Rugby Union Today: Previews and England v France teams
Number 14 of England Anthony Watson during warm up before the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Italy and England at the Olimpic Stadium (Stadio Olimpico) in Rome, Italy, on October 31, 2020. The match is played behind closed doors because of Covid19 pandemy. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto)
Another busy day in the rugby union game as we look ahead to all the action in the Autumn Nations Cup, Tri Nations, Premiership and PRO14.
What’s on the site
England and France have named their teams for Sunday’s Autumn Nations Cup final at Twickenham. Anthony Watson is the only change for Eddie Jones’ side, while Les Bleus are severely understrength with just 68 caps in the starting XV.
We also look ahead to the three games in the competition on Saturday as Georgia face Fiji, Wales host Italy and Scotland visit Ireland to sort out the minor placings in the end-of-year campaign.
Elsewhere, the Tri Nations finishes this weekend with Australia and Argentina going head-to-head in Sydney, and we have previewed that contest. The teams are effectively competing for second place, however, with it virtually impossible for leaders New Zealand to be overtaken.
What’s in the news
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is looking to extend his contract with the national side and remain in position until at least the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Meanwhile, France team manager Raphael Ibanez insists that Sunday’s clash between England and Les Bleus is not a farce, despite his squad being shorn of their first choice players for the Autumn Nations Cup showpiece event.
Finally, Ireland boss Andy Farrell is adamant that he can handle the pressure of being the head honcho of a high profile international side. The Irish have struggled to hit top form in the end-of-year series, but Farrell believes that he is the man for the job.
What’s on social media
Important words from former England international Ugo Monye on the Pablo Matera situation.
"Rugby doesn't know how to deal with racism"@ugomonye with a powerful message after Pablo Matera was reinstated as Argentina captain.
🆕 Rugby Union Weekly: https://t.co/okX0Psnd2U#bbcrugby pic.twitter.com/1z0NR9RIAk
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) December 4, 2020
What’s on TV
The third round of the Premiership kicks off with Bristol Bears v Northampton Saints on BT Sport, who show all of that competition over the weekend. Elsewhere in the domestic game, there is the PRO14 on Premier Sports, starting on Friday with Connacht v Benetton.
The Autumn Nations Cup comes to a conclusion this week with Ireland v Scotland and Wales v Italy taking place on Saturday before England host France in the final on Sunday. All of those games will be shown on Amazon Prime Video Sport. In the Tri Nations on Saturday, Australia and Argentina face off in Sydney, live on Sky Sports.