Summer is always an exciting time for rugby union fans, with it signalling the advent of the international tours and a chance to witness the best of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres lock horns at some picturesque locations and iconic stadiums south of the Equator.
The 2024 programme is particularly mouthwatering, with England travelling to New Zealand and looking to become the first team to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park since July 1994, Wales and Australia meeting in a series between two underperforming nations badly in need of some positivity and Ireland visiting South Africa in a heavyweight battle between the two strongest sides at this moment in time.
The first official weekend of the Summer Internationals provided plenty of enjoyment and some interesting results, and the second is set to be just as exhilarating. With that in mind, this tactical analysis will list five players that could be worth keeping an eye out for as the action does unfold, with each of them likely to have a big say on how their sides get on.
Ross Thompson (Scotland)
Scotland have opted to spend their summer travelling around the Americas, with them taking on Canada last weekend before facing the USA in their second match, and then heading to South America to take on Chile and Uruguay after that. It is a tour that might not be as exciting for those who enjoy close matches between teams on an equal standing, but it will provide Gregor Townsend’s side with a range of tactical experiences as they come up against different styles of rugby and look to adapt to each one.
What has been apparent from the outset is that Townsend is using the games to test new player combinations and to hand minutes to some of those who might not have featured too heavily in the squad beforehand, and one of those who has been included in the party is fly-half Ross Thompson. The standoff, who will move to Edinburgh from Glasgow Warriors ahead of next season, had only picked up three caps before the tour, but he was handed a start in Ottawa and took the opportunity with both hands, directing play and moving the ball around in a controlled manner.
It was his ability to time offloads and to draw opponents out of position that enabled the likes of full-back Harry Paterson and hooker Dylan Richardson to constantly make breaks through the Canadian lines, and he certainly made an impression and showed that he deserves further international chances in the future. He has been named on the bench for the game against the USA, with Townsend naming an entirely fresh XV for the trip to Washington DC, but it can be expected that he will make an impact when he does come on.
Tom Wright (Australia)
As mentioned at the beginning of the scout report, Australia have been a team bereft of confidence and form of late, with them suffering a disappointing build-up to last year’s Rugby World Cup (as was pointed out in many analysis pieces) before then compounding that with some poor performances as Eddie Jones’ Wallabies return ultimately proved to be a failure.
It is for that reason that Joe Schmidt really needs to hit the ground running this summer, and his first match at the helm was the visit of Wales to Sydney. It was a match that pitted two sides low on confidence against each other and it showed in many ways, with them both playing some scrappy rugby at times and not demonstrating too much in the way of quality.
However, one thing that Australia can be pleased about was the performance of Tom Wright, with the versatile back constantly getting on the front foot and trying to get his team into advanced positions. He has come into this series on the back of an outstanding campaign for the Brumbies in Super Rugby and the skill with which he operated at the weekend certainly highlighted why he is so dangerous to leave in open spaces.
With Schmidt opting to make minimal alterations to his team for the second match against Wales, which will be held in Melbourne, the home fans will be hoping that Wright is just as destructive with the ball in hand as he was last weekend, and it would not be a surprise to see him once again front and centre of everything that they do well.
Chandler Cunningham-South (England)
England might have begun their series in New Zealand with a defeat in Dunedin, but it was a narrow one and their performance actually provided plenty of positivity. Their passing appeared clean and efficient, they were able to create chances for their wide players to target gaps outside the All Blacks’ defensive line and there was an air of confidence in a lot of what they did.
There were many who caught the eye for their individual contributions on the day, but one that really impressed was Chandler Cunningham-South. The Harlequins flanker has experienced a meteoric rise since joining the Twickenham Stoop team after the demise of London Irish, with him quickly becoming one of their most valuable players and establishing himself as a key asset for head coach Steve Borthwick to have in his squad.
At the weekend, his ability to drive through gaps and to gain ground with power and determination gave New Zealand plenty to think about whenever they were out of possession, and he certainly made his mark as one not to leave with gaps ahead of him.
Where England perhaps lacked when compared to their hosts at the weekend was that they lacked a bit of variety in their tactics, whereas the All Blacks seemed to have multiple ways of creating chances, and that is something that the visitors will be looking to improve upon when they meet this weekend at Eden Park.
However, there was a lot to enjoy about that first match and, with Borthwick making just two injury-forced changes to his starting XV, Cunningham-South will once again have an opportunity to demonstrate what he is all about.
Antoine Frisch (France)
As with Scotland, France have opted to spend their summer in South America, with them facing Argentina in two tests (the first of which was last weekend) as well as playing Uruguay in midweek, and they too are looking to experiment with their squad selections and to give some new players opportunities to experience the international game.
One of those who has been included in head coach Fabien Galthié’s squad is centre Antoine Frisch, who has become eligible to feature for his country as a result of his move back to France this summer, having signed for Toulon after several years away with Bristol Bears and with Munster.
Whilst he showed at times with the Bears what he could bring to his team’s play, it is with the Irish province that he really caught the eye, with him using his pace to break through opposing lines and to offer the finishing ability required of a player in that role. Time after time, he demonstrated why he is such a handful and there is no doubt that he was a key reason for them securing the United Rugby Championship title in 2022/2023 and them recovering from a slow start to reach the semi-finals in last season’s play-offs, losing to eventual champions Glasgow.
His try on debut in Mendoza highlighted how dangerous he can be when allowed to roam and to run between opposing defenders, and he could be just as critical this weekend in Buenos Aires as Les Bleus look to make it two wins from two against their hosts.
Dylan Fawsitt (USA)
One final player to keep an eye out for this weekend is USA hooker Dylan Fawsitt, who really impressed against Romania as his side lost in Chicago, with his ability to make things happen with the ball in hand and to drive through opponents consistently catching the eye and key to the home team keeping the visitors under pressure for much of the encounter.
The Eagles’ next test is a tougher one this weekend as Scotland come to Washington, but they will be hoping to build on the positives that did emerge from the game against Stejarii, and the performance of Fawsitt was certainly one of those. His agility and mobility makes him a key weapon for the home team and is illustrative of what he has done so well for Chicago Hounds in Major League Rugby this season, helping them to qualify for the upcoming play-offs and to generally be ones to watch in the regular campaign.
Head coach Scott Lawrence has opted to select him once again for this weekend’s game, and Scotland will have to be wary about allowing him to exert his influence on proceedings. Not doing so could prove to be detrimental to their hopes of securing another victory and of building momentum before they travel south to continue their tour.