Why are England playing France again, they only played them last weekend?

These games are effectively the Autumn Internationals for 2015.Which won't be happening due to the World Cup.A chance for the individual unions to make the revenue they miss out on due to their November tests every four years.As well as the players needing game time ahead of the biggest tournament.

But why are they playing France again?

Why not? It's hardly a big deal they're only warm up matches. Why are Ireland playing Wales again? It's nice to have a home and away arrangement with a team that would be a similar enough level

England and Wales ain't gonna want to play each other, far too much propensity for 'foul play' ahead of their pool meeting.

The Southern Hemisphere teams just played a full Rugby Championship, no chance they're gonna want to play tough test matches so soon after

It leaves Scotland the only team England won't play. Would you prefer the team to go out and massacre Scotland on Saturday and learn fk all than go over to Paris (where they lost the last time they visited) and actually get a very good workout

I think (not 100%) that World Rugby rules prevent teams drawn together in RWC from playing each other before tournament. Also no overseas tours like Eng vs All Blacks last season are allowed.
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Back to back tests against the same nation is simpler for teams (and fans) as it narrows down travel arrangements.

Good point! But either way it'd be madness play a team you're guaranteed to play in a crucial match in just a matter of weeks, regardless of the World Rugby ruling

I'm not insinuating either would engage in 'dark arts' but there'd be way too much of a shitstorm if anything dubious happened

As I say the only alternative was Scotland and the travel arrangements certainly make more sense as you say. Along with that, France away is a much better workout than a limited Scotland

I think there was a missed opportunity for a mini 6 Nations comp that could have been held over the summer or maybe something with a few guest countries (like Spain, Georgia, Romania etc).

They're fine playing English club teams really

I do agree though that it'd have been nice do something July and August maybe between the 3 home nations and Ireland

WIll England and Ireland play full teams when they meet on the 5th sept? It'd hardly be enough just play your first xv in only one warm up match- they need match fitness

Then again I'm sure they're all playing competitive A v B matches in-house

The games they've chosen ensures good crowds and a decent standard of rugby (apart from Wales reserves). Beating up the likes of Spain and Romania won't achieve anything.

Found this on wiki from 2003

You're right about the standard of opposition.

I was at the England vs Wales game in 2003 when we hammered them. Great atmosphere with the Welsh support giving Austin Healey abuse about his hair and him pretending to moon back at them, all good fun.

Have we started predicting the squad on here yet? I think most is pretty obvious apart from the Centres and maybe Back row... hookers I thought was going to be close but that young lad had a shocker when he came on last week which was a shame.

As it stands (barring injury) imo

Brown
Goode

Watson
May
Nowell

Barritt
Burgess
Joseph
Twelvetrees

Ford
Farrell

Care
Youngs
Wrigglesworth

Corbisiero
Vunipola
Marler

T Youngs
Webber
George

Cole
Wilson

Launch
Lawes
Attwood
Parling

Wood
Haskell
Robshaw
Morgan
Vunipola

Standby

Brooke, Cowan Dickie (could Hartley be reconsidered??), Easter, Croft, Cipriani, Foden, Burrell

I'd have Kruis over Attwood and Slade over Twelvetrees. Also I think Corbs is carrying a knock, so potentially Brookes in for him.

I knew I'd forgotten a centre! I wouldn't pick Twelvetrees myself but either himself or Slade will surely make it as outhalf cover and he'll probably pick on experience

I don't rate Attwood all that highly but think he'll sneak in. There might be a twist yet though, with Croft making the back row instead of a 2nd row

Unfortunately you may be right.

The squad is picked the 31st so that is before the Ireland match so only one more warm up (this weekend). That means (and Lancaster said as much himself) any of the contentious calls will be decided upon mostly next week at their training camp. It doesn't seem an ideal way for a new guy to play himself in really unfortunately!

To be fair England have great depth but I don't always trust Lancaster to make the right calls. I'd like to see Cipriani picked but don't see where he can really fit in

There'll surely be a couple of injuries yet so plenty of the stand by list may "travel"

Without wishing an injury on a player, I wouldn't mind that happening to Twelvetrees.

I really don't want Twelvetrees going in the squad, he just always looks bang average when playing for England.

He was like a demon when he came on v Wales this year in the 6n in fairness, but I don't think he's international standard in general, just a very solid club player

If I was English I'd rather see him than Burrell though. The latter was a liability in the 6n this year, lost count of how many tries he butchered v Scotland. No rugby brain whatsoever

He's only starting Sat 'cause Barritt is injured, so it looks ominous for him barring a top class performance Sat

One home game each for the respective Union's to make money from.

Ryan Jones has retired due to injury.Fine career with 3 Grandslams, one as Wales captain.One of the few Lions of 2005 to be highly rated by the NZ media and public of that time.Several trophies with the Ospreys and all round nice bloke.

True but I'd rather have someone in the right position who seems to score tries than someone who just never creates anything but is "steady" as seems to be Twelvetrees only thing. Slade will go over him anyway I think as he can play 13 and cover kicking duties as well, and will be a 3rd choice 10. It's between Burrell and Burgess I think.

I think Burgess is pretty much a certainty.

Slade, Twelvetrees and Burrell fighting for one spot by all accounts, and you may be right about Slade being the preferred choice

Seemed a real cool dude, I remember him before admitting he didn't follow rugby much at all outside his own matches and said he didn't even recognise some players until he studied them in build up to a match!

In the 2005 Lions he was a beast, possibly the main shining light from the tour

Great servant to Wales

Not long now until we find out Lancaster's final 31 man squad for RWC

According to well placed leaks (from who knows where) we know that Cipriani isn't in the squad. Also apparently Burgess is in at the expense of Burrell.

Big calls by Lancaster, of which I think he's definitely got the Cips one wrong.