Ireland vs Wales
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Sat 29th August, 14.30 BST
In a repeat of the game that really kicked-off this World Cup warm-up series, Wales go looking for revenge after they were surgically dismantled by Ireland in Cardiff three weeks ago.
Both sides have named strong line-ups. Ireland give captain Paul O’Connell a first start of the season, alongside the hugely talented Iain Henderson in the second row. The young Ulster lock will be pressing his case for a starting jersey, and his powerful running and delicate hands make him a unique proposition.
Jordi Murphy takes the number seven shirt, and along with Peter O’Mahony will look to dominate the breakdown. Justin Tipuric is Murphy’s opposite number, and having been utterly outclassed at the tackle area in Cardiff, the Ospreys openside needs a big performance to convince people he is a luxury Wales can afford.
George North makes his return to rugby after suffering that sickening concussion all those months ago for Northampton, and opposite him Dave Kearney similarly returns after a lengthy period away from the international scene. The half-back pairings are both the combinations that will lead the two sides at the World Cup.
Perhaps the most interesting selection, though, comes on the Welsh tighthead, where Exeter Chiefs’ Thomas Francis makes his debut. Francis is undoubtedly talented, and chewed up some renowned scrummagers in the Premiership last season, but this is another step up, and with Samson Lee struggling with injury, Wales need the Chief to bed into international rugby quickly.
In the game in Cardiff, Wales were clearly undercooked. Their focus had been solely on fitness and it showed in some horrendously basic errors. They have had three weeks to rectify that and should be a much slicker outfit this time around.
Ireland have become a hugely clinical outfit under Joe Schmidt, however, and rightly enter this game as favourites. The most important thing here for Wales is not getting the victory, but putting in a better performance. The hosts should have enough to triumph, but it will be much closer than three weeks ago. Ireland by 6.
Scotland vs Italy
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Sat 29th August, 15.15 BST
Scotland notched their first win for almost a year in last weekend’s reversal in Turin, but it was far from pretty. The four point win was a turgid affair, lit up by a 20 minute cameo from the effervescent Peter Horne, who must be in the form of his life right now.
The Glasgow utility back is rewarded with a starting place in the centres alongside clubmate Mark Bennett in what must be close to Vern Cotter’s first choice side going into the World Cup. Along with Bennett, Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Greig Laidlaw return to the backs from the side that started during the Six Nations.
Up front there will be plenty of intrigue around WP Nel, who makes his first start after qualifying for his adopted country, while the locking duo of Grant Gilchrist and Jonny Gray is young but immensely promising. John Barclay starts on the openside, and not before time after the Scarlet notched some fine performances for the Scarlets in the last few years.
Jacques Brunel has similarly recalled some big names to the Italy line-up, although there is still an experimental feel to some of the selections. Michele Campagnaro, one of the stars of the Six Nations two years ago and soon to be an Exeter Chief, takes the 13 jersey alongside Italy’s brightest prospect from this year’s tournament – Luca Morisi.
Tommaso Allan is again the number ten, but there is still no sign of the Azzurri’s inspiration, Sergio Parisse. There is, however, plenty of gnarled experience in the front row, where Martin Castrogiovanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Matias Aguero form what will likely be the first choice trio at the World Cup.
Neither side played particularly well last weekend, a game which continued the trend of scrappy encounters between these two perennial Six Nations basement-dwellers. Cotter will hope that the win will have cleared something in the Scottish psyche, and his side can go out and play with the abandon that typified them last autumn.
Italy will be hoping for a repeat of the smash and grab win that saw them avoid the wooden spoon in this year’s Six Nations. But up against a next to full strength Scotland team, they will need to show a lot more than last weekend’s insipid display. If not, it could be a long afternoon for the visitors. Scotland by 18.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
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