Button Down closed late to nose out H

Stuart Barnes reviews Englands performance against South Africa, assesses their chances against Fiji and gives his opinions on Wales squad in this weeks talking points.1. Another Saturday, another win for England as Eddie Jones made it 10 out of 10 since taking charge. From day one he has cracked the whip and demanded more than any of these players have ever given. The result is a team mentally tougher than the one that was so similar in terms of personnel to this current one. The boundaries between success and failure are as much in the strength of the mind as the body. Highlights of Englands opening Autumn International against South Africa at Twickenham. The Jones regime has a perfect strike rate but has yet to deliver a performance that would be described as memorable. For example, Jones England has never been near in terms of quality to what we saw from Joe Schmidts Ireland against New Zealand in Chicago. At some stage England will have to find a level of performance beyond what we have so far seen. But Jones is in no great hurry. His team are fit, determined, confident and dont have to face New Zealand until 2018. That is the game Jones will have inked into his planner. To be world champions, you have to be good enough to know you can beat the All Blacks. Ben Youngs rips through the South African defence on Saturday All he gave his team was a pass mark for ending the run of a decade and 12 games without victory against the Springboks but Englands discipline was sloppy and South Africa are currently at their least formidable. To see them pick a pine forest of lineout forwards and watch them fail to even compete in the air against England was to scratch your head and wonder.On the plus side was a magnificent performance from Joe Launchbury, a eye catching 70 minutes from Ben Youngs and an absolute gem of a first phase try....give them a pass. Joe Launchbury competes with Eben Etzebeth in the lineout 2. A pass mark should be enough to see them to Eddies 11th straight win against Fiji this Saturday. The Pacific Island teams are so nomadic in terms of their players global travelling that it takes time to bring a team together.In the World Cup, Fiji produced a brave performance against Wales and a more than half decent one against England at Twickenham. Australia drove them around the fringes and demolished them in the tight in their pool game in Cardiff. I wonder if England will start with the ambition witnessed for the Jonny May try or if they might attempt to pummel the Fijian forwards in the tight. It is not going to be a question of whether they will win but how.The make up of the team will also be interesting. Jones is not one of giving away caps but he wants to get as much depth as possible in his squad. It could be an exciting day for a few fringe players. Billy Vunipola has praised his England teammates for their performance against South Africa on Saturday 3. Irelands fringe players did their job against Canada, scoring in excess of 50 points to keep morale high ahead of what is arguably the game of 2016. Highlights of Irelands opening Autumn International against Canada from Dublin. Schmidt has said he is wary of New Zealand revenge. A good Kiwi, he knows how much those rare defeats hurt an All Black. Schmidt is smart and will know that Steve Hansen and his management will not allow themselves to be outsmarted as they were in Illinois.The same from Ireland will not suffice because New Zealand will have shrugged off what looked like a hint of complacency and changed the game. Ireland prepared for months to win in America, Schmidt has only a fortnight to mastermind what would be an even greater victory.4. Congratulations to Beauden Barrett for being named World Player of the Year. Beauden Barrett spills a high ball in the game against Ireland How ironic that the award came in the wake of a quite naive performance against Ireland. He was an easy target for Ireland to read, playing harder and flatter without it ever dawning on him that Ireland were not for cracking. A few chips to turn them would have made Irelands defence think, instead it just dominated. Still, we all have our bad days.It has crossed my mind that New Zealand could even start Aaron Cruden at fly-half in Dublin... but what a season Barrett has produced, a fly-half who has ripped the rule book up when it comes to Test match selection.He has made and scored so many tries that the kicker isnt the first name on the New Zealand team sheet. He has been the most positive player to have emerged on the world scene in years.5. Positive is not a word that springs readily to mind when considering the Springboks. Five away games this calendar year (if you include the Barbarians match) and not a victory or performance worthy of note. Lourens Adriaanse, Bongi Mbonambi and Adriaan Strauss show their disappointment after the defeat to England on Saturday If they dont break that sorry sequence against Italy we