Pascal Gauzere will be the man in the middle for England’s clash with Ireland on Saturday, in what promises to be another jam-packed weekend of Autumn Nations Cup action.
The Frenchman was in charge for Eddie Jones’ side’s final match of the Guinness Six Nations in October, sending debutant Jonny Hill and Jake Polledri to the sin bin on that occasion.
The two sides sit at the top of Group A heading into the weekend, after both experienced Round 1 victories last time out, with England leading the way by virtue of a bonus point picked up in their 40-0 win over Georgia.
Gauzere will be assisted by compatriots Mathieu Raynal and Alex Ruiz for the showdown in Dublin, while Nigel Owens will adjudicate from behind the video screen.
The double-header continues later on Saturday evening as Wales welcome Georgia to Llanelli, with both sides looking to get their first victory of the competition at Parc y Scarlets.
Wayne Pivac’s side will be looking to put an end to a run of six straight defeats in all competitions, while the Lelos will be eager to earn their first points of the competition, after failing to trouble the scoreboard last weekend.
England’s Luke Pearce will be calling the shots in that one, just as he did when the two sides went head to head in last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, with Wales running out 43-14 victors that time around.
Pearce will be teamed with the Irish duo of Andrew Brace and Frank Murphy running the line, and Joy Neville as TMO.
Finally, Round 2 comes to a close on Sunday afternoon, as France and Scotland do battle at BT Murrayfield, with both sides looking to claim the ascendency in Group B.
This will be Les Bleus’ first match of the competition, after last weekend’s face-off with Fiji was cancelled, and they will be looking to kickstart their campaign with a win in Edinburgh.
Gregor Townsend’s side will be looking to build on their opening round victory over Italy and know that a result here would set them up well for a shot at some silverware in a fortnight’s time.
Englishman Wayne Barnes will be the man with the whistle, with fellow countryman Matthew Carley carrying one flag, and Georgian Nika Amashukeli carrying the other, while Welshman Ben Whitehouse will be the man studying the tapes.
England v Ireland
Twickenham, London. Saturday, 21 November, 2020. Kick-off at 3pm.
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France) Assistant Referee one: Mathieu Raynal (France) Assistant Referee two: Alex Ruiz (France) TMO: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Wales v Georgia
Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli. Saturday, 21 November, 2020. Kick-off at 5:15pm.
Referee: Luke Pearce (England) Assistant Referee one: Andrew Brace (Ireland) Assistant Referee two: Frank Murphy (Ireland) TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)
Scotland v France
Murrayfield, Edinburgh. Sunday, 22 November, 2020. Kick-off at 3pm.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England) Assistant Referee one: Matthew Carley (England) Assistant Referee two: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
