Brendan Gallagher on a 30-day 46-test global spectacular
That’s only two fewer games than were played in total throughout RWC2015 and that figure of 48 is exceeded if you included the three attractive fixtures the Maori All Blacks have arranged on their far-reaching tour of USA, Ireland and England.
In short a rugby feast, either live at the big stadia or in front of the TV, and with Warren Gatland already compiling his Lions squad list, there will be even more edge to proceedings than usual.
The season following a World Cup can sometimes be an anti-climax but the spectacular way the reigning champions New Zealand have upped their game has raised the stakes and means that others need to respond. And quickly.
Dare one suggest that the officialdom needs to do likewise, especially the TMOs and citing officers. The non-citing of Ben Franks against Australia this summer and the bizarre disallowing of Henry Speight’s try against New Zealand last week after a needless TMO intervention defied belief and badly undermines the system in place. It needs to be a level playing field out there or frankly why bother?
These post-World Cup seasons are also notoriously difficult for the smaller nations who have poured all their resources into the World Cup and called in every favour owing to them trying to secure the release of all the players they need. Big-name retirements also tend to come straight after a World Cup and that can hit the smaller nations very hard. We’ll see.
But having got all the excuses and caveats out of the way what can we expect? What are the form lines and the different agendas going on here throughout a busy November?
The two form teams are undoubtedly New Zealand and England. New Zealand, off the back of their 18 straight wins, are a long way clear of the field at the top of the World ranking on a record 96.57 points, with England a strong second on 89.49 following their three away wins on the bounce against Australia.
That outstanding series win Down Under was built on an already rapid advance up the rankings from eighth at start of a Six Nations with England’s Grand Slam including three wins on the road which always help accumulate ranking points.
France, meanwhile, will surely have targeted their match against New Zealand from a long way out. If not, why not?
England have come a long way in a short time under Eddie Jones and consolidation is possibly the key word after that early spectacular flurry, especially with serious injury problems at lock and openside flanker. They need to keep it simple and tick the boxes week by-week. Beat South Africa for the first time in ten years, put Fiji away with the minimum of drama, deal with the Pumas and then gear up for another shot at the Aussies.
Complete all that successfully and England will find themselves on 14 straight wins under Jones which would equal England’s best run, which came under Sir Clive Woodward between 2002 and 2003.
The game against Fiji is huge for the islanders who wage a daily fight for recognition and to keep their best players from the predatory hands of other nations. Their Olympic Sevens success was heart-warming but much work is still required to bolster their Test side and a strong showing against England at Twickenham would be a timely reminder that Fiji still have ambitions in the long form of the game.
England’s match against the Pumas could prove entertaining although historically it’s often a bit turgid when they meet at Twickenham. Fatigue must be a real issue for the Pumas with their Jaguares players criss-crossing the globe with wearying regularity. Argentina traditionally use the autumn internationals to boost their world rankings after tough times in the Rugby Championship but they are only human and could find it hard going this time around.
Australia on the first Saturday in December looms large and although the England players have well and truly worked off their World Cup, for England fans it might feel still feel like unfinished business. Many will still want the feelgood factor of a convincing win at Twickenham to expunge the memories.
England were never scheduled to play New Zealand this autumn and New Zealand’s reported insistence on receiving at least £3m of the gate by way of appearance money for future matches at Twickenham might mitigate against a game next year. But that’s not bad thing.
Meanwhile South Africa in fourth place probably have the most to lose this autumn. Defeats against England and Wales would see them fall down the rankings further and increase the rising sense of panic back home. And heaven forbid the unthinkable should happen and they lose in Italy.
The form of the Italy’s two senior clubs Treviso and Zebre remains miserably poor and although Conor O’Shea’s makeshift squad performed well on their summer tour of Argentina and North America they will do well to raise a head of steam this autumn.
Their opener against New Zealand could get very messy and after the Boks game they could be in bits physically for their concluding game against Tonga, their one must-win game of the campaign.
Lurking in fifth places in the ranking are Wales, rarely at their best before Christmas, who nonetheless still probably have the most to gain if they can conjure up wins over the Boks and Australia, neither of whom look world beaters at present.
In the first two Tests against New Zealand this summer Wales coped as well as anybody but they will need to continue the more fluid style they adopted, with Warrenball consigned to the bin. Warrenball has won Wales outstanding Six Nations success but that is the limit of its capability. It will take you no further.
Elsewhere this is a vital November for Georgia and Japan, two of the success stories from RWC2015. Neither now needs to qualify for RWC2019 and the temptation might have been to go into long term planning mode and blood a raft of youngsters or players who have been on the fringe.
Japan, partly out of necessity after retirements and injuries, will be introducing some new players for their most demanding ever November programme. They start with an attractive home fixture against the Pumas and with Super Rugby franchises now established in both countries to provide a professional infrastructure this should surely become an annual fixture.
Georgia away is next up and a first for the Brave Blossoms and another testing fixture before playing Wales in Cardiff and finishing off against Fiji in France. They will be sore by the end of November.
Georgia should have a much more familiar look. The Lelos need to keep making the case for inclusion in the Six Nations and underlining their need for more Tests against Tier One nations. Narrow-minded critics will seize on even one below par performance. Home matches against Japan and Samoa and Scotland away is a decent programme with the trip to Kilmarnock their defining game.
The rugby world at large won’t take too much notice of either defeat or victory against Japan and Samoa but will closely scrutinise the Scotland game and Georgia need to keep some of their powder dry for that contest. That is also when they need all their best players on parade.
Looking even wider afield you could be excused for overlooking Spain’s game against Tonga in Madrid but Spain remains an untapped source of talent and enthusiasm and there have been recent signs of a revival with both Sevens teams reaching the Olympics.
Spain must broaden their horizons and strengthen their fixture list and this first game against Tonga is part of the process. Spain will also play Uruguay and host a USA-Tonga Test, a small toe in the water to what they hope could become an annual ‘neutral’ match every November, perhaps one day featuring the Pumas.