can start throwing around words such as `crisis like if we were tossing spaghetti.6. So close again for Scotland....they played some superb stuff against Australia and again came up short.Vern Cotter has got them playing some excellent stuff and the South African Scot with a Welsh name appears quite a find but now is the time to turn performances into wins.They beat Argentina convincingly prior to the World Cup, a similar result is needed if Scotland are going to grab themselves some of that self belief upon which Jones feeds his England team. Six months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half 7. Australia played some good rugby too with Bernard Foley, Israel Folau and the tearaway flankers, Michael Hooper and David Pocock all impressive. But Scotland found a few more defensive chinks than Michael Cheika would have liked. Israel Folau stood out in a scrappy game against Scotland If Guy Noves France play with power and pace it could be quite a game between these teams. It is an `if as big as a French pack.8. Wales won but the question marks continue to surround Rob Howleys team.The return of Alun Wyn Jones and Sam Warburton added some beef in the pack and this was probably the reason Wales just about saw Argentina off in Cardiff.The Pumas look tired as their season and thin squad nears its end but where is a sign of something special from those talented Welsh backs?Liam Williams is an honourable exception to that particular question. I reckon this versatile man is going to make it to New Zealand as a Lion.9. Bristol recorded their first win of the season against Sale in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. Mitch Eadie is tackled by Ben Curry as Bristol beat Sale It came too late for Andy Robinson and, in all honesty, isnt likely to lead to a trophy but when losing becomes a habit like it has for Bristol, any win is important.I refer you back to Eddie, England and psychological strength.10. Back to where we started, Twickenham.It is fair to say that HQs pre and half-time entertainment with the military marching bands and Essex Dog shows have never done it for me but what a wonderful few minutes at the interval as Laura Wright sang `Hallelujah in tribute to the great Leonard Cohen.Whoever came up with the idea, a heart- felt thanks on behalf of we Cohen devotees who happened to be at Twickenham. It was a most moving gesture.Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half price!Also See:Well bore Fiji to deathItoje wins World Rugby awardBeware All Blacks backlashGiles set for Wales debutNike Air Max 95 Just Do It Black . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Vapormax 95 Sale . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. http://www.airvapormaxcanada.com/vapormax-flyknit-3-canada.html . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Vapormax Clearance Sale . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Nike Air Force 1 Just Do It Canada . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at .ETOBICOKE, Ontario -- Up With the Birds won his first race since the 2014 Nijinsky Stakes in Sundays renewal of the nine-furlong turf route at Woodbine, flying home from last to first in the stretch under Eurico Da Silva.Up With the Birds ($5) rated kindly down the backstretch, as Dynamic Sky set slow fractions while being pressed by Halo Nation. Button Down, the lone mare in the five-horse field, stalked along the inside in fourth, and lacked room through the stretch, as Up With the Birds came sweeping by the entire field on the outside.Up With the Birds prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:49.18. Button Down closed late to nose out Halo Nation for second. Kaigun wound up fourth, and Dynamic Sky faded to fifth.It was the first start for Up With the Birds since the 6-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic rejoined trainer Malcolm Pierces barn in the spring.Malcolm brought this horse over happy and fit, said Da Silva. I just rode him with a lot of confidence. He was focused all the way, and he made a nice run at the end.ddddddddddddHes a very nice horse. I love this horse, big time.Up With the Birds earned $144,000 of the $227,600 purse for owner/breeder Sam-Son Farm.Its great to have him home, said Pierce. Hes in great shape. He just loves this course, with the long stretch. It suits his style of running. Im thrilled.Conquest Daddyo takes Toronto CupConquest Daddyo ($4.30) established himself as a serious contender for the $500,000 Breeders Stakes with an impressive score under Patrick Husbands in the $145,000 Toronto Cup Stakes.Conquest Daddyo, a Scat Daddy colt trained by Mark Casse, rallied from sixth to prevail by 1-3/4 lengths, in a time of 1:47.12. Dragon Bay was disqualified from second to fourth for interfering with Runningfromthefeds in the stretch.Rocket Plan, who was promoted from third to second, also could run back in the Aug. 21 Breeders, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. ' ' '