Ireland v South Africa
With Bundee Aki in detention for being a bad boy and Robbie Henshaw pulling a hamstring in training, Stuart McCloskey is at last getting a start in a big game. Fellow Ulsterman Flying Robert Baloucoune also starts on the wing, with Rob Herring and Kieran Treadwell on the bench. Springboks better be careful! Ireland by 5 (McCloskey try).
Italy v Samoa
Hard to predict as I’ve no idea what Samoa’s form is like, but they may benefit from some poached players returning. Draw.
Scotland v Fiji
Fiji are never a side to be discounted, but a strong Scotland will do the business, even without Finn’s flair. Scotland by 15.
Wales v New Zealand
With half the first-choice starters injured (and Halfpenny currently an injury doubt too), this can only go one way. NZ by 38. (It would have been 48, but talisman AWJ is on the bench.)
France v Australia
France have rediscovered Gallic flair and are currently a truly frightening side to face. They are also hosting the World Cup next year, and will want to put on a good display. Wobblies are wobbly. France by 15.
England v Argentina
Eddie Jones has named a tired side, albeit with Marcus Smith at fly-half and a new bloke. As astutely pointed out by the notablog denizens, Billy Vunipola is unlikely to last more than 20 minutes. Argentina by 2.
Onna telly this week
Friday 4th November
| Northampton v Exeter | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 5th November
| England v Canada (women) | 03:30 | ITV |
| France v New Zealand (women) | 06:30 | ITV |
| Scotland v Fiji | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
| Sale v Gloucester | 13:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Italy v Samoa | 13:00 | Amazon Prime |
| Wales v New Zealand | 15:15 | Amazon Prime |
| Ireland v South Africa | 17:30 | Amazon Prime |
| France v Australia | 20:00 | Amazon Prime |
Sunday 6th November
| Pau v Bordeaux | 14:10 | Viaplay (formerly Premier Sports) |
| England v Argentina | 14:15 | Amazon Prime |
Ovally Balls 
Lucky escape! Lovely footwork for a hooker, ahem, but let down down by the hands, cough.
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One Bok going off with a sling, and Murray also crocked.
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Furlong did brilliantly there to get back into the field of play
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Ticht – yep, nearly wrecking himself in the process. This is a high-casualty match.
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So! 6 all at HT.
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Boks without a reliable kicker have to play a different game than usual. Still all power to the forwards but almost no kick and chase, fewer mauls etc…
This is brutal, wonder how many pkayers will still be standing at the end. Ireland tenderize the Boks for France next week.
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Ireland tenderize the Boks for France next week.
Pretty much! Although France have to still get past the brutal examination of Australia! Oh.
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Tommy Bowe arguing strongly (and with much justice) that Kolbe’s should have been red.
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Good bit of fun niggle between Zebo and Habana at the pundits table
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Flair, I’m hoping the Boks play a bit more adventurously anyway with Willemse at 10, but it won’t happen overnight and definitely not when up against Ireland and France as your first up opponents (in the NH).
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Thauma, Kolbe was part of the tackle, not alone. Unless both him and du Toit get red. Wasn’t great, wasn’t the worst I’ve seen either. Supersport of course showing a litany of Irish niggles and professional fouls that went unpunished. Well, four or five anyway.
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Deebee, well he also argued that both players should have got a card, but Kolbe was the main antagonist. It was dangerous. ‘You shouldn’t have to rely on a player putting his arm out.’
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Sexton flat on the floor.
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Up now, but no idea if he’ll stay on. Who can kick the penalty now Murray’s gone off?
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No sound on my dodgy stream, so I don’t know what the ref said, just relying on the replays. Could’ve been red, ref decided against it, think it was 50-50
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Well, he’s gone for the corner. Not particularly well.
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Bizarre TRY Ireland! As long as the TMO agrees, but it looks clear to me.
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Yes, it is! Van der Flier in a maul that’s being shoved into touch manages to put it down first.
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TRY Hansen!
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Thought we’d defended that well, but the replay was conclusive. And a great turnover try! Boks sloppy, but Ireland took full advantage.
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Faf on.
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Thank dog Sexton is a crap kicker!
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Great try. Blimey. This Irish side really are RWC contenders aren’t they?
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Deebee – he’s crocked. Again.
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If Murray were still on, he’d be taking the kicks, probably, but he’s crocked too. And from the highlights reel at the top of the page, McCloskey might have a good go, except … oh, crocked.
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He looked a bit dazed and confused a while back. Hope he’s okay.
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He was flat down on the pitch for a good long time; I think the entire period when the maul try was scored (from about the half-way point).
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Oh no, it wasn’t that, because he got groggily up to kick a pen to touch (badly).
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Great scrum! Can they make it count?
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Boks without full forward domination completely lost.
Kolbe is a wonderful winger but isn’t a reliable 15.
Gibson Park’s a serious improvement over Murray.
The next game between these two teams will be tasty.
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And again, the Bok maul goes nowhere. Why they try it over and again when every side seems to have worked it out is fucking beyond me!
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Herring on!
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And Treadwell!
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Try Mostert? Think so.
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Yep, but the conversion bounces off the posts.
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McCloskey sitting on bench with no evident strapping on arms, or sling. Maybe dislocated shoulder that’s now been popped back in?
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I didn’t think Johnny would kick that, but he did … good lad!
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Try Kolbe! Oh shit!
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Bloody hell! Literally!
Prediction very close again. :-)
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Good win for Ireland. Not much between the teams though, besides a reliable goal kicker.
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Well, I hoped it would be close and high pressure, so it was.
Well done Ireland, very good win
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That was absolutely brutal.
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Grand game that!
Fortunately, the Boks had Willemse.
p.s. I seriously dislike Le Roux
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@Deebs
Looks to me like: no forward domination = no win
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Good win for Ireland, they’re now expected to beat the Boks at home. If we had a decent goalkicker? Well, we didn’t, so it’s irrelevant. If we’d picked a 100% kicker (and there’s plenty of them down here), we’d have lost out in other areas. So no complaints from my side: we picked the best we could field and we got beaten.
Next year will be interesting, both sides will potentially have a few more players available or have to change sides anyway. It’ll be a cracker of a group!
Great result Ireland and all the Irish on here! Well deserved! 🍀
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“It’ll be a cracker of a group!”
We’ll kick both your arses in the group
cough
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Slade spot on. For me, du Toit has to go – he’s not the player he was a couple of years ago. Possibly on the bench as a second row. I’d ditch one of Kwagga Smith or Deon Fourie for Elrich Louw or Evan Roos (maybe even both?) and obviously we need someone who can kick for posts.
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Deebs – it’s a horrendous group! But thanks. :-)
Nice post-match interview with Ringrose, hoping ‘Stu’ will be back next week and praising his performance.
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Ticht, I’ve got Scotland in the medals next year. Bronze in the group.
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There is a softening of message from Toonie – if Hastings is out Finn could well be in
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/if-adam-is-out-finn-russell-would-be-in-the-mix-townsend/
I flipping hope so, put an end to this nonsense, get our best players on the park
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