2:49 PM GMT ESPN staff South Africa will be unchanged for their last test of the year against Wales on Saturday in a rarity for international rugby as coach Rassie Erasmus looks for a positive finish to his first year in charge. The Springboks will start with the same team that edged past Scotland 26-20
Rugby
12:58 PM GMT Liam Williams has been chosen at full-back as Wales coach Warren Gatland restored Gareth Anscombe to the fly-half berth for their final November international against South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday. The Welsh are seeking a first-ever clean sweep of victories in the November internationals with the enforced inclusion of Williams the
11:30 AM GMT Manu Tuilagi and Dylan Hartley are both on the bench for England’s final November international against Australia with Joe Cokanasiga named on the wing. Tuilagi was originally named on the bench for England’s opener against South Africa but was a late withdrawal with a groin injury. He then missed out on England’s
5:10 AM GMT Steve Hansen has ignored mounting calls for Richie Mo’unga to start at five-eighth for the All Blacks in naming a heavily-changed to team to face Italy in Rome on Saturday. Coach Hansen has made 11 changes to the starting team toppled 16-9 by Ireland in Dublin last week but has chosen to
12:28 PM GMT Stuart Hogg has shaken off injury concerns to be named in Scotland’s team to face Argentina at Murrayfield on Saturday. The Glasgow full-back sparked fears he might have aggravated an old ankle injury when he limped off in the narrow defeat to South Africa at the weekend. But Hogg has since been
10:33 AM GMT England coach Eddie Jones believes Australia are playing mind games over David Pocock’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s Test and fully expects the talismanic flanker to play at Twickenham. Pocock was forced off the field in the second-half of the win over Italy last weekend with a sore neck after suffering a relapse
11:18 PM GMT Craig Dowd Close Craig Dowd played 60 Tests for New Zealand between 1993 and 2000, including in two World Cups, and he was part of the All Blacks team that won their first series in South Africa in 1996. He played for the Blues and Auckland in New Zealand domestic rugby, and
2:09 PM GMT Leigh Halfpenny has been ruled out of Wales’ final autumn international against South Africa. Full-back Halfpenny suffered concussion in a collison with Australia’s Samu Kerevi earlier this month and was absent from last weekend’s thumping 74-24 win over Tonga. It had initially been hoped that the Scarlets man would return in time
2:44 AM GMT Will Genia says the Wallabies are braced for their final match of 2018 against England to be a highly physical affair. The Melbourne Rebels halfback will notch up his 100th international appearance on Saturday (0200 Sunday AEDT) but said the only way to make the milestone a truly memorable occasion would be
5:37 PM GMT Ireland have released six players who featured in Saturday’s historic win over world champions New Zealand to go back and play for their provinces, despite a last test of the year against the United States in Dublin on Saturday. Sean Cronin, Rob Kearney, Jordan Larmour, Kieran Marmion, Jack McGrath and James Ryan