1) Size matters for Cokanasiga
Already it seems likely Joe Cokanasiga will win his first England cap this autumn and the smart money would be on him doing so against Japan in the third match of the series. He has impressed since his move to Bath and Eddie Jones has been eager to add size to his backline for a while now, taking Cokanasiga on the 2017 summer tour of Argentina. Against Exeter on Friday, Cokanasiga showed how devastating he can be when finishing a second‑half try, albeit ruled out, but the 20-year-old’s inexperience was also exposed by Exeter, particularly for Don Armand’s try. England do not want for wingers but Cokanasiga brings some thing his rivals do not. Gerard Meagher
• Match report: Bath 24-39 Exeter
Jonny May’s sore shoulder will not rule him out of England autumn Tests
2) Refreshing honesty from Vuinipola
Billy Vunipola has been praised for his moment of honesty against Harlequins, confessing to the referee he had knocked the ball on as Saracens looked to barge over from close range. His director of rugby, Mark McCall, was hardly glowing with praise – “fair enough” – but Vunpola’s altruism is timely with World Rugby having implemented a trial that seeks to diminish the TMO’s influence. “It was never me trying to be a hero,” Vunipola said. “I don’t think Smally [McCall] will be happy with it. I’m a fan as well and when I watch games and you know someone hasn’t scored and they try and milk it or fake it, it just wastes your time.” GM
• Match report: Harlequins 20-25 Saracens
3) Saints struggle with the rain
Seeking a third successive Premiership win against Leicester for the second time, Northampton dominated for long periods but lost to two tries in two minutes in the opening half to leave them in the bottom half of the table. They have started Chris Boyd’s reign with two wins and four defeats but were not far away in any of the losses. The New Zealander’s broader vision of the game is slowly taking shape, but wet conditions meant Saturday was a reversion to the old way and Saints were uncomfortable with what used to be familiar. A sign of progress? Paul Rees
• Match report: Northampton 15-23 Leicester
5) Warriors leave Bristol dazed
Worcester’s director of rugby, Alan Solomons, was quick to stress the Premiership “is a marathon not a sprint” but his Warriors are heading in the right direction. A seven-try romp at Sixways against a lacklustre Bristol has left them on the fringes of the top six after the opening half-dozen fixtures and any prospect of them being relegated this season feels remote. As their former Bristol flanker Marco Mama observed: “We’re an all-court team. We can carry through you or go around you. We don’t just run into brick walls.” The Bears will hope the European break allows Stephen Luatua and George Smith a chance to regain their early-season freshness, with Charles Piutau also due back next month. “We are six games into a 22-round season,” the director of rugby, Pat Lam, said. “We should have won at home against Northampton; had we done that we would have been in the top four. We definitely still want to be in the Champions Cup next year but based on this sort of performance we know we are not good enough. We will be judged on that until the next time we front up.” Robert Kitson
• Match report: Worcester 52-7 Bristol
6) Cipriani class remains a talking point
Are we still talking about this? Danny Cipriani’s exclusion from the England squad has been a talking point for a good 10 years or so and as intensively so as ever in the past few weeks. But when he returns to taunt his old mates with another performance of sheer class it is only right that tongues resume their wagging. His England exile is not quite the scandal people like to make out, such is the class (and age) of Owen Farrell and George Ford, but on this form it remains at the very least contentious. I’d have him in. Discuss. Michael Aylwin
• Match report: Wasps 21-35 Gloucester
All Black Sam Cane out for three months after breaking neck in South Africa
7) Comebacks in the Championship
The final weekend of the tournament New Zealand had already won was notable for two comebacks. The All Blacks trailed South Africa 30-13 with 19 minutes to go in Pretoria having already lost at home against the Springboks while Australia were 31-7 down against Argentina at the break in Salta and looking doomed to finish bottom of the table, dumping more pressure on their head coach Michael Cheika. In one of their best halves off rugby since the last World Cup, though, they scored five tries to win by 11 points a few hours after New Zealand’s resurrection. The Wallabies will meet their neighbours in Japan at the end of the month before New Zealand face the World Cup hosts ahead of the November series of Tests in Europe. A year ago, South Africa were nondescript but their tour opener at Twickenham now promises to be a Test match, if they come with a full squad. PR