Few could have predicted that all four Home Nations would hit back to win in the manner that they did last weekend, and now they all sit on the verge of famous test series victories away from home.
As the sun rose over the British Isles, Ireland dominated New Zealand to earn a first ever victory on Kiwi soil, and England bounced back from their humbling first test defeat with a convincing win against Australia.
Later in the day, Gareth Anscombe’s terrific performance – capped with a match-winning touchline conversion in the dying stages – helped Wales to their own first with a stunning win in South Africa, before Scotland demolished Argentina to make it a clean sweep of wins.
On the nine occasions since 2004 that the historic Tri Nations (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) have all met Northern Hemisphere opposition in test series, the trio have achieved a clean sweep in the final outcome of the series six times.
That might yet happen again, but if all three of Ireland, England and Wales win tomorrow, it will mark the first time ever that a trio from the Six Nations have all achieved series wins against those three teams in the same summer.
Bookies have the odds of that happening, as well as Scotland clinching their series against Argentina, at around 100/1, but a repeat of last week’s results would see that bet come off.
Read previews for each of the big games below, and a short note on some of the games between developing nations, with links to wider-ranged previews for each of the Home Nations and others.
New Zealand vs Ireland
Arguably the biggest and most hotly anticipated of the four games sees New Zealand play host to Ireland in Wellington, with Ireland looking to become the first team in 28 years to beat the All Blacks in any test series.
After losing to the Maori All Blacks in a midweek tour game and falling to a heavy first test defeat against New Zealand, it looked as if it was set to be a grim tour for the visitors, but they have turned it around in astonishing fashion.
In the last week they have levelled both series, first despatching the All Blacks in Dunedin last Saturday, before winning an exciting battle against the Maori side on Tuesday in Wellington.
Making just one change this week as Bundee Aki comes in for the injured Garry Ringrose, they will be hoping to repeat the same feat at the same venue against the main All Black team, and cap a remarkable and history-making turnaround.
For New Zealand boss Ian Foster, who saw his side fall to a new low of fourth in the World Rugby Rankings on Monday, the pressure on his shoulders could reach a tipping point with another defeat.
He will be hopeful his chargers can bounce back from their error-strewn display in last week’s game, bolstered by the returns of Nepo Laulala at tighthead prop and Sam Whitelock, with the second-most capped All Black of all time making his 134th appearance at lock.
England vs Australia
England’s last two series’ in Australia have produced a draw and a whitewash win, so it will be a less historic achievement for them if they are to win their decider in Sydney.
But at historic ground the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which will likely be hosting its last ever rugby test with the newly-built Sydney Football Stadium set to be the new home of rugby in New South Wales, they will be hoping to complete their own impressive comeback.
Following a chastening first test defeat where they surrendered a five-point lead against 14 men to lose 30-28, a scoreline only made less ugly by two consolation tries in the dying stages, they hit back with a convincing 25-17 win in Brisbane, helped by a strong first-half display.
Like Ireland with Ringrose, England are forced into changes related to concussion, with Ollie Chessum and Lewis Ludlam coming in for Maro Itoje and Sam Underhill in the forwards, whilst Jones also includes Danny Care at scrum-half, who started the first test but was benched for the second.
Australia will be hoping to make a better start than they did in the second test, conceding a 19-0 lead with just over half an hour gone before Taniela Toupou and Samu Kerevi pulled scores back in the second half to make it close.
Arguably their finest players in both the tight-five and backs respectively, they are both included again this weekend while Queensland Reds blindside Harry Wilson and Melbourne Rebels fullback Reece Hodge have both come into Dave Rennie’s team for the first time in the series.
They remain favourites, as they have been for each of the three tests, but their odds have narrowed significantly, as they hope to leapfrog England into the top five in the World Rankings and clinch a first series win against the Men in White since 2006.
South Africa vs Wales
Wales’ performance last Saturday epitomised the spirit that has seen them consistently punch above their weight in the Six Nations in recent years, as they claimed a famous win in Bloemfontein.
Wins against Southern Hemisphere sides have been harder to come by, and following two narrow defeats against South Africa in the last nine months – one in Autumn and another in the first test – it looked as if they were set for another near miss, trailing 12-6 into the last five minutes of the game.
But their only real chance of scoring a try produced the goods, and Gareth Anscombe’s perfect conversion, taken from a touchline where the posts appeared as small and far as a pair of toothpicks on the horizon, gave them a first ever win in South Africa.
Wales make just one change from the team that won last week, with Wales boss Wayne Pivac reverting to starting Josh Adams on the wing, as Alex Cuthbert flies home with concussion.
Should Wales win, it will be the first time in the post-Apartheid era that a visiting national team has won a series South Africa, and the first time any team has since the Lions 25 years ago in 1997.
As they were for each of the first two games, South Africa are big favourites to win, and though they denied that the 14 changes they made last week were tantamount to them fielding a B team, the return of many of their best players this time around will make a big difference.
They will see victory here as absolutely critical. Though they have had some good results since their World Cup triumph in 2019, in winning a series against the Lions in 2021 and beating New Zealand in the same year, their form has been far from consistent, and losing this series would be a major setback.
Whatever the result, this is likely to be an exciting battle that should more closely replicate the high-scoring first test than the low-scoring second.
Argentina vs Scotland
The day concludes with Scotland hoping to repeat the fine attacking and defensive display that took them to a comfortable win in last week’s second test.
Argentina have been favourites for all three tests, but this time around they are only given a one point handicap advantage by bookmakers, and Scotland will be confident they can get the job done.
Hamish Watson captains a much-changed team, with eight different faces in the starting line-up including debutant full-back Ollie Smith.
The game also sees Zander Fagerson make his 50th appearance at tighthead prop, the only member of the front five who hasn’t been changed.
Michael Cheika, the new Argentina coach, will be hoping that the Pumas revival lasts longer than one game, having looked so solid in their win against the Scots in the first test.
Argentina have not won a home test series for 16 years, and they will be desperate to reverse that trend against a Scotland side whose changes they will hope unsettle them.
The Best of the Rest
On Sunday, Andy Robinson will be hoping his Romania side repeat their superb victory against Uruguay last week in the second test in Montevideo, having won 30-22 last week.
The day before, their second tier rivals Georgia look to follow up their landmark victory against Italy with a win against more regular opposition Portugal.
But the biggest games of the weekend will be played while most of us will be asleep. On Saturday morning, Tonga take on Australia A before Fiji play Samoa in the Pacific Nations Cup, with every team except Tonga in the running to win the title.
Samoa will win the competition by beating Fiji, while Fiji need to beat them with a bonus point and deny Samoa a bonus point of their own.
But Fiji are relying on results to go their way, and if Australia A win against Tonga and Samoa lose, they will snatch the title for themsleves.
Perhaps even more significantly is the game the following night, with the United States playing Chile for a place in the World Cup.
The USA won 22-21 in Santiago last week, but are only halfway there with the second leg coming up at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado.
Chile are big underdogs, but have an incredible shot at history as they look to make their maiden appearance at a Rugby World Cup.
For the odds-on USA though, they will believe a ninth World Cup appearance in ten tournaments is within reach, and their strong home record against tier two opposition will serve them well in their biggest game this decade so far.
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