on the penultimate weekend of the season Its an unfo

England keep on rolling, Scotland and Wales won, just about, Italy piled the pressure on South Africa and All Blacks are back to winning ways. ESPN reporters?have their say on the biggest storylines for each team coming out of the third week of the autumn internationals.Argentina Pumas not the golden team they once wereThere were glimpses of the free-flowing, attacking flair which we have been accustomed to seeing from Argentina, but for the most part they were poor in defeat to Scotland. Very poor. The narrow defeats to Wales and Scotland alone, may not be cause for concern, but the manner of the defeats surely are.They havent looked like the side which beat Ireland by double scores at last years Rugby World Cup. It has been one error-strewn performance after another for Los Pumas from the Rugby Championship and into the November series. Now they face an England team in devastating form.Their problems wont be fixed in a week, but they will be keen to end the year on a higher note. They will need to get a foothold at the set-piece, and at all costs prevent England from scoring early. Should they do that, and Nicolas Sanchez keeps the scoreboard ticking, they could end the year with some positives. -- Killian OConnorWeek 4 vs. England, Twickenham, Nov. 26, 2:30 p.m. GMTAustralia Scrum aside, Wallabies newbies deliver?Australia are three from three in Europe after Michael Cheikas new-look outfit survived a late drop goal attempt to defeat France in Paris. With a host of first-choice players enjoying the week off, or starting from the bench, Cheika called upon the like of Kyle Godwin, Sefanaia Naivalu, Luke Morahan, Alan Alaalatoa and Tolu Latu to get the job done at Stade de France.And they did just that. The Wallabies could have been forgiven for a lack of fluidity in attack, given the mass changes, yet Godwin and Morahan slotted in seamlessly at inside centre and fullback respectively as Australia moved the ball with precision. They also scrambled well on defence and used the rolling maul to their advantage, a move which left referee Glen Jackson with no choice but to award a first-half penalty try.But it wasnt all good news, with the Australian scrum - loosehead James Slipper in particular - coming under huge pressure throughout. The visitors fortunate not to be penalised in the closing minute, a decision which would have presented France with a kickable penalty.?-- Sam BruceWeek 4 vs. Ireland, Aviva Stadium, Nov. 26, 5:30 p.m. GMTEngland Englands fullback battle is fascinatingAlex Goode missed the first high ball against Fiji. In his first start since their final World Cup pool match against Uruguay, the usually assured Saracens fullback allowed the ball to bounce.It was strange to watch; nerves could have been a factor but whatever the cause, they were then buried as he performed well on his audition for the No.15 shirt. Eddie Jones was lukewarm in his assessment of Goode post-match. His praise for Semesa Rokoduguni and Elliot Daly was more fulsome so the smart money is on Mike Brown to return at fullback for Argentina next weekend.But there is a temptation to give Goode another chance. Fijis defence was at times so poor that it was hard to judge exactly how effective Englands back three was. Goodes ability to step into a playmaking role and link man in phase play works in his favour but Jones will probably turn to Brown for his physicality when the Pumas come to town. -- Tom HamiltonWeek 4 vs. Argentina, Twickenham, Nov. 26, 2:30 p.m. GMTIt is something on Jones radar and he will be keeping a close eye on the spot throughout the November Tests. - Tom HamiltonFrance Goalkicking problematic for Les BluesWill Guy Noves be able to solve the ongoing problem of a lack of a consistent kicker for the visit of the All Blacks? It haunted them last Saturday against Australia. Maxime Machenaud missed two conversions, Scott Spedding missed a long range effort and Camille Lopez missed a drop goal with the last kick of the game.Some aimless kicking invited the Australian attacking train onto them, but despite looking like they would collapse early in the second-half, some brilliant attacking rugby brought them back into the game.Noves wants France to play in the same free-flowing style that was his trademark at Toulouse. But while some of the attack play from Spedding,?Virimi Vakatawa and Noa Nakaitaci was brilliant to watch, sometimes the clever option was avoided. Louis Picamoles has been outstanding for Northampton but failed to have an impact. Noves needs to rethink before New Zealand arrive. If he doesnt, it could be as humiliating as the 62-13 defeat France suffered at last years World Cup. -- KOCWeek 4 vs. New Zealand, Stade de France, Nov. 26, 8:00 p.m. GMTIreland Josh off to a flying start with IrelandAmid all the talk surrounding World Rugbys residency laws and so-called project players, spare a thought for Irelands Josh van der Flier. The Dubliner with the