29 July 2023 , 06:00
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The world of rugby will turn its sights towards France this autumn for the Rugby World Cup, with the sport's best international teams set to compete for the William Webb Ellis Trophy.
Ireland, France, New Zealand and South Africa are all ranked among the favourites; with England, under the leadership of head coach Steve Borthwick, hoping to emerge as dark horses. Margins at the top of the sport are finer than ever, meaning that perfect pre-tournament preparation will be needed and World Rugby’s elite sides will have the opportunity for just that in the upcoming Summer Nations Series.
The series will consist of 12 teams, playing 15 matches at test level with the hope of honing their game plans and perfecting their skills ahead of the World Cup getting underway on September 8. It will begin on July 29, with Scotland hosting Italy at BT Murrayfield before five weeks of action showcasing some of the best talents in the sport.
England will play against Wales twice, firstly in Cardiff on August 5, before welcoming Warren Gatland's side to Twickenham a week later on August 12. Borthwick’s side will then take on the might of the world’s number one side, Ireland, in a trip to Dublin on August 19. Their campaign will be rounded off in a match against Pacific Island entertainers Fiji on August 26 - 14 days before their World Cup adventure begins against Argentina in Marseille on September 9.
The series is primarily made up of sides from Europe, with Romania and Georgia also being given a platform ahead of their own World Cup adventure. Meanwhile, South Africa and Australia will both play a match each following the conclusion of their respective Rugby Championship campaigns in the Southern Hemisphere. Defending World Champions, the Springboks, will travel to Wales for their match on August 19.
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Also participating in the series will be Japan, who reached the quarter finals of their home World Cup in 2019, and Fiji, who are hoping to progress into that stage for a third time. Samoa will also participate, with their trip to Dublin on August 26 the final chance for Andy Farrell to assess his side ahead of their pursuit of World Cup glory.
The series will also provide a key opportunity for France to test themselves ahead of the huge expectations involved with hosting a home World Cup. They will travel to Edinburgh on August 6, before hosting Gregor Townsend’s side in a reverse fixture on August 12.This will be followed by further matches at home against Fiji (August 19), before Eddie Jones’ Australia will be their last warm-up match on August 27, the final match of the series.
Ireland are the number one ranked side in the world ahead of the Rugby World Cup ((Photo by Dan Mullan - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images))In rugby, there is no such thing as a friendly, with test matches providing an intense level of preparation for the rigours of an upcoming World Cup.
Fans in the UK will be able to follow all of the Summer Nations Series action live on Amazon Prime and here is everything you need to know:
Summer Nations Series fixtures:
Weekend 1
July 29, 3:15pm - Scotland vs Italy
Weekend 2
August 5, 3:15pm - Scotland vs France
August 5, 5:30pm - Wales vs England
August 5, 8pm - Ireland vs Italy
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Weekend 3
August 12, 5:30pm - England vs Wales,
August 12, 8:05pm - France vs Scotland
Weekend 4
August 19, 3:15pm - Wales vs South Africa
August 19, 5:30pm - Ireland vs England
August 19, 5:30pm - Italy vs Romania
August 19, 8:05pm - France vs Fiji
Weekend 5
August 26, 3:15pm - England vs Fiji
August 26, 5:30pm - Scotland vs Georgia
August 26, 5:30pm - Italy vs Japan
August 26, 7:45pm - Ireland vs Samoa
August 27, 4:45pm - France vs Australia
How to watch the Summer Nations Series on Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime subscribers in the UK can watch the 2023 Summer Nations series on Prime Video for no additional cost.
Non-Prime members can start a 30-day free trial of Prime (£8.99/month or £95/year), or our Prime Video subscription (£5.99/month). For more information visit amazon.co.uk/prime. Sign up here.
For a list of devices you can watch the action on and more FAQs, you can .