2022 mid-year rugby union tests

Uruguay vs Romania

The 2022 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 July international window. For the first time since 2018 all leading Northern Hemisphere teams toured, following a cancelled calendar in 2020 and a largely reversed calendar in 2021.

South Africa hosted Wales for a first three-test series, Wales travelling to South Africa for the first time since 2014; this was the first three-test series between the two sides. Also playing a first three-test series against their opposition were Scotland, who played Argentina in what was Argentina's first set of home games since 2019. New Zealand hosted Ireland for their first three-test series since 2012. Ireland also played two matches against the Māori All Blacks. France travelled to Japan for a two-test series, which was the first official tour of Japan for Les Bleus, having only ever toured as an XV side in 1984. Italy embarked on a tour of Europe, playing away to Portugal, Romania and Georgia, teams they had not played outside a competition environment since 2004. It was also Portugal's first match against a Six Nations country since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Several Tier-2 nations also toured, with Uruguay travelling to Japan for a two-test series before later hosting Romania for a two-test series. Spain and Belgium travelled to Canada, with Belgium touring outside a competition for the first time since playing Hong Kong in 2013.

With some teams still involved in the 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifying process, typical touring / hosting sides played one-off matches in preparation for their respective Qualification matches; Chile hosted an historic match against Scotland in an uncapped 'A' match, Netherlands hosted Zimbabwe, Italy A played Namibia and the United States hosted the French Barbarians.

Series[edit]

Event Result Victor
Australia v England test series 1–2  England
New Zealand v Ireland test series 1–2  Ireland
Japan v Uruguay test series 2–0  Japan
Japan v France test series 0–2  France
Māori All Blacks v Ireland series 1–1 Drawn
Argentina v Scotland test series 2–1  Argentina
Uruguay v Romania test series 1–1 Drawn
South Africa v Wales test series 2–1  South Africa

Tours[edit]

Team Tour Opponents
 Argentina XV Europe (Tier II)  Georgia (Won) –  Portugal (Won)
 Italy Europe (Tier II)  Portugal (Won) –  Romania (Won) –  Georgia (Lost)
 Italy A Southern Africa  Namibia (Won) – Currie Cup XV (Lost)

Fixtures[edit]

10 June[edit]

10 June 2022
20:00 CEST (UTC+02)
Emerging Italy 50–5 Netherlands
Try: Gesi (2) 8' c, 41' m
Di Bartolomeo 19' m
Izekor 28' c
Ruggeri (3) 35' c, 50' m, 71' c
Ribaldi 19' c
Con: Albanese (4/7) 9', 30', 35', 42'
Gesi (1/1) 72'		ReportTry: Hop 58' m
Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo[1]
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)

18/19 June[edit]

18 June 2022
15:00 JST (UTC+09)
Japan 34–15 Uruguay
Try: Nezuka 10' m
Tatafu 40' c
Horikoshi 44' c
Hino (2) 63' c, 72' m
Con: Tamura (3/5) 40+1', 45', 64'
Pen: Tamura (1/1) 18'		ReportTry: Magno 58' m
Ardao 76' c
Con: F. Echeverry (1/2) 76'
Pen: F. Echeverry (1/1) 35'
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo[2]
Attendance: 14,448
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)

Notes:

19 June 2022
15:00 BST (UTC+01)
England 21–52Barbarians
Try: Cokanasiga 35' m
May 50' m
Smith 59' m
Pen: Smith (2/3) 16', 34'		ReportTry: Penalty try 17'
Ollivon 23' c
Penaud (2) 37' m, 54' m
Couilloud 45' c
Carbonel 66' c
Spring 73' c
Hastoy 78' c
Con: Hastoy (2/4) 24', 67'
Kruis (3/3) 46', 74', 79'
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 51,385
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)

Notes:

  • Alex Dombrandt (England) had been named to start but withdrew ahead of the game due to injury and was replaced by Callum Chick.
  • This is the Barbarians' biggest winning margin over England, surpassing the 20-point difference set in 2004.
  • Will Skelton became the first player to be red-carded while playing for the Barbarians.[3]