Dutch name may still be viewed with suspicion by some opposition fans, but hes Irish born and bred and continues to prove himself to be an adept addition to his countrys back-row.A head injury sustained by CJ Stander with a little over 20 minutes gone at the Aviva Stadium ensured that the flanker was ushered on in the early stages, as he had been in Chicago a fortnight ago. And as on that occasion, he didnt let Ireland down here. Pitched into an unfamiliar role on the blindside of the Irish scrum, van der Flier dovetailed excellently with his Leinster teammate, Sean OBrien.Van der Flier was a constant presence in the 59 minutes he was on the pitch, doing everything that was asked of him defensively while taking the game to the All Blacks, making 51 metres with ball in hand. The only blot in his copy book came in the second half as he tried to force an offload when Ireland were camped in New Zealands 22. It was a rush of blood that can be excused in someone winning only their fourth Test cap. Signs are, there will be plenty more international honours to come. -- Martyn ThomasWeek 4 vs. Australia, Aviva Stadium, Nov. 26, 5:30 p.m. GMTItalyOShea making his mark with the AzzurriWhat a result! Yes this is one of the worst Springbok sides in the professional era, but the Azzurri were also low on confidence after being handed a 58-point drubbing by a second string All Blacks a week earlier.Italy stuck to their strengths and forced South Africa into submission. Their defence improved significantly to keep the Boks to just two first half tries, while their line-out and rolling maul sent a big South African pack backwards and led to a deserved try.This is Conor OSheas first big scalp in his fifth Test as head coach and its fair to say hes turning Italian rugby around after a horror Six Nations campaign earlier this year. Theres still work to be done, but with a Test against Tonga to round out the year, another win is there for the taking. -- Nick BewleyWeek 4 vs. Tonga, Stadio Euganeo, Padovai, Nov. 26, 2:00 p.m. GMTNew Zealand Importance of second rows Following what was an attritional affair at times, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was keen to praise the character that his side had displayed in Dublin. This was not New Zealand at their free-flowing best, but that they still ground out the win and held Ireland out was to be applauded.No two players embodied that approach more than the returning second-row partnership of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock. The duo, who were both injured for the Chicago fixture, got through an astonishing amount of work -- some of which skirted on the boundaries of legality -- putting in 37 tackles between them, and doing much more that cannot be accounted for by the stats sheet.Whitelock drew particular praise from his coach for the level of his performance, given he had not played a single minute of Test rugby in almost a month. It cannot be argued that the return of Retallick and Whitelock helped tip the balance in New Zealands favour here, but is there a case to be made that the All Blacks are becoming too reliant on their star locks?Both played 80 minutes against Ireland. Obviously theyve got a huge gap [on their rivals] because both of them have been playing for a long time, Hansen said. Theyre probably two of the best locks in world rugby when theyre fit and playing well. He will hope they stay fit and in form for the foreseeable future. -- MTWeek 4 vs. France, Stade de France, Nov. 26, 8:00 p.m. GMTScotlandA win is a winIf Scotland drew plaudits from their defeat to Australia, they wont have won many supporters as they trudged to victory over Argentina.But amidst the errors, of which there were many, they put in some great defensive efforts to stop Argentina. Alex Dunbar, Finn Russell and Hamish Watson all combined to drive Nicolas Sanchez back when the fly-half darted for the line following a scrum, leading to a turnover. Huw Jones also showed his class once more, this time beating three players before offloading to Sean Maitland to score.With Ireland beating the All Blacks, Italy beating South Africa and Georgia beating Manu Samoa, theyll need to improve to avoid their name being added to the list. Their scrum was ravaged by Argentina. It wont come up against the same pressure against Georgia, but if they are not in a good frame of mind, it could be another tough watch in Edinburgh. -- KOCWeek 4 vs. Georgia, Murrayfield, Nov. 19, 2:30 p.m. GMTSouth Africa Shambolic Springboks continue downward spiralAllister Coetzees tenure as Springboks coach - four wins, seven losses. All in the space of five months. Based on those results Coetzee is walking on the thinnest of ice as South Africa languish in the depths of rugby despair.The players look so low on confidence, and completely directionless. There was an instance where they had a five-on-one overlap inside Italys 22, but failed to score. There is talent there. Willie le Roux for example is