Let the Northern home internationals begin

Ian - Oz players play so little rugby because of money - the cost of travelling around this enormous country with such a (relatively) tiny population is prohibiitve. I think we still have some of the most expensive domestic air flights in the world per mile. There is a national football (soccer) and basketball competition but they both struggle financially. Also rugby union is at best tied for 4th in the country's favourite sports behind Aussie Rules, Rugby League and Cricket. Again this seriously affects revenue. The attempt at creating a national comp failed after 1 year on the grounds of it costing too much and running at an enormous loss despite almost universal player approval. As for this weekend I think Wales will show just how much PDV has led SA astray. England, Ireland and NZ to prevail in snoozefests and Italy may just do the unthinkable. As a naturalised Aussie it would hurt but how great it would be to see Italy notch up a victory deserving of their individual talent and graft. Would love to see them get the '15 or '19 World Cup.

Andrew, it appears that you're suggesting that the European nations should alter their calender for the benefit of Australia rugby. Am I misinterpreting that? Frankly I don't understand the frustration felt by the Australian rugby public, if anything the public should express their frustration toward O'Neill who persists in creating these tours. Crowds for Australia's home tests were the highest - on average - since the 2003 WC. More than 300'000 fans attended the matches against Ireland (2) , France, NZ (2) & SA. That average being 50,617. Further the tours you refer to were crammed with internationals. Wales played Byrne, Gareth Thomas, Jamie Robinson, Sonny Parker, James Hook, Mike Phillips, Jonathon Thomas, Charvis, Sidoli, Adam Jones, Matthew Rees, Iestyn Thomas, Hibbard, Michael Owen, Gareth Cooper, Sweeney and Henson. All have been Welsh stalwarts over the past few years and the majority are still involed with the current Welsh side. The same applies to the England tour of 2006. England played Balshaw, Varndell, Tait, Catt, Voyce, Barkley, Richards, Rowntree, Mears, White, Moody, Chuter, Payne, Worsley, Noon.

Benjamin, Whether or not the weakened teams touring has been intentional is another point to debate, but you can not seriously deny the string of weak teams coming south. England did it in 06, Wales in 07, France in 08. Add in SA in 07 at the end of the 3N, I hope you can understand the frustration felt by the Australian rugby public. Yes, I fully understand the conflicting calendars that has contributed, but it appears from down here the NH unions don't particularly care to change it, they'd much rather just can the mid-year SH tours, and just have the incoming tours in November. Keep this in mind when reading O'Neill & Tew asking for a share of the gate from the Autumn Internationals. Ian, Times are changing, it seems to me fringe Wallabies and S14 players are turned out more often for their clubs this year and last. I might be wrong, just going off the guys I saw at club games myself.

Westy "Remember we only have 4 professional teams…. for Australian rugby test matches are basically all we have got.they are vital to us." A sad indictment on the state of OZ rugby, fortunately more evolution than desire in England as the RFU were so slow to understand the needs of the professional game that the club system survived. It is only this year that a professional game committee has been established following the new club/country agreement. The retention of the clubs has spread the interest across the country and has at last bought more English players into the professional game. Fortunately, we have alot more than the test games, but with a greater emphasis and funding on the England team the profile will increase and reinforce the growing interest in rugby. I still don't understand why OZ players play so little rugby. They must get bored and I would have thought turning out for Randwick, et al would be good for them and the game, and raise interest across a wider public.

Westy, it is a complete fallacy that NH teams have toured with intentionally weakened teams. The only European nation to have done so is France. Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales have not toured with a weakened team in 10 years. Conversely SA toured Europe with a weakened team in 2006 and NZ did the same in 2001.

Benjamin............I like you are looking forward to the SH tours of the United kingdom. I like rugby . Unlike your part of the world rugby in Australia is not the no.2 code but no 4 . We use our international strength at times to castigate rugby league especially in Australia. I always cringe a little . Scotland's rugby history and local strength is genuine but they do rely on at least 7 or so English born players/ 2 Australian born players /i Zimbabwe and the usual New Zealand suspect under the grandparents rule. It can be worse at times for Wales and Ireland sometimes press the point too much. Yet my compatriots expect wholesale condemnation of the leaguies. I have no problem with Scotland doing this but some in the press should be more mindful of throwing stones. Secondly Scotland deserve to play the ALL Black reserves. If the Blacks were not so conscious of their reputation they shoul play their reserves for most of the tour so you can experience what it is like when NH teams visit . Remeber we only have 4 professional teams.... for Australian rugby test matches are basically all we have got.they are vital to us.