25 June[edit]

25 June 2022
15:00 JST (UTC+09)
Japan 43–7 Uruguay
Try: Sakate (2) 5' m, 50' m
Dylan Riley 38' m
Van den Heever 55' m
Penalty try 61'
Kajimura 63' c
Con: Lee Seung-sin (1/1) 64'
Pen: Yamasawa (3/3) 9', 16', 23'		ReportTry: Ardao 74' c
Con: Echeverry (1/1) 75'
Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu, Fukuoka[2]
Attendance: 11,664
Referee: Graham Cooper (Australia)

Notes:

25 June 2022
16:30 CEST (UTC+02)
Netherlands 7–30 Zimbabwe
Try: Stone 34' c
Con: Van Oord 36'		ReportTry: Chieza 12' c
McNab 28' m
Musingwini 55' c
Larkan 70' m
Con: Mudariki (2/3) 14', 56'
Pen: Musingwini (2/2) 18', 40'
NRCA Stadium, Amsterdam[4]
Referee: Killian O'Brien (Germany)

Notes:

  • This is the first time that these two teams have played each other.
  • Zimbabwe play a friendly test match in Europe for the first time since 1989, when they played Italy in Treviso.
25 June 2022
17:00 WET (UTC+0)
Portugal 31–38 Italy
Try: Penalty try 16'
Marta (2) 38' c, 66' c
Appleton 42' c
Con: Marques (3/3) 39', 43', 67'
Pen: Marques (1/1) 6'		ReportTry: Fusco 25' m
Marin 31' m
Padovani 46' c
Lucchesi 52' c
Traorè 73' c
Penalty try 79'
Con: Da Re (2/4) 48', 53'
Padovani (1/1) 74'
Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon[5][6]
Attendance: 5,100
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Notes:

  • Manfredi Albanese, Giacomo Da Re and Ion Neculai (all Italy) made their international debuts.
  • This is the first time since 1996 that Portugal has hosted a Tier 1 nation in a full test match.
  • This was the first time an all-female officiating team was appointed to a men's international, and for a female official to officiate as referee a men's Six Nations team.
25 June 2022
21:00 CEST (UTC+02)
Spain 7–26Barbarians
Try: Aboitiz 67' c
Con: Vinuesa (1/1) 69'		ReportTry: Byrne 21' c
Smith (2) 38' c, 49' c
Lane 68' m
Con: Smith (1/2) 22'
Wood (2/2) 39', 50'
El Molinón, Gijón[7]
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti (Spain)
25 June 2022
16:00 CLT (UTC-04)
Chile 5–45 Scotland A
Try: Edwards 78' mReportTry: Hoyland (3) 12' c, 28' c, 45' m
Horne (2) 17' c, 22' c
McLean 79' m
Price 80' c
Con: Thompson (4/5) 13', 17', 24', 29'
Kinghorn (1/2) 80+2'
Estadio Santa Laura-Universidad SEK, Santiago[8]
Attendance: 8,213
Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)

Notes:

  • Despite not being a full capped test-match, this was the first time these two teams have played each other.
  • This is the first time that Chile has hosted a Tier 1 nation (outside of any competition) since hosting a France XV side in 2005.

29 June[edit]

29 June 2022
19:05 NZST (UTC+12)
Māori All Blacks 32–17 Ireland
Try: Sullivan 16' m
Stevenson 28' c
Weber 34' c
Grace 40' c
Con: Ioane (3/4) 29', 35', 40'
Pen: Ioane (2/3) 7', 27'		ReportTry: Aki 20' c
Coombes 66' c
Con: Frawley (2/2) 20', 67'
Pen: Frawley (1/1) 4'
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton[9]
Attendance: 9,253
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

1 July[edit]

1 July 2022
21:00 EEST (UTC+03)
Romania 13–45 Italy
Try: Savin 79' c
Con: Bucur (1/1) 80'
Pen: Vlaicu (2/3) 10', 24'		ReportTry: Menoncello (2) 15' m, 57' m
Allan 38' c
Cannone 40+2' c
A Garbisi 45' c
Zanon 61' c
Nicotera 69' c
Con: Allan (5/7) 39', 40+3', 46', 62', 71'
Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest[10][6]
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)

Notes:

