Excluding the Rugby World Cup, the Six Nations and Rugby Championship are the two premier international tournaments in world rugby.
Which tournament provides the best competition has always been a great source of debate, the Europeans will readily tell you that their tournament has greater tradition, a longer history, is more competitive and therefore holds more value than the Southerners can muster.
Granted, with the recent inclusion of Argentina to the Rugby Championship, the history of the Rugby Championship is a short one. You may also argue that it is less competitive as New Zealand have won all three instalments in its short history.
What is not debatable though, is the quality of the rugby and the teams participating to make it the grandest spectacle of rugby you will find anywhere on earth. Again, this might be disputed by our rugby rivals up north.
Be that as it may, this weekend sees the opening instalment where New Zealand will take on England, Australia will take on Wales, Argentina will take on Scotland and South Africa will take on the reigning Six Nation Champions Ireland.
The opening salvos that will be fired this weekend is of utmost importance to all these teams, you may argue that I am stating the obvious as this will be the last tour up north before the Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand, South Africa and Australia all boast a superior record over each of the Six Nations teams. Only Argentina who lags behind, although they do have a superior record over Scotland and Italy.
England will be hosting the Rugby World Cup next year, they will see themselves as one of the favourites to win the tournament. New Zealand, South Africa and Australia will need to work as a collective to break down England this November.
This coming weekend will also set the tone for the coming month, and a good start is vital to strike a mental blow to each of these teams. In Afrikaans we have a saying “Goed begin is half gewin” meaning a good start is half the battle won.
The truth is that much about rugby is mental, the top two inches if you will, and it is the mental side of England that must be attacked.
After facing New Zealand, England will face South Africa next. If New Zealand manages to beat them, their confidence will take a knock. If South Africa manages to beat Ireland this weekend, they will go into their England match with their tails in the air against an England team whose confidence would have been given a knock.
By the time Australia meet them, they could well be facing an England coach and team filled with self-doubt. A win over England will cause Stuart Lancaster to question his tactics, his selections and his players.
Potentially the best possible outcome for the Rugby Championship teams prior to the Rugby World Cup as New Zealand, South Africa and especially Australia do not want England going into the Rugby World Cup with a succession of wins over them.
Regardless of where Wales find themselves currently, Warren Gatland will use their semi-final placing in the previous Rugby World Cup as inspiration for 2015, Australia will be first up and must continue their recent domination of Wales.
For Australia to travel the path of least resistance through the Rugby World next year, it will be vital that they win their pool. The alternate route is fraught with danger as they are almost guaranteed to meet South Africa in a quarter final match in which they will be hell bent on exacting revenge.
If they do manage to eliminate South Africa they will have a repeat semi-final against New Zealand which as has proven last time, is likely to be a bridge too far.
New Zealand will be Wales’ opponent the week prior to South Africa meeting them, and both these teams can put the final nails into the Welsh coffin and thereby put a big dent in the aspirations of Wales to progress out of the group of death.
Ireland as the reigning champions of the Six Nations will be chomping at the bit to hand South Africa their first defeat on European soil since 2010. Their own aspirations of doing well in the upcoming World Cup will gain a lot of validation if they do manage to put one over the number two ranked team in the world.
The only other Rugby Championship team they will meet during November is Australia. If the result goes in favour of Ireland, then it will only enhance their credentials for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Other than that, there isn’t any other opportunities to peg Ireland back.
France is in turmoil, sadly Scotland can no longer be called the dark horse at the Rugby World Cup and Italy have little chance of progressing further than the pool rounds.
Even though Scotland and France have a realistic chance to progress through to the quarter finals, their current form would suggest that is about as far as they would go.
New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have the opportunity to ‘tag team’ Wales and England. These bruising encounters can serve to demoralise them and send their coaching staff back to the drawing board before next year.
The physicality, pace and power of Southern Hemisphere rugby, laced with an altogether more adventurous Springbok team, a more physical Wallaby team and the all-encompassing All Black team should combine well to soften the European bones, starve their lungs of the necessary oxygen and generate excessive lactic acid in their muscles.
They can stack the odds in their favour to provide two Southern Hemisphere finalists for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and it is all going to start this coming weekend.
If they fail to assert their dominance and offer any glimmer of hope to England and Wales, we might have a repeat of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. There Australia, South Africa and New Zealand found themselves all on the same side of the draw, and had to eliminate each other.
The Rugby World Cup final has only once been contested between two teams from the Southern Hemisphere. Whether you want to blame the draw, shock results or fate, it is time for the Rugby Championship teams to not only dominate between world cups, but also during.
