1) England on the up as South Africa’s torrid year continues
It is remarkable how quickly sporting fortunes can swing. A year ago, England were failing to escape their World Cup pool on home soil while South Africa were just two semi-final points away from reaching the final. Twelve months on, the Springbok team is a very different, more vulnerable animal. The simultaneous loss of several long-time stalwarts has coincided with a continuing player exodus to Europe and Japan, while the politics of transformation further complicate Allister Coetzee’s task. The Boks should overcome Italy this weekend but, longer-term, the outlook looks highly uncertain. England, on the other hand, are visibly on the up and will be unbeaten for 14 straight Tests if they can conclude their autumn programme by beating Fiji, Argentina and Australia. “The English I don’t think play high-risk rugby but they execute it very well,” said the Springbok captain Adriaan Strauss. “They are very clinical and effective with what they do.” The ability to apply judicious pressure and be more clinical with ball in hand are increasingly consistent English traits, not a bad foundation for the day when Eddie Jones feels ready to concentrate more on their counterattacking game. For now they are simply intent on making life a challenge for all opponents at all times, regardless of the weather. “My wife said to me that I always used to worry about the rain with other teams and now I don’t,” revealed Jones. “That’s because it doesn’t matter with this team – we are completely adaptable.” Robert Kitson
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2) Australia are far from grand
You have to hand it to Australia. They have not chosen the easiest of autumn schedules for a tilt at a first European grand slam since 1984. Five matches in five successive weekends, with France to come in Paris on Saturday night. But Michael Cheika’s side do not have the quality of David Campese, Mark Ella and company. They made too many errors and were really knocked out of their stride against a raw Scotland team. Australia should beat France but they will come a cropper against Ireland a week later unless they up their game, and they are no match for Eddie Jones’s side at present. Too many players – Henry Speight, Sekope Kepu and even David Pocock among them – are not quite firing at the moment, and Cheika is right to be downbeat about his side’s prospects. Ian Malin
3) Balance key for Wales as they seek winning formula
The phrase “Test match animal” is now commonplace, but definitions of precisely what it means are more rare. When Rob Howley used it to describe Alun Wyn Jones – back in the Wales XV after missing the Australia defeat due to the death of his father – it seemed pretty clear, however. Jones raises the standards of those around him because his own so very rarely drop from the world class level to which regular observers are accustomed. Something similar could be said of Sam Warburton, although perhaps not quite to the same extent. Warburton’s influence grew as the game wore on but depth, or rather a lack of it, has long since been a concern for Wales and that they can underperform so drastically in the absence of two senior players is a reason to worry. Howley has demonstrated a willingness to make changes – six in total against Argentina, with three British & Irish Lions dropped – and confirmed there will be more against Japan. But Wales have a habit of shock defeats in the autumn and the former Wales captain knows he cannot make too many. Finding the right balance – giving squad players or youngsters such as the 18-year-old Keelan Giles Test experience while backing up a jittery victory against Argentina with another of more purpose – will be no easy task. Gerard Meagher
4) Ireland’s second string miss opportunity
In the words of Chrissie Hynde, don’t get me wrong: Ireland were far from awful in their 52-21 win over Canada in Dublin. However stop-start their performance, Joe Schmidt will rightly be pleased that a second-string side featuring eight debutants scored eight tries (well, seven and a penalty try if we’re being pedantic) against Canada, a team who, as they showed in the World Cup, are far from awful. Yet neither Sean O’Brien and Peter O’Mahony – both shoo-ins for Ireland’s back row not too long ago – nor the highly rated Ultan Dillane quite smashed up the visitors’ pack and Garry Ringrose, Leinster’s exciting and brilliant young centre, was muted. It is also worth remembering that this was hardly a full-strength Canada: DTH van der Merwe is one of the Pro12’s most exciting wings but Jamie Cudmore, Tyler Ardron, Jeff Hassler, Jebb Sinclair and Phil Mackenzie is a hefty list of talented absentees. Dan Lucas
5) Italy suffer the Black-lash as New Zealand eye revenge
Even if New Zealand made 12 changes, the task facing Conor O’Shea and his Italy side at the start of their autumn programme was probably stiffened by Ireland’s famous victory in Chicago. The Black-lash seemed mildly inevitable, and indeed it duly arrived, to the tune of 10 tries and 68 points, against an Italy side that was short on imagination and quality. Newer faces – including Rieko Ioane, who scored after becoming the youngest All Black since Jonah Lomu – flexed their muscles, while Steven Luatua impressed in his first Test in two years. Rome, however, was merely a stepping stone: New Zealand are smarting for their revenge mission in Dublin on Saturday evening. Did any of them play their way into contention for that? Steve Hansen’s answer was concise, and crystal clear: “Yes”. Will Macpherson
6) France find respite at home and abroad
Saturday was unquestionably a good day for France. In Toulouse, they played some slick running rugby in notching seven tries to see off Samoa, to whom they have never lost. Particularly heartening were the performances of Virimi Vakatawa, who scored a hat-trick, and Wesley Fofana, back to his line-breaking, offloading best and pulling the strings from inside centre. It is no secret that, with an unkind player agreement affording little preparation time and a Top 14 saturated with overseas talent, this is not an easy period for the French national team, which is reflected by their place at No8 in the rankings. With the World Cup draw being made after the Six Nations (before which they face Australia and New Zealand), clinging on to that position seems vital. They will therefore have been pleased to see ninth-ranked Scotland pipped by the Australians. Greater challenges lie ahead, but this was a good day indeed. WM
7) Baa Baas exhibition a missed chance
This should have been the spectacle of the weekend: a Barbarians side comprising many of the best Super Rugby players a tier below Sanzar’s high international standards, a smattering of full internationals and a strong Fiji side (no Leone Nakarawa is never a good thing but he was the only real star missing). An exhibition team against a full international one famed for their exhibition-style, free-flowing rugby. In pouring, freezing rain on a Friday night at a half-empty Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. Guess where this one went wrong. In the end, what the smattering of fans got was an error-strewn, one-sided encounter, with the Baa Baas pasting the tourists 40-7, easing over from a lineout maul early on then cutting loose thereafter. The number of handling mistakes was well into double figures on both sides, though some of the handling shown by the men in black and white – especially for hooker Akker van der Merwe’s first try – showed just how high the skill levels in Super Rugby are compared to the Pro12 and, especially, the Premiership. Fiji tried gamely in the second half but were never going to flourish on a night like this. There is a very good chance that a professional, well-drilled England will do some serious damage at Twickenham next Saturday and where is the appeal in that? DL
8) England character lifts them to second in world rankings
Matches between England and Ireland tend to be close – their previous four contests had been decided by four points or less – and so it proved again in Dublin. Katy McLean must take immense credit for nailing the difficult late conversion to seal a 12-10 triumph, particularly after an indifferent showing from the tee in the 10-5 win over France last Wednesday, and as a result England are now up to second in the world rankings. In the absence of much fluidity – and England were not helped by the late withdrawal of the blindside flanker Alex Matthew due to concussion – the character to claim a second consecutive win of the series, again thanks to a late try, will be among the most pleasing things for Simon Middleton. New Zealand on Saturday and Canada the following week will be sterner challenges but England will grow in confidence after their latest grinding victory, not least because it came at a venue for next year’s World Cup. A word too for Rochelle Clark, who scored a close-range try to mark her 115th appearance, which makes her England’s most capped player of all time. A remarkable achievement. GM
