The Nations Championship heads north this weekend, with the Springboks and All Blacks unbeaten and France leading the northern table.
The Nations Championship resumes on Friday with Ireland hosting Argentina in Dublin. South Africa (1.02) and New Zealand (1.31) lead the south, while France top a congested north.
Where The Table Stands
The competition pits the 12 leading teams against each other over six rounds, with the north facing the south. The Springboks and All Blacks both have 15 points from three bonus-point wins. South Africa lead on points difference, +81 against +51.
Australia sit third in the south, and Argentina trail them by one point. Japan have won once, while Fiji remain winless. In the north, France lead with 12 points after two July wins. Scotland sit one point behind them.
England and Ireland follow closely, with England third on points difference. Wales and Italy occupy the bottom places. Consequently, only a few points separate the top four in the north.
An Action-Packed First Weekend
Ireland (1.28) host Argentina (3.90) on Friday night at the Aviva Stadium. Saturday then brings a full programme. Italy meet South Africa in Turin, and Scotland host New Zealand at Murrayfield. Wales face Japan in Cardiff, while France host Fiji in Lyon.
Sunday brings England (1.35) against Australia (3.30) at Twickenham. The Springboks then face France on Friday 13 November and Ireland on 21 November. Meanwhile, the All Blacks play Wales and England after their Murrayfield trip, a slightly friendlier schedule on paper.
Injuries Test Every Squad
Depth will decide this month. South Africa lack Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Handre Pollard and Andre Esterhuizen. However, Rassie Erasmus named a 37-man squad that includes six uncapped players.
France have an even longer injury list. Thomas Ramos, Matthieu Jalibert, Julien Marchand, Emmanuel Meafou and Demba Bamba all miss out. Fabien Galthie has therefore used a 42-player group to manage his World Cup plans.
Ireland lack Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Garry Ringrose and Jack Crowley. Scotland lost Jamie Ritchie to a serious knee injury, and England have lost scrum-half Alex Mitchell. New Zealand also miss Ardie Savea for the month.
The Road To The Finals Weekend
The league rounds end on 21 November. Finals Weekend then follows at Twickenham from 27 to 29 November. Each northern side meets its southern counterpart according to table position. Six matches in three days will leave the ground staff, and the supporters, exhausted.
The final matches of round six finish on Saturday night. The first Finals Weekend game starts less than a week later. As a result, ticket and travel logistics will test the organisers.
The Rugby World Cup in Australia starts on 1 October 2027. Therefore, every team treats this month as a final acid test. England must also fix their discipline after 14 yellow cards and one red this year.
Many observers expect a France-South Africa final. The Springboks have the strongest squad depth, and France have the best attacking talent in the north. We agree, but Scotland and Ireland have enough quality to cause an upset.
