Rugby union
Club weekend · Nations Championship aheadToulouse hit 45 points in a 45–34 shoot-out against Bayonne on Sunday to cap the Top 14 weekend. On Saturday Toulon beat Racing 92 29–15, Stade Français beat Montpellier 30–22, Bordeaux-Bègles edged Clermont 23–22 and La Rochelle won 28–16 at Lyon.
In England, Saracens beat Bristol Bears 30–7 on Saturday, but I could only verify that one Round 3 score in the Gallagher Premiership. The league now takes a break: Round 4, the derby weekend, starts on Friday 23 October.
The international calendar is the next big thing. The new Nations Championship begins on Friday 6 November with Ireland v Argentina in Dublin, followed on 7 November by Italy v South Africa, Scotland v New Zealand, Wales v Japan and France v Fiji, and on 8 November by England v Australia at Twickenham (dates per the Scotsman; subject to change).
- Top 14: Toulouse 45–34 Bayonne (Sun 11 Oct)
- Premiership: Saracens 30–7 Bristol Bears (Sat 10 Oct)
- Nations Championship starts Fri 6 Nov; finals weekend 27–29 Nov at Twickenham
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Two teams of 15 play two 40-minute halves. You can run with the ball or kick it, but you can only pass it sideways or backwards. A try, where a player grounds the ball over the opponents' line, scores 5 points. A conversion kick adds 2, and a penalty kick or drop goal scores 3.
The game is built on set pieces. A scrum restarts play after minor infringements, with the forwards pushing against each other. A lineout restarts play after the ball goes out of play, with a jumper lifted to catch the throw.
The main competitions are the Six Nations (February and March), the Rugby Championship in the southern hemisphere, the autumn internationals in November, the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France and the European Champions Cup.