Match you are most looking forward to?
Robert Kitson Hard to look beyond England v New Zealand this Saturday. There will be a real pre-World Cup crackle at Twickenham; losing four times to the All Blacks within the same calendar year would hardly be an ideal springboard into 2015. Expect a thunderous opening salvo from the home side.
Mike Averis England v New Zealand this Saturday. The All Blacks looked less than assured at the end of the Rugby Championship, losing to South Africa and being taken to the wire by Australia in the Bledisloe Cup in Brisbane.
Michael Aylwin Everyone’s talking about England, Wales and Australia in the World Cup’s Group of Death, but no one’s mentioned Fiji, who will make it the Group of the Apocalypse if they turn up. Wales face them this autumn between visits from Australia and New Zealand. They should not take their eyes off it.
Paul Rees All of this weekend’s, although it will be a cold start for the host nations. England have pushed the All Blacks in three of their last four meetings and beat them in 2012, Wales face World Cup group opponents Australia having lost the last eight Tests to them by single-figure margins and Ireland, the Six Nations champions, take on South Africa on what could be the most momentous of the three.
Home player who could make a surprise impact
RK If he can live up to his early season promise, Mark Bennett of Glasgow has the ability to add a significant difference to Scotland’s attacking efforts. The new Scotland coach Vern Cotter will be demanding a Murrayfield statement this autumn and the 21-year-old centre is among those equipped to deliver it.
MA Henry Slade. The Exeter player may be on the fringe of the extended England squad, but a back who can run, kick, tackle, play 10,12,13 and probably full back has to come into world cup reckoning. If so he needs a start this autumn, probably against Samoa, although injuries and form could dictate otherwise.
MAyl Samson Lee. Life after Adam might not be so bleak for Wales – there’ll be less hair tickling the cheeks of Wales’s opponents in the front row, but no less technique and vigour at scrum time, even if this fellow is some 12 years his hero’s junior. Wales should have beaten South Africa last time out. Much was owed to Lee’s scrummaging
PR Most selections have been made with the World Cup in mind – experience rather than experiment, but England will look at Samesa Rokoduguni on the wing and Wales will need Dan Biggar to reproduce his Pro 12 form at outside-half.
Touring player who could make a surprise impact
RK Everyone will be awaiting fireworks from Sonny Bill Williams but England may yet find Malakai Fekitoa emerges as their more immediate threat. With Conrad and Ben Smith in unselfish support, the powerful centre will pose problems for all his opponents.
MA Handre Pollard. In truth not that big a surprise, unless you haven’t been paying attention. The 20-year-old Springbok fly-half has been playing Test rugby for less than six months, but his composure – as well as his two tries –was what put South Africa on track to beat the All Blacks last time out.
MAyl Henry Speight. It’s fashionable these days to denigrate Australia, but really they are not far off. What they have been lacking lately, apart from a credible disciplinary policy, is a bona fide threat on the wing. Enter this guy, a Fijian finally naturalised, big of hair and bone, and very, very fast.
PR Tevita Kuridrani has added polish to Australia’s three-quarter line, blending with Israel Folau. South Africa’s Handre Pollard will get his first taste of Test rugby in Europe, a big-booted outside-half with a dash of daring.
Biggest autumn hope
RK That Wales, England, Ireland and Scotland are not cowed by the shadow of the looming Rugby World Cup. Now is the moment to show that northern hemisphere rugby is on the up, injury absentees or not.
MA That Wales, so close in the summer, can finally put one of the big three away. Their best bet is Australia, but South Africa could also pay if they carry out their threat to experiment on tour.
MAyl That Scotland can align themselves with present-day Glasgow – rather than their own immediate past – and do justice to the new, green grass of Murrayfield. There is talent, particularly behind the scrum, and apparent stability among the coaching staff. Would it be too much to ask for wins against Argentina and Tonga, and credibility in defeat to New Zealand?
PR That the host nations will be a blend of Roundhead and Cavalier. They all know that to beat the southern hemisphere’s big three they have to create as well as stand up physically.
Biggest autumn fear
RK That England make the mistake of deciding they can only win in 2015 by reverting to a restrictive, 10-man game-plan. Grinding teams down up front and prioritising defence is perfectly fine but champion sides also have to be able to create tries further out.
MA That November ends with all four home nations – and France – knowing they still have plenty to do to meet ever-growing expectations for a World Cup played in England and Wales.
MAyl That even one game is swung by a refereeing decision – a yellow card here for a prop who can’t help that he’s getting stuffed; a red card there for a chaser who can’t help that he’s been jumped into. The refs are just following orders (they’re good at that), but it’s all a bit out of hand now.
PR Rain.
Will anyone beat the All Blacks?
RK Only themselves. England will come at them hard at Twickenham, hoping for a repeat of the pummelling they gave the All Blacks in 2012. As then, it will partly depend how fresh the Kiwis are feeling towards the end of a long year. Steve Hansen’s team looked pretty switched on in Chicago.
MA Former coach Sir Graham Henry suggested that the All Blacks might improve if they got beaten. Well, their 22-game steak came to an end in Johannesburg and they wobbled in Brisbane and Twickenham hasn’t always been their happiest hunting ground.
MAyl In other words will England, Scotland or Wales? Hmm ... if England or Wales play at their best and New Zealand have one of their sluggish days, it’s conceivable. But England go in to their game with the All Blacks cold and compromised by injury. And Wales ... well, they haven’t beaten them for 61 years. Want to say yes, but can’t.
PR Some will be in a position to, as England and Ireland were last year. The All Blacks are masters at closing out games and the use of replacements will be significant. One reason why England’s injuries may hurt them.
