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What to watch in men’s rugby: International stars align
We are set for another busy couple of days of international rugby this weekend and you can watch some intriguing match-ups live and free on RugbyPass TV.
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On Sunday, a selection of the best young talent from England and Australia will go head-to-head in an A international at Twickenham Stoop.
Before that, on Saturday, you can watch a Test double-header from Chambery, where Japan are due to play Uruguay and USA meet Tonga. Prior to that, Hong Kong China and Brazil conclude their two-match series.
End of year internationals
Saturday’s action gets underway at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, which hosts the second of the two-Test series between Hong Kong China and Brazil.
Brazil beat their hosts, ranked seven places higher than them before kick-off, last weekend as a Henrique Ferreria try and six Lucas Tranquez penalties gave them a 23-10 victory.
That result lifted them four places to 26th in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings and earned the South Americans a modicum of revenge for their 26-25 defeat to Hong Kong China in Sao Paulo in July.
Defeat was only Hong Kong China’s second in their last 12 Tests, and they will hope to get back to winning ways this weekend.
That is also the equation facing both Japan and Uruguay in Chambery. The Brave Blossoms were beaten 52-12 by France at Stade de France last Saturday and have won only two of their nine matches since Eddie Jones returned at the start of the year.
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And with a trip to Twickenham to face Jones’ old charges England to come a week on Sunday, they will want a positive result against Uruguay.
Japan lead their historic head-to-head with Los Teros four wins to one, the most recent of which was a 43-7 victory in Kitakyushu in June 2022.
Uruguay arrived in France without a win in 2024, their 33-24 defeat to Spain in Madrid last weekend following on the back of losses against France, Argentina and Scotland.
Chambery Savoie Stadium, in the south-east of France, will also play host to the first meeting of the USA and Tonga since Rugby World Cup 2019.
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Tonga won that match 31-19 in Osaka and have not lost to the Men’s Eagles in nine matches, since a 30-10 defeat in their first-ever meeting 13 years ago.
The Pacific Islanders could do with a win in France, having won only one of their six matches in 2024, a 30-17 defeat of Canada in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup sixth-place play-off.
USA finished fourth in that tournament, having been beaten by Fiji in the semi-finals, but enjoyed a morale-boosting 21-17 win against Portugal in Coimbra last weekend.
The Eagles will hope to use Kapeli Pifeleti’s late match-winning try as a springboard into their meeting with Tonga and subsequent date with Spain in Madrid seven days later.
Saturday, November 16
08:00 GMT – Hong Kong China v Brazil, Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground – WATCH LIVE HERE
13:30 GMT – Japan v Uruguay, Chambery Savoie Stadium – WATCH LIVE HERE
16:30 GMT – Tonga v USA, Chambery Savoie Stadium – WATCH LIVE HERE
Test hopefuls collide in Twickenham
Australia will hope to record a double of sorts over England on Sunday as the two nations meet in an A international, a short walk from the scene of the Wallabies’ rollercoaster win last weekend.
Twickenham Stoop will be the stage on which some of the most promising talent from the two nations compete with the players hoping to stake their claim for future Test honours.
Northampton Saints centre Fraser Dingwall, a Premiership winner last season, will captain England A and is one of five capped players included in Mark Mapletoft’s squad.
He will lead a stacked squad in south-west London that includes the likes of Joe Heyes, Tom Pearson and Tom Willis, as well as Premiership Player of the Month Gabriel Ibitoye.
Bristol winger Ibitoye is one of three players in the England A squad, alongside forwards Gabriel Oghre and Joe Batley, who featured for the Bears against Australia A last Friday night.
The hosts led 10-5 with time running out at Ashton Gate but were denied a famous victory as Lachlan Anderson scored a late try to level the scores and secure a 10-10 draw.
Australia will hope that run-out will work in their favour when they take to the pitch at the Stoop and attempt to maintain the feelgood factor that has been flowing since the Wallabies’ victory at Allianz Stadium.
You can find out whether they can do that, or if England A can restore some local pride, live and for free via RugbyPass TV, except in the UK and Australia.
Sunday, November 17
14:00 GMT – England A v Australia A, Twickenham Stoop – WATCH LIVE HERE
Louis Rees-Zammit joins Jim Hamilton for the latest episode of Walk the Talk to discuss his move to the NFL. Watch now on RugbyPass TV
