2017 June rugby union tests

The 2017 mid-year rugby union internationals (also known as the summer internationals in the Northern Hemisphere) were international rugby union matches that were mostly played in the Southern Hemisphere during the June international window.

The matches were part of World Rugby's Global rugby calendar (2012–19) that includes Test matches between the touring Northern Hemisphere nations and the home Southern Hemisphere nations. In addition to this, the global calendar gives Tier 2 nations the opportunity to play Tier 1 nations outside the November international window, increasing competitiveness from the Tier 2 sides.

Australia, the only southern hemisphere Tier 1 nation not to host a test series, staged three one-off test matches; Scotland, Italy and Fiji. The Fijian test was the first between the two sides in Australia since 2010, and was also the first Australia v Tier 2 nation match in Australia since Samoa visited in 2011. Fiji also played host to Italy and Scotland to become the second Tier 2 nation to play three back-back Tier 1 sides during an international window, after Samoa participated in the South African quadrangular tournament in 2013. En route to their test matches in Australia and Fiji, Italy and Scotland played each other in Singapore, which was the first ever Tier 1 v Tier 1 match played in the country.[1]

For Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the matches acted as warm-ups ahead of the 2017 Rugby Championship. It was also a historic match when Kenya hosted Germany as the teams had never played each other before.

Series[edit]

The international window coincided with the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, consisting of a three-test series between the Lions and New Zealand, plus seven non-test matches. Before the Lions series, New Zealand hosted Samoa for the first time since 2008. This was the first time that New Zealand hosted a Tier 2 nation since they played Fiji in June 2011. The match between New Zealand and Samoa followed a curtain raiser between Tonga and Wales, which was played at the same stadium, a neutral venue for the teams. Wales later travelled to Samoa, who hosted the Welsh for the first time since 1994.

South Africa hosted France for the first time since 2010, while playing their first test series against the French since 2005. Argentina hosted England for a two-test series, while Japan hosted Ireland for the first time since 2005, the last time the two sides met. Before Ireland faced Japan, they played a one-off test away to the United States.

Series Result Winners
Argentina v England test series 0–2  England
Japan v Ireland test series 0–2  Ireland
New Zealand v British & Irish Lions test series 1–1 Drawn
South Africa v France test series 3–0  South Africa

Other tours[edit]

Georgia travelled to the Americas where they played Canada, the United States and Argentina across the three week window. Romania, who no longer take part in the World Rugby Nations Cup, played three one-off matches, against Japan, Canada and Brazil. The Brazilian test was a historic first between the two nations, who had never played each other before, and was the first time since Brazil played a France XV side in 1985 that Brazil have played a team in a higher tier than them outside any tournament or competition. Before that test, Brazil played host to Portugal.

Team/Tour Opponents
Georgia tour  United States (won) –  Canada (won) –  Argentina (lost)
Italy tour  Scotland (lost) –  Fiji (lost) –  Australia (lost)
Romania tour  Japan (lost) –  Canada (won)
Scotland tour  Italy (won) –  Australia (won) –  Fiji (lost)
Wales tour  Tonga (won) –  Samoa (won)

Fixtures[edit]

27–28 May[edit]

27 May 2017
16:00 EAT (UTC+03)
Kenya 29–30 Germany
Try: Kerre 3' m
Kopondo 17' c
Onsomu 50' c
Ambunya 60' c
Con: Mukidza (3/4) 18', 51', 61'
Pen: Mukidza (1/2) 70'		Report[2]Try: Poppmeier 25' c
Brenner 42' m
Els 65' c
Aounallah 73' m
Con: Parkinson (1/2) 26'
Hilsenbeck (1/2) 66'
Pen: Parkinson (1/1) 2'
Drop: Hilsenbeck (1/1) 80+1'
RFUEA Ground, Nairobi[3]
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)

Notes:

  • This was the first meeting between the two nations.
  • Philip Ikambili, Bramwell Mayaka, George Nyambua, Leo Seje Owade and Oscar Simiyu (all Kenya) and Ben Ellermann and Marcel Henn (both Germany) made their international debuts.
28 May 2017
15:00 BST (UTC+01)
England 28–14Barbarians
Try: Earle 16' c
Isiekwe 67' c
Care 80' m
Con: Ford (2/3) 17', 68'
Pen: Ford (3/4) 30', 40', 47'		Report[4]Try: Ashley-Cooper 42' c
Tekori 76' c
Con: Madigan (2/2) 44', 76'
Twickenham Stadium, London[5]
Attendance: 51,636
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)

1 June[edit]

1 June 2017
19:30 IST (UTC+01)
Ulster Ireland28–43Barbarians
Try: McCloskey 5' c
Keane 10' c
Patterson 34' c
O'Connor 42' c
Con: Wilson (1/1) 6'
Pienaar (2/2) 11', 35'
Herron (1/1) 43'		Report[6]Try: Flynn 19' m
Nayacalevu (2) 23' c, 60' c
King (2) 31' m, 39' m
Penalty try 54' c
Tekori 77' c
Con: Agulla (1/3) 24'
Madigan (2/3) 54', 60'
Dusautoir (1/1) 78'
Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast[7]
Attendance: 15,500
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

10 June[edit]

10 June 2017
15:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia 37–14 Fiji
Try: Folau (2) 3' c, 54' c
Speight (2) 10' m, 80' m
Moore 66' c
Con: Foley (3/4) 4', 55', 68'
Pen: Foley (2/2) 8', 28'		Report[8]Try: Goneva 62' c
T. Nagusa 76' c
Con: Volavola (2/2) 63', 78'
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne[9]
Attendance: 13,583
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Notes:

