The summer season of test-matches begins this weekend: for three Saturdays in a row, New Zealanders and Irish, Australians and English, South Africans and Welsh, and finally Argentinians and Scots will compete in order to refine their squads and game plans a little over a year from the Mondial-2023 in France.
Four matches on the program this Saturday, after the match of the Blues against the Japanese (8:00 a.m.).
At 9:05 a.m., at Eden Park in Auckland, the All Blacks meet Ireland, who beat them in Dublin (29-20) on November 13, a nice revenge for the XV of Clover after their rout in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup (46-14).
Two Irish wins in last four matches against the Blacks
After 111 years of duels between the two nations having always turned to the advantage of the All Blacks, it was not until 2016 that victory finally changed sides in Chicago, where the men in green had won 40-29.
Since then, the Irish have won two of their four games against the All Blacks.
On the other hand, they have still not won in New Zealand: the challenge is therefore daunting for Andy Farrell's protégés, but achievable.
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Indeed, the All Blacks will present themselves weakened on Saturday, three teammates of captain Sam Cane having been affected by Covid-19 this week: centers David Havili and Jack Goodhue, and winger Will Jordan.
And that's not all: coach Ian Foster and his two assistants, John Plumtree and Scott McLeod, also tested positive.
The New Zealand Federation had to call on former Ireland coach (2013-2019), Joe Schmidt, to lead the training sessions this week.
As for the Irish, guided by their irremovable captain Johnny Sexton (105 caps), they will have to show that their place as the second European team, obtained during the Tournament, is not usurped.
Eight straight English wins against Australia
Once this match is over, there is no time to breathe before switching (11:55 a.m.) to a promising Australia-England in Perth.
Here too, the Covid came to spice things up, one of the best players in the XV de la Rose, winger Jonny May, having tested positive on his arrival on Australian soil.
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The English remain on eight consecutive victories against the Wallabies, the last on November 13 at Twickenham (32-15).
The Australians, led by their emblematic captain Michael Hooper (118 caps), will have to make people forget that they have chained three defeats during their autumn tour in Europe, against Scotland (15-13), England so and Wales (29-28).
The Welsh must revive
Time to take a nap, and we will change continent for South Africa, where the world champion Springboks, and their two Toulonnais Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth, will play in Pretoria (5:05 p.m.) the first of their three test matches against Wales.
Wayne Pivac's men, who remain on a disappointing fifth place in the Tournament, were narrowly defeated by South Africa (23-18) at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on November 6th.
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Finally, to end the day in style, head for Argentina and the northern city of San Salvador de Jujuy, for a duel between the Pumas, led for the first time by the Australian adventurer Michael Cheika, and Scotland.
The Argentinian selection, made up for the most part of exiles playing in the most prestigious championships on the planet (Top 14, Super Rugby, English Premiership), will reconnect on this occasion with its public, it which has no longer played at home. for almost three years.
Saturday test match program
09:05: New Zealand - Ireland, in Auckland
11:55 am: Australia - England, in Perth
5:05 p.m .: South Africa - Wales, in Pretoria
9:10 p.m .: Argentina - Scotland, in Jujuy