Jam, I thought Perugini was playing at 3 but he isn't, Nieto is. Nieto is a good scrummager. He had a very good 6N two seasons ago but seems to have faltered at Gloucester. Perhaps the Italian pack brings the best out of him? He is solely a scrummager and offers little ball carrying threat. Personally I would prefer Lo Cicero at 1 and Perugini at 3 but unfortunately he is plying his trade in the French 2nd division so I'm guessing that counts against him - perhaps he's injured? The bench prop Aguero is still very, very strong and given that Castrogiovanni is injured the Italian propping stocks must be awesome. I can't wait to see Parisse. He is awesome. IMO he is the best 8 I have seen since Brooke. Ghiraldini is also a very, very good hooker. He's a good thrower and a good carrier plus he's only 23. All in all I think it's the best pack in Europe. I don't think Italy are any worse than two years ago as Mallett did experiment during the 6N. Italy beat Scotland and took England very, very close. They only finished last on points difference. Their main problem is that they cannot find an adequate 10, which severly stunts their game plan and long term development. I like their full back Masi but he isn't a kicker, which should suit the Wallabies. Plus no rolling maul.

The difference with Dan Parks is that he is still a rubbish player anyway, he's just the best option Scotland have a fly-half atm, but hopefully with the emergence of Phil Godman, a more attacking FH, he can change things around. Read what I said about Flutey in my last statement, it could be for a variety of reasons. He could have improved a hell of a lot. A change in lifestyle could have suited him. The thing is he was the best player in the GP last year and deserves his opportunity. As I said, I think the GP is a world class leagueand whether it shows the diffeence in quality betwen the two leagues-I'm not sure. Even the likes of Gear and McAlister struggled in the early part of last season and when Gear got injured, he was kept out of team when he came back by an England U-20 international. However, McAlister along with Hodgson have ben Sale's best players this season. Gear seems to be injured again for Worcester.

So what I am saying is, how can it be that a player who can barely make the starting team in a Super 12 team be the new playmaker for the English? How can Daniel Parks who cannot knock the skin off a grape and was never going to get to pro level in Australia, play tests for Scotland, in fact name your top twenty Scots who did not make it thier native land, Leslie, Hines, McLaren, MacDougall, Ross and on and on - the Scots are a poor joke on this front. for gods sake Budge Poutney was a pom. The Welsh - remeber grannygate -and more recently Cockbain, Jones Hughes, and so it goes on. Ireland - The Easterby boys are English, Keith Gleeson couldn't get into the change room at the SFS. It seems the French are the only who are pure -but wait,remember Marsh and then they had a South african prop recently as well. The Italians. Nuff said. Cheers fellow antipodeans - and as Dave Brockhoff says, lets get in, loot the joint and get out.

I'm interested to see how Flutey does. I Beleive the GP to be a top competition and he has revelled playing in one position. Even at London Irish he was played in several postion's but at Wasps he's been played at IC consistantly and deservedly got player of the year last year. Perhaps NZ missed a trick by shifting him about. We'll find out if he can hack it at international level.

I am realy interested to see the glowing review of Flutey. My dim recollection of him when was in NZ is that he was second rate at best. Be interesting to see how he goes....

Yes, Harry I am also pretty nervous about Alexander against Perugini. How do the NHers rate Carlos Nieto from his matches for Bath? The prospect of Dunning against him has me even more worried as Alexander seemed to be able to scummage at Super 14 level in comparison. No Sharpe, but we have McMeniman and Chisholm instead. Brown against Parisse will be interesting. Moore against Ghiraldini will also give us a good idea of where he's at, though he has been good of late. I really hope Pocock gets some decent game time off the bench, I would have liked to see him start, given his man of the match performance in the Force's draw against the Crusaders. I'm taking some small comfort that Italy don't have a world class fly-half and that Mortlock is playing. Is Italy's kicking game suited to the recent development of the relentless chip-and-chase-a-thon? Italy don't seem as good as two years ago when they finished fourth in the 6N and dominated the Wallabies up front. This year in the 6N they finished last with a solitary 23-20 win over Scotland in Rome. The ref is a Kiwi, so hopefully the interpretation of the breakdown rules don't cause us as much grief. Better yet, hopefully we take notice of how he's officiating it, use our brains and adapt. Btw why is Lo Cicero not playing?

Canada by 3. Cos I say so, that's why.

Wholeheartedly agree Leftarmspinner...........it is a real opportnunity to pursue the development of quality depth perhaps unearth a surprisre against strong passionate opposition on their own soil. These tours have never lost their attraction to me. I predict a winning Australian team going in against England at their traditional home even on delayed replay would attract more the the 486000 television audience for the live broadcast of that Hong Kong Test.I do hope we got paid a lot because it did nothing directly to build the game here or the strength of our tv position. You seriously wonder about the bias of some in rugby when they ignore these terrible figures. Do not tell me it was a dead rubber , We got on at 7.30 , league was a delayed broadcast of the Kangaroos v English Rugby league at 9.30....a flogging yet they still got 900000. Which one would you want. It is a real boost to rugby when our product gots trounced by Australia's funniest home Videos. People across the codes will watch for tour results , read newspaper reports. The tour gets good media coverage for rugby . All power to it. I do wish the Northern Hemisphere teams would return the courtesy of picking the best available squads. I will watch the tour with anticipation.

what a great spectacle of games. I didnt realise that Canada and Argentina were also visiting. should turn it into a comp!!! I will be particularly interested in how the second tier of wallabies get on. Here's hoping. I dont care who wins but how they perform!

