The final series of the traditional autumn Tests in the northern hemisphere prior to next year’s Rugby World Cup begin this weekend with the All Blacks once again in pole position.
However, having choked twice in a row in the semifinals and not having won since the inaugural 1987 tournament, their rivals will be looking for any chinks in their formidable armour.
Hence the reason why their present coach, Graham Henry, along with his two assistants Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen, are taking no risks this time round.
While unlike the Springboks they have selected the strongest squad possible — the Wallabies also have opted for a strong line-up — Henry has insisted that this will be the last top-class rugby they play for a long time.
”I can’t see the point in doing the same things we’ve been doing for the last 20 years in respect of preparing for a World Cup because these things clearly don’t work,” commented Henry, formerly seen as the ”Great Redeemer” when he was Wales coach.
”This is a very important trip for us, a road test for the World Cup in France next year,” said Henry.
”It’s our last chance to play in Europe before the tournament so we’re keen to get things right.”
England would love to get one thing right — namely winning a match as they are on the brink of losing six in a row for the first time since 1972 — but their under fire coach Andy Robinson, who has gone from hero to zero since assisting Sir Clive Woodward to lift the World Cup in 2003, is defiant.
”There’s a competitive edge from the whole team. You can never get away from that. The England team, everybody is passionate about us performing well,” said Robinson.
However, a series of poor results in the autumn — there are other Tests against Argentina and South Africa — and Robinson could well be surplus to requirements, even with the World Cup so close.
”I don’t think you can say Andy will stay in charge whatever the results are,” said Rob Andrew, England’s recently appointed first director of elite rugby.
Perhaps England’s best hope of pulling off a morale-boosting win could come against the South Africans, who boast few well-known faces as coach Jake White has opted to leave many of his seasoned veterans to rest at home.
”We know what we have in the experienced guys so this tour gives us a chance to see who shapes up and who doesn’t,” said White, who led the Springboks to the Tri-Nations title two years ago but has been under pressure this term because of a series of poor results and internal politics.
”It’s been a long season and next year is going to be just as busy. A lot of these players need a good break from the game. They will come back next year fresh and hungry to play,” added White, who is looking to give the Springboks their first win over England in England since 1997.
The Springboks will face a vibrant Irish side first up — again coached by Eddie O’Sullivan, a man whose job looked in danger last autumn until they won the Triple Crown in the last Six Nations.
O’Sullivan, too, is keen to try out some new faces but unlike England he effectively has a full complement of players as they have been wrapped up in cotton wool for the early part of the season.
”I’m keeping one eye on the World Cup and am considering a bit more depth in the squad, certainly in some positions.
”There are new faces and I would like to use the three games to get more people on the pitch.
”The first game against South Africa will tell us a lot about how we are and hopefully we’ll have more room for manoeuvring over the course of the three games.”
After the Springboks come the Australians for the Irish.
The Wallabies will have warmed-up by starting against Wales this weekend, and John Connolly, otherwise known as ”Knuckles” for his no-nonsense approach, is keen that the Wallabies make a better impression this tour than last year, which cost predecessor Eddie Jones his job.
”It’s important that we continue to broaden the squad in the lead up to the World Cup, but we are going on tour with the expectation to win all four Tests,” said Connolly, who has plenty of European coaching experience, having taken Stade Francais to a European Cup final.
Talking of Stade Francais, the French lie in wait with two Test dates against the All Blacks, and while Henry might have indicated they were the two Tests he was most focused on, the French are not as settled a side as might be expected.
Chief among their worries is who will end up as flyhalf, and with the mercurial Frederic Michalak injured, bulky centre Damien Traille gets the nod ahead of livelier young pretenders Lionel Beauxis of Stade Francais and Bourgoin’s Benjamin Boyet.
Indeed, it might well be Wales who pose the most problems for the Aussies and the All Blacks as they appear to have regrouped after the turmoil of Mike Ruddock’s resignation back in February and a poor Six Nations under stand-in Scott Johnson.
”We are blessed with an extremely strong squad in most positions and have had some tough decisions to make, but have selected on form and form alone,” said coach Gareth Jenkins. — Sapa-AFP