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What to watch in men’s rugby: Emerging stars, League One and SVNS
By Martyn Thomas
Fans will have the opportunity to watch some mouthwatering action from across the globe on RugbyPass TV this weekend.
On Sunday, England A and Ireland A meet at Ashton Gate as some of the best talent in the two countries push their case for senior recognition.
Before that, two of the top four in Japan Rugby League One meet at Edogawa Athletic Stadium as Kubota Spears and Shizuoka Blue Revs battle for vital points in the race for the top four.
Meanwhile, HSBC SVNS 2025 returns for the penultimate round of the regular season as Vancouver plays host to the 12 best teams in the shortened format.
Watch all three days from BC Place and much, much more live and for free via RugbyPass TV this weekend.
England A host Ireland A
Away from the cauldron of the Six Nations, fans heading to Ashton Gate this Sunday will get a glimpse at potential stars of championships of the future.
England A host their Ireland counterparts in Bristol looking to build on victories against Portugal and an Australia XV recorded in 2024.
Head coach Lee Blackett has picked a squad featuring a mix of promising Gallagher Premiership stars and those on the verge of Steve Borthwick’s senior squad.
Northampton Saints forwards Curtis Langdon and Tom Pearson and Leicester Tigers backs Ollie Hassell-Collins and Jack van Poortvliet have all been capped at Test level.
And they have been joined in the home squad by the likes of Alfie Barbeary, Guy Pepper, Charlie Atkinson and others hoping to prove they are ready to take the next step in their careers.
It is a similar story for the visitors, Ireland A head coach Mike Prendergast selecting six players – Max Deegan, Oli Jager, Tom O’Toole, Fineen Wycherley, Harry Byrne and Shane Daly – who have played at senior level.
Meanwhile, 12 players in the squad were part of the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa last September, including Ulster winger and Olympian Zac Ward, who brings a bit of sevens stardust to the group.
Emerging Ireland won all three of their matches in South Africa last year, while England A triumphed in both of the their two fixtures in 2024.
Something has to give at Ashton Gate, and you watch the action unfold live and for free via RugbyPass TV.
Sunday, February 23
13:00 GMT – England A v Ireland A, Ashton Gate – WATCH LIVE HERE
Play-off hopefuls meet in Tokyo
Third hosts fourth in Japan Rugby League One as the season continues apace with a blockbuster encounter in Tokyo.
Kubota Spears start round nine third in the standings having won six of their opening eight matches and sitting two points ahead of their visitors, Shizuoka Blue Revs.
Bernard Foley’s Spears staged a remarkable comeback at Edogawa Athletic Stadium last weekend, recovering from a 20-3 half-time deficit to beat Kobelco Kobe Steelers 25-20.
Gerhard van den Heever, Bryan Hall and Harumichi Tatekawa scored second-half tries to edge their side into the lead while Foley finished the match with 10 points.
The Blue Revs, meanwhile, enjoyed a slightly more routine victory in Gifu last Saturday as former Reds fly-half Sam Greene turned in a player of the match performance in the 33-23 defeat of Toyota Verblitz.
Greene and his teammates will take confidence from the fact they won the corresponding fixture last season.
Kenta Iemura scored 13 points at Yodoko Sakura Stadium on December 24, 2023 as Blue Revs beat the Spears 23-19.
The teams followed that up with an entertaining 31-31 draw four months later, in which Blue Revs recovered from a 31-7 half-time deficit, Vueti Tupou’s last-minute try and Keagen Faria’s even later conversion preventing defeat.
We could well be in for another epic encounter on Saturday and you can watch it all live and for free via RugbyPass TV, except where there is a local broadcast deal in place.
Saturday, February 22
02:50 GMT – Kubota Spears v Shizuoka Blue Revs, Edogawa Athletic Stadium – WATCH LIVE HERE
SVNS returns in Vancouver
HSBC SVNS 2025 heads to Vancouver for its penultimate stop in the regular season and the race for the League Winners title could not be closer.
Three teams – Fiji, Argentina and surprise package Spain – arrived in Canada level on 48 points at the top of the standings, with South Africa four points back and France a further four adrift.
Argentina claimed the tournament title at the last series stop in Perth in January, beating hosts Australia in the final.
Spain finished that tournament third, beating South Africa to a place on the podium and enjoying victories against Ireland and Great Britain along the way.
Following on from their second-place finish at the opening tournament in Dubai, it cemented their place in the race for the League Winners title.
Spain open their Pool C campaign in Vancouver against USA on Friday (kick-off 11:40 local time, GMT-8) and following a date with Uruguay, face a mouthwatering encounter with Fiji on day two.
Argentina, meanwhile, are scheduled to play fifth-place France, Great Britain and Kenya in Pool A. The clash between the latter two teams will be crucial in terms of the race for the top eight.
Pool B pits beaten Perth finalists Australia against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa in what could be the closest group to call.
Following the pool stage, the Cup quarter-finals will be played in Saturday’s evening session while the tournament will decided on what promises to be an enthralling final day on Sunday.
Find out who takes their place on the top of the podium, and whether Spain can maintain their stunning form, live and for free on RugbyPass TV, except where there is an exclusive local broadcast deal in place.
Friday, February 21
19:00 GMT – HSBC SVNS Vancouver day one, BC Place – WATCH LIVE HERE
Saturday, February 22
18:30 GMT – HSBC SVNS Vancouver day two, BC Place – WATCH LIVE HERE
Sunday, February 23
18:50 GMT – HSBC SVNS Vancouver day three, BC Place – WATCH LIVE HERE
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Latest Comments
Sharks players not accurate but a far bigger problem is the useless coaching set up. Tactically so naive. Running the ball from all quarters against a rush defence in humid conditions is just dumb. Simon Zebo said yesterday that if Rassie Erasmus coached the Sharks they would be the best team in Europe. They have a huge talent pool but terrible coaches.
Leinster were quite brilliant - especially on defence. They remind me very much of the 2019 Boks - kick, chase, defend like demons, force opponents into mistakes and strike off turnover ball. Will be intriguing to see how they go the rest of the season, especially against the French giants in the Champions Cup. They have the best defence in Europe but has that come at the expense of a cutting edge on attack? Having a Nienaber-esque defensive mindset against Toulouse and Bordeaux Begles won’t work.
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