Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Rare matchups and famous rivalries: August's full slate of World Cup warm up games

Semi Radradra with ball inland for Fiji. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

On Friday the eighth of September, France host the All Blacks at Stade de France to kick off the 2023 Rugby World Cup. With the rugby world in a raw state of unpredictability, the race is on for all nations to tighten any loose screws before the knock-out matches come rolling in on the biggest stage that rugby has on offer.

ADVERTISEMENT

Therefore, the August schedule has evolved to offer a mouth-watering slate of warm-up matches to complement what will be a hotly-contested men’s World Cup tournament.

While the Tests may be utilised by some teams as an opportunity for final experimentations, whether it be with personnel or strategies, the anticipation and excitement is sure to be immense and the chance to carry winning momentum into the World Cup will ensure the contests are hard-fought.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

As can be expected, the August slate does not feature any matchups that will be seen in the pool stages of the World Cup.

July 29:

  • Scotland v Italy, Murrayfield

August 5:

  • Wales v England, Principality Stadium
  • Scotland v France, BT Murrayfield
  • Ireland v Italy, Aviva Stadium
  • Argentina v South Africa, Velez Sarsfield
  • New Zealand v Australia, Forsyth Barr

August 12:

  • England v Wales, Twickenham
  • Scotland v France, TBC
  • Italy v Japan, Treviso

August 19:

  • Ireland v England, Aviva Stadium
  • France v Fiji, Nantes
  • Wales v South Africa, Principality Stadium

August 25:

  • South Africa v New Zealand, Twickenham

August 26:

  • England v Fiji, Twickenham
  • France v Australia, TBC
  • Scotland v Georgia, BT Murrayfield
  • Spain v Argentina, Madrid
ADVERTISEMENT

Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

Lions Share | Episode 4

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Soliloquin 28 minutes ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

I don’t know the financial story behind the changes that were implemented, but I guess clubs started to lose money, Mourad Boudjellal won it all with Toulon, got tired and wanted to invest in football , the French national team was at its lowest with the QF humiliation in 2015 and the FFR needed to transform the model where no French talent could thrive. Interestingly enough, the JIFF rule came in during the 2009/2010 season, so before the Toulon dynasty, but it was only 40% of the players that to be from trained in French academies. But the crops came a few years later, when they passed it at the current level of 70%.

Again, I’m not a huge fan of under 18 players being scouted and signed. I’d rather have French clubs create sub-academies in French territories like Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia and other places that are culturally closer to RU and geographically closer to rugby lands. Mauvaka, Moefana, Taofifenua bros, Tolofua bros, Falatea - they all came to mainland after starting their rugby adventure back home.

They’re French, they come from economically struggling areas, and rugby can help locally, instead of lumping foreign talents.

And even though many national teams benefit from their players training and playing in France, there are cases where they could avoid trying to get them in the French national team (Tatafu).

In other cases, I feel less shame when the country doesn’t believe in the player like in Meafou’s case.

And there are players that never consider switching to the French national team like Niniashvili, Merckler or even Capuozzo, who is French and doesn’t really speak Italian.

We’ll see with Jacques Willis 🥲


But hey, it’s nothing new to Australia and NZ with PI!

109 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Selected Lions star dramatically rules himself out in 'self-less' last-minute call Selected Lions star dramatically rules himself out in 'self-less' last