The third round of the November Tests takes place this weekend with every team from the NatWest 6 Nations in action.
For each nation bar Wales, who face South Africa in a week’s time, it’s their last Test of the autumn and thus a final chance, on the international stage at least, for players to stake a claim for a starting berth come the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations.
Italy will be aiming to bounce back from last week’s defeat to Argentina when they host South Africa in Padua, while Scotland are looking to build on a valiant loss to New Zealand by squaring off with Australia.
England and Ireland are both seeking to make it a perfect three wins from three as they host Samoa and Argentina respectively, while it’s the All Blacks’ turn to head to Principality Stadium for a clash with Wales, who battled past Georgia 13-6 a week ago.
And the day will be rounded off by a France team still looking for a first win of the autumn – having suffered two defeats to New Zealand and one to the Springboks – playing 2019 World Cup hosts Japan in Paris.
Italy v South Africa 2pm
Having beaten Fiji 19-10 and gone down 31-15 to Argentina, Italy face arguably their toughest assignment of the autumn when they roll out the red carpet for South Africa at the Stadio Euganeo in Padua.
However, given a particular recent encounter between these two sides, the Azzurri should head into the clash full of confidence.
Just over a year ago, Italy shocked the Springboks 20-18 in Florence and as they attempt to do likewise this weekend, Angelo Esposito comes in to replace Leonardo Sarto on the wing, while flanker Giovanni Licata makes his first start – Francesco Minto the man to make way.
Head coach Conor O’Shea is aiming to improve Italy’s record of four wins from his 16 Tests and believes he is slowly but surely starting to see results under his stewardship.
“The first thing you do is gain everyone’s respect and I think, slowly, we are beginning to do that,” said O’Shea.
“I am probably more excited now than when I arrived because we can really begin to see things are happening. There’s so much we have to do but there’s been a lot of hard graft.” Scotland v Australia 2.30pm
Ryan Wilson is one of five players brought in to Scotland’s starting line-up as they look to end their autumn campaign on a high against a wounded Australia at BT Murrayfield.
No.8 Wilson earns a start alongside Glasgow Warriors team-mate Pete Horne – who was a late call-up in the centres for Alex Dunbar – the Edinburgh duo of prop Simon Berghan and lock Grant Gilchrist and Saracens winger Sean Maitland.
Scotland ran the All Blacks close before losing 22-17 last time out but face a wounded animal in Australia, still smarting from their heavy 30-6 defeat to England at Twickenham, although they did beat the Wallabies in Sydney in June.
And Scotland coach Gregor Townsend wants to see improvement on the All Blacks display.
“Against the current No.3 team in the world, we know it is going to require a better performance than we gave last week to win,” Townsend said.
“They play a similar brand of rugby and have a similar mindset every time they go into a game, which is moving the target.” England v Samoa 3pm
England coach Eddie Jones has made nine changes from last weekend’s impressive victory over Australia as the side look to maintain their perfect record this autumn against Samoa.
Skipper Dylan Hartley is dropped to the bench for the first time in Jones’ tenure, meaning hooker Jamie George’s maiden start for his country will come on his 20th cap.
Ellis Genge, Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje, Sam Simmonds, Danny Care, Mike Brown, Alex Lozowski and Henry Slade also come in as Chris Robshaw and George Ford co-captain the side.
And Jones is keen to ascertain the exact depth of his squad heading into 2018.
“This week it is an opportunity for some squad members who haven’t been playing to put their best foot forward,” he said.
“This is an exciting squad to play against Samoa and we are expecting them to be immensely physical and committed.
“We want to follow up last week’s performance against Australia and play better again this week. Our intent in every game and every training session is to be better. We will have to play smart and will need to find ways to win the contest.” Wales v New Zealand 5.15pm
Wales go toe-to-toe with world champions New Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday and head coach Warren Gatland has made 12 changes from last weekend’s victory over Georgia.
Scrum-half Rhys Webb, centre Scott Williams and wing Hallam Amos are the only men retained from a week ago but there are just three alterations to the starting XV bested by Australia on November 11, so the side should have plenty of continuity.
Gatland led the British & Irish Lions to an historic series draw in New Zealand this summer and claims Wales won’t be intimidated when squaring off against their foe at Principality Stadium.
“I think in the past, and rightly so, the All Blacks, having been the best team in the world consistently, you kind of have almost that fear factor about playing them,” said Gatland.
“The fact that some of these players have played them on a regular basis, there is not that sort of trepidation, I suppose, in terms of familiarity.
“Having played against a number of those players on a regular basis, you just feel a bit more comfortable.” Ireland v Argentina 5.30pm
Ireland have beaten South Africa and Fiji this month and will be taking on Argentina for the first time since their 43-20 defeat in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup.
Joe Schmidt has named a similar side to the one that beat the Springboks a fortnight ago but Ireland will have to deal without influential centre Robbie Henshaw, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and is replaced by Chris Farrell.
But Henshaw’s Leinster teammate Adam Byrne is set to start on the wing and earn his first cap, while lock James Ryan also comes in for his first Test start as Andrew Conway and Devin Toner drop out from that Springboks triumph.
And Schmidt claims that quarter-final disappointment from two years ago will have no bearing come Saturday.
“If we’re looking two years backwards, how do we look forwards?” mused Schmidt. “I think there’s a danger of looking too far back; there are not too many guys from that match who are involved, maybe half a dozen in the starting group.
“We’re really looking forward to the game on the weekend and looking forward to what we learn from it so we can keep progressing.
“For us, it’s about getting a bit of cohesion, there are a few new combinations and we’ll be focused on ourselves than on the Argentinians.” France v Japan 7.45pm (8.45pm local time)
As France seek a first win of the autumn, Guy Noves has changed almost his entire back-line for Japan’s trip to Paris on Saturday evening.
Only winger Teddy Thomas is retained from last week’s 18-17 loss to South Africa as Baptiste Serin and Francois Trinh-Duc form an all-new half-back pairing, Henry Chavancy and Damian Penaud are the centres, while debutant Gabriel Lacroix and Scott Spedding join Thomas in the back-three.
Romain Taofifenua will also start as lock and exciting Stade Francais flanker Sekou Macalou will make his international debut but Noves is adamant that defeat to the Springboks had no bearing on this week’s team selection.
“I’m holding to what I said: I wanted over these three or four matches to see as many players as possible and to give them sufficient game time to assess them,” said Noves.
“Had we won by a point (against South Africa), that wouldn’t have changed the fact that I wanted to see all these players.
“Some of these players had a very constructive attitude during the Tuesday match [non-capped match against New Zealand in Lyon ten days ago].”
