France won big against Samoa but do they need to up their game against Australia this week?
Countries
Scotland 22-23 Australia: Five talking points from the Murrayfield heartbreak
1. This was the same – but different Yes, it was another one-point loss to the Wallabies put to bed in the dying minutes, but this defeat for Scotland was…
Saints and Sinners: The weekend’s talking points
The Saints Ben Youngs and Co Joe Launchbury won the Man of the Match award but Ben Youngs made the most eye-catching contribution to England’s 37-21 win over South Africa.…
Wales 24-20 Argentina: Five talking points
Liam Williams, Tomas Francis and the need for patience all feature in this review of Wales' win over Argentina
The good, the bad and the ugly; England 37-21 South Africa
By Alex Shaw Eddie Jones’ England kept their undefeated year on track on Saturday, recording a 37-21 victory over South Africa and ending a winless streak against the Springboks that…
Bristol Rugby: Was Andy Robinson shown the door too soon?
It is ironic that the Springboks were in London when Andy Robinson lost his job as director of rugby with Bristol – ten years ago it was the South Africans…
The less trodden path: Should Billy Vunipola swap rugby for the NFL?
Just weeks after Twickenham played host to an historic NFL game, the influence and pull of the gridiron field looks to be exerting itself on the world of rugby. Speaking…
France coach Novès could be a Fall Guy as Samoa come to town
“Colossal” was the word used by Midi Olympique last week to describe the pressure on Guy Novès and his coaching team ahead of France’s three autumn Internationals. The paper is…
Ireland’s journey from despair to triumph against New Zealand
Did Ireland’s hammering in Hamilton in 2012 lead to the cheering in Chicago in 2016?
Five talking points from Ireland’s historic 40-29 win over New Zealand
By the Whiff of Cordite blog Despite having a team entirely composed of players from the unfairly maligned Pro12, Ireland managed to not only win a rugby match but beat…