  • Victor Leon (Romania) and Alessandro Garbisi (Italy) made their international debuts.
  • This was the first time since 2004, the last time Romania hosted Italy, that these two teams have met outside a World Cup*
1 July 2022
20:00 CDT (UTC-05)
United States 26–21France French Barbarians
Try: Dyer 27'
Ainuʻu 36' c
Con: MacGinty (2/2) 28', 37'
Pen: MacGinty (2/2) 43', 51'
Carty (1/1) 75'
Drop: de Haas (1/1) 14'		ReportTry: Aguillon 22' c
Penalty try 54'
Lagarde 70' c
Con: Trinh-Duc (1/1) 13'
Foursans (1/1) 71'
Aveva Stadium, Houston
Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)
2 July 2022
15:00 JST (UTC+09)
Japan 23–42 France
Try: Tatafu 14' c
Fifita 80+1' c
Con: Lee Seung-sin (2/2) 15', 80+2'
Pen: Lee Seung-sin (3/4) 6', 25', 54'		ReportTry: Penaud (2) 3' c, 58' c
Lebel 45' c
Moefana 61' m
Bourgarit 68' c
Con: Jaminet (4/5) 4', 46', 59', 69'
Pen: Jaminet (3/3) 19', 29', 52'
Toyota Stadium, Toyota[11]
Attendance: 24,570
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)

Notes:

2 July 2022
19:05 NZST (UTC+12)
New Zealand 42–19 Ireland
Try: J. Barrett 21' c
Reece 30' c
Tupaea 35' c
Savea (2) 38' c, 53' c
Sowakula 71' c
Con: J. Barrett (6/6) 22', 31', 36', 39', 54', 72'		ReportTry: Earls 6' m
Ringrose 44' c
Aki 77' c
Con: Carbery (2/2) 46', 78'
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 48,300
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)

Notes:

2 July 2022
17:55 AWST (UTC+8)
Australia 30–28 England
Try: Petaia 63 'c
Fainga'a 69 'c
Samu 76 'c
Con: Lolesio (3/3) 64', 70', 77'
Pen: Lolesio (3/3) 23', 40', 43'		ReportTry: Genge 49' m
Arundell 79 'c
Van Poortvliet 80+2 'c
Con: Farrell (2/3) 79', 80+3'
Pen: Farrell (3/4) 7', 21', 60'
Perth Stadium, Perth
Attendance: 47,668[12]
Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)

Notes:

2 July 2022
17:05 SAST (UTC+02)
South Africa 32–29 Wales
Try: Mbonambi 46' c
Marx 51' m
Kolbe 66' c
Penalty try 75'
Con: Willemse (2/3) 48', 68'
Pen: E. Jantjies (1/3) 17'
Willemse (1/1) 80+3'		ReportTry: Rees-Zammit (2) 3' m, 32' c
Lake 77' m
Con: Biggar (1/3) 34'
Pen: Biggar (3/3) 20', 55', 63'
Drop: Biggar (1/1) 9'
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Attendance: 51,762
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Notes:

2 July 2022
16:00 ADT (UTC-03)
Canada 45–0 Belgium
Try: Higgins 6' c
Rumball 47' c
LeSage 55' c
Coats 59' c
Smith 66' c
Lloyd 70' c
Con: Nelson (4/4) 7', 48', 56', 60'
Coats (2/2) 67', 71'
Pen: Nelson (1/1) 16'		Report
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia[13]
Attendance: 4,412[14]
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Notes:

  • Callum Botchar, Dawson Fatoric, Lindsey Stevens (all Canada), Marius Dehoust, Noé Finfe, Joachim Piérart and Lucas Rassinfosse (all Belgium) made their international debuts.
  • This was the first time that Canada have hosted Belgium.
  • This was Canada's largest winning margin over Belgium, surpassing the 31-point difference set in 2010.
2 July 2022
16:10 ART (UTC-03)
Argentina 26–18 Scotland
Try: de la Fuente 30' m
Carreras 35' c
Bertranou 57' m
Con: Boffelli (1/3) 36'
Pen: Sánchez (2/2) 4', 18'
Boffelli (1/2) 71'		ReportTry: Bennett 49' m
Hutchinson 54' c
Con: Kinghorn (1/2) 56'
Pen: Kinghorn (2/2) 16', 26'
Estadio 23 de Agosto, San Salvador de Jujuy[15]
Attendance: 21,630
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)