world class, but this is a team playing like a bunch of individuals with a real lack of continuity and a game-plan.Their attack is of most concern. Seven tries in their last six Tests makes for bleak reading. The Boks need to get more out of the likes of le Roux, Bryan Habana and Damian de Allende this week against a Welsh side who were exposed defensively by Japan. -- NBWeek 4 vs. Wales, Principality Stadium, Nov. 26, 5:30 p.m. GMTWales Wales need to back the mavericks Wales look out of sorts and are lacking the confidence and fluidity that led them to the World Cup quarterfinals a year ago. Against Japan - who were void of a number of premier players - Wales laboured to their last-gasp win. But out of the match comes three burning issues for the Wales coaching team. Two of those revolve around players.It is time for Sam Davies to be given a chance to start at fly-half against South Africa next weekend. The young Ospreys playmaker came on with just 13 minutes left but immediately brought width to Wales attack and showed admirable nerves to slot the last gasp drop-goal.Keelan Giles, who didnt get a chance to attack with ball in hand, should replace the out-of-sorts Alex Cuthbert. The latter is fiercely talented but needs time to re-find his best form and Giles, who has taken to PRO12 rugby with such ease, would benefit from being given a chance against the Boks from the outset.Which now comes to the third question. Do Wales need to freshen up their coaching team? Perhaps they need to bring in an external influence like Eddie Jones has done with England to bring a new perspective to their style of rugby. This is not to challenge the present order but it could bring a valuable clarity and inspiration to the current management team. -- THWeek 4 vs. South Africa, Principality Stadium, Nov. 26, 5:30 p.m. GMTNike MLB Jerseys For Sale .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. http://www.mlbjerseyschinacheap.com/ .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. MLB Jerseys China . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring.As the battle for Premier League survival heads towards a dramatic climax, Davie Provan and Ray Wilkins offer their predictions on which sides are destined for relegation to the Championship.Newcastle, who suffered defeat in Rafa Benitezs first game in charge against Leicester on Monday Night Football, find themselves second bottom with nine matches remaining.Sunderland, who also have nine games left to play, and Norwich sit one point above Newcastle, while Aston Villa remain rooted to the bottom of the table, nine points off safety. So who will beat the drop? Provan and Wilkins gave us their predictions on Sky Sports News HQ...Sunderland Davie Provan believes Sunderland will beat Everton in their rearranged fixture Provan and Wilkins believe Sam Allardyces side will take a point from the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday, a game shown live on Sky Sports, and follow that up with a home victory over West Brom to boost their survival hopes.But thats where things get nervy for the Black Cats as Provan believes they will win just once more before the end of the season. He predicts that win will come at home against Everton in a fixture that is yet to be rearranged due to the Toffees FA Cup progress. Newcastle Davie Provan sees just two more wins for Rafa Benitezs Newcastle Provan thinks Benitez will earn his first point as Newcastle boss in the Tyne-Wear derby, but the former Real Madrid boss will have to wait until his side to host Swansea at St James Park on April 16 for his first win in charge.In fact, Newcastle are tipped to win just twice under Benitez before the end of the season.Norwich City Ray Wilkins cannot see another Norwich win before the end of the season Wilkins cant see another victory for Norwich before the end of the campaign, with key home games against relegation rivals Newcastle and Sunderland tipped to end in draws.ddddddddddddThe former Chelsea assistant believes Norwich will pick up just three more points from their final eight games.Aston Villa Ray Wilkins thinks Newcastle will suffer defeat to Aston Villa on the penultimate weekend of the season Its an unforgiving fixture list for Villa, and Wilkins predicts defeats to come against Swansea, Manchester United, Chelsea, Watford and Arsenal.But they will earn their single victory on the penultimate weekend of the season, according to Wilkins, who fancies Remi Gardes side to dent Newcastles survival bid with a win against the Magpies at Villa Park.How will it finish? Ray Wilkins and Davie Provans combined predictions for the Premier League relegation battle If Wilkins and Provans predictions prove correct, Sunderland will finish three points clear of rivals Newcastle. Norwich will finish five points further back in 19th, with Aston Villa stranded another seven behind at the bottom.Also See:Positive signs for Rafa?The relegation run-inCarra on Toons lack of qualityLive on Sky ' ' '