Autumn Internationals and 6N final matches 2020

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/53552277


BBC now reporting on the rumours of the format for this autumns competition and when the remaining 6N games will get played.

On first glance, I would say that the pools don't seem entirely evenly matched! Still its details I guess and at least we might start getting some decent rugby this autumn.

Interesting wording here,

The tournament will be staged on four consecutive weekends until 5 December, with each team facing their equivalent in the other pool on the final weekend, with the venue to be decided.

This would seem to mean, to me at least, that the top teams play each other for a First/Second ranking then the two second placed teams play for a Third/Fourth place and so on.

So, given that Group A has ; England-Ireland-Wales and the ever so sensible Fiji and Group B has; France - Scotland-Italy-Japan the devil most certainly will be in the detail.

Where will Fiji and Japan play their matches?
If Scotland play France at Murrayfield, with a crowd behind them, they should win. In Paris, crowd or not, put your pennies on the French. Scotland should beat Italy home or away. Japan at a neutral ground could be very, very tight.
In Group A: Wales would feel confident about beating Ireland or England at the Not The Millennium stadium. Similarly, Ireland would want England and Wales at the Palindrome Stadium.
Fiji should play their home matches at Scotstoun. They could be unbeatable there.
Japan should insist on returning to Brighton. They are unbeatable there.

Interesting, that should provide plenty of entertainment. I just hope there will be a crowd for all of these games, empty stadiums will make it feel a lot less of a spectacle. I'd planned on going to see Scotland vs NZ this year so maybe now it'll be Scotland vs Japan

It will be interesting to see what they offer to those of us who have tickets to all the games.

In all honesty, i am happy to let mine go now, not because i don't want to see the games but i doubt the wisdom of travelling 3 times up to Scotland in 3 weeks.

It may be some time before we get any money back as well.

I had tickets for the Quins v Sarries game that should have happened at Spurs this spring. I have been ignoring all their entreaties to get me to donate the money to them and have finally given us the option of a refund, with the message as well that it may take another 60 days to get our dosh back!

It’s also a bit bonkers. Why Fiji? Why no sanzar teams?

How will NZ survive without their annual pay trip to the north?

SANZAAR will be doing their tournament plus the many game Bledsoe Cup. Again it is SH looking after themselves and the 6N helping the T2.

Interested to see how Fiji, Japan and Italy get on. Japan won't have the advantage of heat, humidity and rest and Fiji will have big games 4 weeks in a row which they have never had. Will Italy surprise a few people or will they be dead last.

Also a bit tongue in cheek but did Gatland organise for the three lions nations to be in the one group to compares players leaving the three non lions nations to the other group

If only it was tongue in cheek!

Brendan wrote:SANZAAR will be doing their tournament  plus the many game Bledsoe Cup. Again it is SH looking after themselves and the 6N helping the T2.

Interested to see how Fiji, Japan and Italy get on.  Japan won't have the advantage of heat, humidity and rest and Fiji will have big games 4 weeks in a row which they have never had.  Will Italy surprise a few people or will they be dead last.

You sure about the European teams “helping” the tier two teams, or just making up numbers to increase their own revenue?

Yeah I'm interested by that as well. What are Fiji and Japan being paid for this? If it's the first hint of sharing games and money then great.

It seems that Scotland are going to play a warm up game against Georgia in Edinburgh, the week before they play Wales as well, so they won't be going into that game cold.

That will be 6 international games in 7 weeks and a similar schedule for all the other nations as well. It is going to take a serious squad effort to get through that with the normal attrition associated with international rugby. A few Lions ambitions may well be ended this autumn!

On the upside, it will give the opportunity to try out a few new players and spread some caps around. No need to be to conservative in selection for this competition.

I would imagine that Toonie will try and get his best team out for the Georgia and Wales games to get the 6N out of the way and then introduce the Tombola.

It looks like we will be playing France and Japan at home and away to Italy in the 8 nation competition. The Wales game to finish off the 6N, may well be at Twickenham.

I do wonder whether they were worried about it seeming like the Six Nations and looked for the next two highest ranked teams available without SANZAAR.

Are all the games in Group A at Twickenham and Group B at Murrayfield to try and create a bio-secure bubble if fans are not allowed or limited?

Hazel Sapling wrote:I do wonder whether they were worried about it seeming like the Six Nations and looked for the next two highest ranked teams available without SANZAAR.

Are all the games in Group A at Twickenham and Group B at Murrayfield to try and create a bio-secure bubble if fans are not allowed or limited?

We dont know yet. The details arent released until August. I think this news was only put out as a result of La Porte's slip

The BBC rrport says 2 home games and 1 away (Italy) for Scotland

France and Italy will presumably have 2 home games as well in that group.

In the other pool, with Wsles having no ground currently, you would imagine all the games will be in Dublin and London

Hazel Sapling wrote:I do wonder whether they were worried about it seeming like the Six Nations and looked for the next two highest ranked teams available without SANZAAR.

Are all the games in Group A at Twickenham and Group B at Murrayfield to try and create a bio-secure bubble if fans are not allowed or limited?

Or is it the first step towards a two tier promotion/relegation 6/8/10 Nations?

Hazel Sapling wrote:I do wonder whether they were worried about it seeming like the Six Nations and looked for the next two highest ranked teams available without SANZAAR.

Are all the games in Group A at Twickenham and Group B at Murrayfield to try and create a bio-secure bubble if fans are not allowed or limited?

I suspect they looked for the highest ranked teams they wouldnt have to do full revenue share with.

So this season coming teams will be missing their england players for the first 3 rounds.

Well i hope my Falcons take advantage!

Old Man wrote:

Brendan wrote:SANZAAR will be doing their tournament  plus the many game Bledsoe Cup. Again it is SH looking after themselves and the 6N helping the T2.

Interested to see how Fiji, Japan and Italy get on.  Japan won't have the advantage of heat, humidity and rest and Fiji will have big games 4 weeks in a row which they have never had.  Will Italy surprise a few people or will they be dead last.

You sure about the European teams “helping” the tier two teams, or just making up numbers to increase their own revenue?

If the two teams weren't invited they would either have no games or less sellable games. I am sure that Japan and Fiji unions feel it is worth it. I doubt they would do it at a loss. The RC could have made an offer but either didn't or wasn't as good.

These 2 T2 nations are going to get 4 T1 games and probably could play each other if they wanted as a warm up. How is that not a good deal.

I am sure that a 2 leg 6 Nations would have sold just as many tickets and TV audience as this deal and would only have had 6 teams to fund.

GeordieFalcon wrote:So this season coming teams will be missing their england players for the first 3 rounds.

Well i hope my Falcons take advantage!

Unless Tigers improve Falcons could be half way to safety by the time Tigers get their players back.

Brendan wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:So this season coming teams will be missing their england players for the first 3 rounds.

Well i hope my Falcons take advantage!

Unless Tigers improve Falcons could be half way to safety by the time Tigers get their players back.

It would be nice to get a few points whilst all the teams were missing their England contingent...and other nations.

My understanding is that the domestic leagues will have rest weeks while internationals are played.

I could of course be wrong or indeed the decisions could also quickly change.