10 June 2017
14:40 JST (UTC+09)
Japan 33–21 Romania
Try: Yamada 12' c
Fukuoka 37' c
Leitch 41' c
Con: Ogura (3/3) 14', 38', 42'
Pen: Ogura (4/4) 19', 23', 33', 52'		Report[10]Try: Macovei 55' c
Faka'osilea 65' c
Con: Vlaicu (2/2) 57', 67'
Pen: Vlaicu (3/3) 3', 5', 30'
Umakana Yokana Stadium, Kumamoto[11]
Attendance: 18,585
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)

Notes:

10 June 2017
20:00 SGT (UTC+08)
Italy 13–34 Scotland
Try: Campagnaro 65' m
Esposito 80' m
Pen: Allan (1/1) 9'		Report[12]Try: Price 36' m
Visser 39' c
Ford (2) 42' c, 48' m
Hoyland 74' c
Con: Taylor (1/1) 40'
Russell (1/3) 43'
Horne (1/1) 75'
Pen: Russell (1/1) 5'
National Stadium, Singapore
Attendance: 8,734
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

Notes:

10 June 2017
17:00 SAST (UTC+02)
South Africa 37–14 France
Try: Kriel 30' c
Penalty try 59'
Cronjé 60' c
Serfontein 67' c
Con: Jantjies (3/3) 32', 61', 68'
Pen: Jantjies (3/3) 10', 14', 39'		Report[13]Try: Chavancy 34' c
Serin 54' c
Con: Plisson (2/2) 36', 55'
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria[14]
Attendance: 29,313
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)

Notes:

10 June 2017
13:00 BRT (UTC-03)
Brazil 25–21 Portugal
Try: Tenório 73' m
F. Sancery 76' c
D. Sancery 78' c
Con: Duque (2/3) 77', 79'
Pen: Duque (2/2) 8', 16'		Report[15]Try: T. Appleton 10' m
Cardoso Pinto 48' c
Con: Penha e Costa (1/2) 49'
Pen: Penha e Costa (3/5) 18', 45', 68'
Pacaembu Stadium, São Paulo[16]
Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)

Notes:

10 June 2017
16:15 ART (UTC-03)
Argentina 34–38 England
Try: Boffelli 7' c
Lavanini 36' c
De la Fuente 50' c
Tuculet 52' c
Con: Sánchez (4/4) 8', 37', 51', 54'
Pen: Sánchez (1/3) 40'
Drop: Hernández (1/1) 76'		Report[17]Try: Yarde 30' c
May 46' c
Ford 64' m
Solomona 78' c
Con: Ford (3/4) 32', 48', 78'
Pen: Ford (4/4) 16', 26', 42', 62'
Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan[18]
Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Notes:

10 June 2017
15:00 MDT (UTC-06)
Canada 0–13 Georgia
Report[19]Try: Kvirikashvili 75' c
Con: Kvirikashvili (1/1) 77'
Pen: Kvirikashvili (2/4) 4', 46'
Calgary Rugby Park, Calgary[20][21]
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)

Notes:

  • Davit Kacharava (Georgia) earned his 100th test cap.
  • Andrew Coe, Anthony Luca and Shane O'Leary (all Canada) made their international debuts.
  • Canada failed to score in a match for the first time since losing 41–0 to Scotland in 2008, while Georgia shut out an opponent for the first time since beating Belgium 35–0 in 2014.
10 June 2017
16:00 EDT (UTC-04)
United States 19–55 Ireland
Try: Civetta 19' c
Quill 45' c
Matyas 54' m
Con: MacGinty (2/3) 20', 46'		Report[22]Try: Earls (2) 2' m, 18' m
Stockdale 14' c
N. Scannell 30' m
Marmion 34' c
Conan 43' c
Ja. Ryan 61' m
McGrath 67' c
Zebo 74' c
Con: Ringrose (1/1) 15'
Carbery (2/6) 35', 44'
R. Scannell (2/2) 68', 75'
Red Bull Arena, Harrison[23]
Attendance: 22,370
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

Notes:

16–17 June[edit]

16 June 2017
17:30 NZST (UTC+12)
Tonga 6–24 Wales
Pen: Takulua (2/4) 22', 43'Report[25]Try: Cuthbert 18' m
Penalty try 79'
Pen: S. Davies (4/6) 2', 51', 67', 77'
Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand[26]
Attendance: 26,129
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)

Notes:

16 June 2017
20:00 NZST (UTC+12)
New Zealand 78–0 Samoa
Try: Lienert-Brown 11' c
B. Barrett (2) 29' c, 58' c
A. Savea (2) 33' c, 75' c
Williams 39' c
Dagg 41' c
Savea 51' m
Taylor 55' c
Fifita 61' c
Perenara 71' m
Cane 78' m
Con: B. Barrett (7/8) 12', 30', 34', 40', 42', 56', 60'
Sopoaga (2/4) 62', 77'		Report[27]
Eden Park, Auckland[26]
Attendance: 26,129
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)

Notes:

17 June 2017
14:40 FJT (UTC+12)
Fiji 22–19 Italy
Try: Vasiteri 3' c
Vatubua 16' c
Goneva 44' m
Con: Volavola (2/3) 4', 16'
Drop: Volavola (1/1) 80'		Report[29]Try: Mbanda 56' c
Con: Allan (1/1) 57'
Pen: Allan (4/4) 6', 14', 27', 76'
ANZ National Stadium, Suva
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)

Notes:

17 June 2017
15:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia 19–24 Scotland
Try: Folau (2) 19' c, 39' m
Genia 56' c
Con: Foley (2/3) 20', 57'		Report[30]Try: Taylor 14' c
Russell 26' c
Watson 61' c
Con: Russell (3/3) 15', 26', 62'
Pen: Tonks (1/1) 2'
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney[9]
Attendance: 30,721
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)