Yes indeed Benjamin, you would think that wouldn't you. In Vickerman and Horwill's absence, Harrison should be playing against Italy this weekend. Instead we have McInjury (who has never imposed at the highest level) and Chisholm ( a typical Brumbies player who is good in the loose but shirks the tight). And when we beat Italy by 30 points plus after smashing them in the forwards on Saturday (as I hope) I will be the first to apologise to these two, and congratulate Dunning and the first full gamer Alexander on orchestrating the scrum pushover try.

Harry, Kennedy toured with the England squad to NZ but I don't think he even made it to the bench. Pundits have always mentioned his size but he is considerably bigger than Borthwick. He may not prove to be a great test lock but then again he might. I think his debut is long overdue. Easter is one of my favourite players but as Kennedy's physique is used against him so is Easter's. He appears slightly rotund and doesn't have the gas of a Pierre Spies but he brings balance and leadership. He was England's better player during the WC. It is also quickly forgotten that he was England's captain v the Barbarians prior to the NZ tour thus it always struck me as terribly unfair that upon injury in that game he was dropped by England. Hopefully he'll prove his worth once more. Worryingly I don't think there is a great deal of depth to England's front row stocks. England need Sheridan and Stevens to really step up because there aren't a great deal of alternatives. Justin Harrison is going well. He's playing in possibly the best pack he's ever played for. The Bath front five is HUGE and so he can concentrate on the lineout. It's a shame that the ARU jettisoned him so early. The same applies to Chris Latham. You would think that with a dearth of teams and playing numbers that the ARU would have placed a huge emphasis on experience.

Kennedy is new to me, the Pom front row looks good, Easter looked good against NZ. Good looking forwards, but thats always the case with England's depth. Speaking of Bath, how is Justin Harrison going? He should be still playing for Australia, especially on this tour with our pack minus Vickerman and Elsom. We need lineout experience, hardness, niggle and European expereince - as the poor people who surrounded me in the upper west stand at HK stadium can testify, I was most frustrated by our inability to contest the kiwi's lineout throwins last weekend, and can't see it being better this weekend.

Harry, I'm not sure to be honest. I'm not the greatest fan of Mears but I appreciate the fact that he is in form. He also has a propping relationship with Stevens and a throwing relationship with Borthwick. Apparently he is a good scrummager for a small man and his height allows Sheridan to pack lower. All in all the front row is solid. It would be nice were England to utilise the carrying ability of Mears and Stevens as Meehan does at Bath. Likewise Sheridan needs a big game with the ball in order to set the PI defence. Stevens too.The front row had a disaster in NZ so they must define themselves during the coming games. I like the inclusion of Kennedy at 5. He is an excellent lineout strategist which is essential given that under the NH ELVs there are more lineouts. I am not a fan of Borthwick in the first place but he and Kennedy are both natural 5 jumpers which means that there is no no.4 carthorse. Simon Shaw isn't playing well so I think Johnson is trying to pigeonhole Borthwick in this position although IMO he is too underpowered to offer a carrying threat. Conversely his lineout work could be valuable. I would expect England to dominate the PI in this department but I worry that there is not enough grunt for the ruck situation. The back row is perhaps the most balanced area of the pack. Croft is a precocious running talent and he has the most lineout steals in the GP this season. Rees is another powerful carrier and is a good snaffler so there is a good 6-7 balance in size and in style. Nick Easter - England's most underrated player - will be the glue in the middle. He is big, a good carrier and he is intelligent, similar to Dean Richards in fact. IMO he offers a foil for the 6 and 7 that Narraway could not. All in all Harry I think it's a mixed bag but then I suspect Martin Johnson knows a little bit more than me and I am keeping in mind that it may be a horses for courses selection. I agree with your notion about Scotland. They - and Wales - have a massive inferiority complex when competing against the SH nations, much more so than England, France and Ireland.

Blimey it took me about an hour to set the taping up of this weekend's smorgasbord of rugby. I am very nervous about the Italian match, particuarly after just reading that Ben Alexander has Never started a a S14 game, let alone a test match. With Dunning at tighthead I wouldn't be surprised if the Itlaians kick of direct into touch from the kickoff to bring on the scrummaging action asap. That said, I think this sort of game might suit Tahu and the like and they could cut loose. So narrow Italian win or big Australian win. England will be keen to impress their new coach and, at Twickenham, will crush the PI's up front leading to a fairly comfortable win. Benjamin, how are you feeling about the new look Pom forward pack? Wales v SA should be a beauty and its good to see a real exciting test outside of the RWC and 3N and the top tier of the 6N. Confidence will be the undoing of the Scots if they get close, a zero percent winning record is a big hurdle to overcome.