellow for Billy. His shoulder hits Hooper’s head in a tackle, but Hooper was being tackled by another player at the same time and Billy was ‘passive’.
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Aus score. Lineout in the corner, after Stewart takes the ball out of play. They set the maul, it splinters all over the place and Fainga’a wraps round the side to score.
23-14
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“Yellow for Billy. His shoulder hits Hooper’s head in a tackle, but Hooper was being tackled by another player at the same time and Billy was ‘passive’.”
It’s a really stupid directive that doesn’t protect the players.
They can always get low enough to clear out at a ruck like a flying human missile, there’s no reason they can’t choose to tackle low
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Bloody hell, Aus just annihilated the Eng scrum.
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Really starting to hate Koroibete and Kereve – they’re so bloody dangerous.
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That’s the game done. Hard carries take Aus up to the England line, then Pete Samu makes a lovely step to get around the last defender to score. 30-14
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Arundell scores with his first touch. Faz flings out a pass, Marchant pushes it on to Steward and Arundell nips down the wing to score. 30-21
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81st minute and England try to break from their own half. Lolesio gets a yellow for a knock down.
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Why Jones does not start Arundell is mystifying.
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Arundell close again, brought down on 5m. Eng penalty.
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Pick and go and it’s another England advantage. Eventually Van Poortvliet finds a gap to score.
Final score 30-28
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@Flair – that was his first cap.
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Well, that was an interesting end. Arundel could have had 2 tries with his first 2 touches, but Lolesia batts it down and gives up a penalty. Has another romp for the line, and sets up a try by Van Portfleit England looking good for the last three minutes, when they looked urgent and creative rather than the play by numbers for the rest of the game. Early days, but I don’t think Farrell and Smith works, looks to me like it should be one or the other. Well played Australia, deserved win. Marchant looked good.
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Refit, I know. But he should’ve been capped as a starter, not 5 minutes before the end when all is lost. Jones will get the credit for his introduction, when basically he chickened out. Same for the other young sub.
England arent going anywhere, are they? Why the fear to play when you are 15 vs 14 for so long?
As an aside, I hope Hill will get cited for his smack on the face.
Moron.
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I don’t think it is a fear to play, Flair, I think it is Jones coaching. Everything micromanaged and precalled, even when its not working.
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“I don’t think it is a fear to play, Flair, I think it is Jones coaching. Everything micromanaged and precalled, even when its not working.”
That could easily have been written about Edinburgh when Richard Cockerill was head coach, and indeed it was, many times, only the players were afraid to play because he humiliated anyone who went off script in the post game analysis on Mondays, and now he’s England’s forwards coach.
The Dream Team.
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Feels like that, Ticht. Anyone willing to go off script or question will be dropped. Doesn’t bode well for the world cup. I wonder how the England Rugby management will react to a 3-0 series win for the wobblies.
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Hmmm…………
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Can see sense in Big Joe and Arundell playing a half each………………..
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SBT,
Neither Oz nor England will win the RWC, but both teams are almost guaranteed to get to the SF, facing at worse Wales or Argentina. Or today’s opponent. Shame for the early draw.
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Neither team looked like a well oiled machine.
Might be a good tour for Slade to miss!
EJ has left it far too late to groom a new ‘natural’ 12.
At #10 and at the highest level Farrell >> Smith, regrettably.
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Looks as though Hill is instructed to be a wind-up merchant – rarely if ever played like that for Exeter.
If that is the case,,,,,,,,Eddie out – NOW!
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Slade, I hope Hill is cited for his actions in that twitter clip.
He deserved to walk in the next incident in which the Aussie was red carded and he was shown yellow too.
That along with Itoje’s idiotic bellowing at the lineout and the constant Saracens style celebrating a penalty like it’s Johnny’s drop goal all over again really put me off this team.
You can be a shithouse team by playing hard and right on the edge of the laws, but today I was quite happy to see England lose because of the behaviour of some of their players.
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Slade, Smith is still earning his trade, and in a tight game Faz may well certainly be the better option at the moment, but Smith certainly offers something extra in attack, and will no doubt improve with game time. I think playing and swapping roles with Faz is actually detrimental to his game and options,but I suspect England would perform better with either one or the other ,and two centres. Farrell at 12 actually worked quite well with Ford at 10, but they didn’t switch roles as much. Maybe Eddie is pandering to Faz to stop him getting all sulky.
Ticht, I agree with you about the dickishness of some of the England squad, Maro should be told to cut it out, its schoolboy stuff. Justin Harrison said on the post match chitty chatty on Aus channel 9 that Hill was obviously playing that specific role for Jones, as that was exactly what he was instructed to do in certain games when coached by him, if there was a player they thought was susceptible to hot headedness, Harrison would be expected to wind him up until explosion.
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Wales 11 – 8 up at the first quarter
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Elton has probably cost the Boks around 7-10 points
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Bugger, for some reason I thought it was on at 16:55(?). If only there was somewhere handy I could have looked up the kick off time 🤦♂️
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I think we’re 11-3 up though I don’t expect it to last!
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LRZ in again!
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3 – 18
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Said it wouldn’t last.
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