Joziconfidential
Guest
Okay point taken then. Here are the contracted training camp players and status: Willem Alberts (injured so would'nt have been getting game time), Marcell Coetzee (needed a rest, monster season), Damian de Allende (not relevant, i think he will slip off the radar and has been injured anyway), Jean de Villiers (needed the rest), Bismarck du Plessis (Bissie could have done with more game time - he's been off the boil since returning from injury), Jannie du Plessis (needs 3 guys' rest), JJ Engelbrecht (could do with game time esp as he is picked now), Eben Etzebeth (been injured and just returning so some game time would've been good), Cornal Hendricks (ambivalent), Francois Hougaard (needed a bit more game time), Siya Kolisi (poor form so not really in the mix), Patrick Lambie (could have used some game time but I reckon he's come back in the zone so fine), Willie le Roux (newish but needed a rest - was looking a bit flat at Ellis Park), Victor Matfield (tired man needs rest), Tendai Mtawarira (ditto), Coenie Oosthuizen (didn't need rest but not really in the mix we thought... until he was picked!), Jan Serfontein (could do with game time), Adriaan Strauss (needed a little break), Flip van der Merwe (injured) and Duane Vermeulen (reckon needed a rest, although he never looks tired... but has had a barnstorming season so won't lose form that quickly but will get utility from rest). So of the 20, I reckon 6 max probably could've used some game time. The rest are either tired, injured or no longer in the mix, for now at least. And as BB points out they all got drilled with conditioning work. Let's wait and see. On balance I reckon way more beneficial than detrimental....
Joziconfidential
Guest
"boks" not "boys"
Joziconfidential
Guest
reading the telegraph, i think mick cleary, it has been noted and emphasised that the boys are the only team not to falling recent years at twickers. so that scribe at least viewed sa as the key team to knock over to sow some self doubt which (ostensibly at least, according to the scribe - either moore or cleary) has already been sown with aus and nz. i used to love the beginning of every "new era" marking the dawning of a "new golden age" in english rugby, when i lived on mud isle. it was like clockwork. so the narrative now appears to be that (a) the ABs aren't all that anymore (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/11206272/England-v-New-Zealand-All-Blackss-record-is-formidable-but-they-are-losing-exotic-aura-of-the-men-from-afar.html and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11204351/How-can-England-beat-New-Zealand-at-Twickenham-The-answer-is-surprisingly-straightforward.html), Aus are omitted from "the big two" and so because they have yet to beat SA at Twickers, that should be the goal. So 1 x Aus dishing out a thumping please. And NZ to walk over them. Us, well, a narrow win might be better for us than a big win (and obviously better than losing). 1 point is fine. Question - how is it that the poms are so comfortable they have more depth than anyone else?: "England, of course, have more players at their disposal than any other team." more than NZ and SA? bigger pool of contracted players maybe? Surely they don't see Carter battling to get back in at 10 and think they have the same depth and quality?
Harry Jones
Expert
That was very much needed. I hope we see some different combos on this tour. E.g. a Carr-Burger-Whiteley loose trio perhaps.
The scheduling is a problem, I am recording Argentina vs Scotland and Australia vs Wales whilst watching England vs AB's and Ireland vs Springboks live. I can never understand why they don't start earlier and play the 4 matches 2 hours apart.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
All good biltong, i'll take that as a compliment, phewww! I actually am really looking forward to this w-e mate. I like things to be shaken a bit and have to say I wouldn't mind an England win vs the ABs although I may be the only French guy to think this way. I like sports where a fair few teams are a chance of winning a world cup that's why I see England, Ireland and to some extent Wales having good teams as a plus. Same for P.I teams, I hope they can be competitive and not too many of their players migrate to oz, nz or now Europe/Japan. Re this w-e just hope i can see all tests but not too sure as I think a few kick offs are around the same time. not good.
Martin, no man is an island ;)
Martin Deligasi
Guest
get lost I dont give two bits how the other SH teams go. Get over yourselves we are not a team, and there is no SH family. When it comes to footy I hate every team/supporters but the one I support and other supporters should follow in my views. It is about tribalism and the sooner everyone else gets on the same page as me the better. - Deligasi
Ah Monsieur, the English, French, Welsh and Irish aren't minnows ;)
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
A country can be rich and a minnow on the international scene biltong. Japan in rugby for example. Same for Qatar or UAE in football, they are 10 times richer than Brasil or Argentina yet their NT are minnows in comparison to the 2 south Americans. From the many articles and comments I have read from southern journos or bloggers on the roar, the 6N are also 'minnows' in their eyes so I just think they deserve my support, or any support as they will need it I think. The AB, boks and to a lesser extent wallabies are the big boys in rugby, we all know that.
WQ
Guest
Rugby Tragic, I actually think they will win two, they will beat the Wallabies as well. They will drop the game against the Springboks because of the high over beating the All Blacks, the Springboks will put 30 points on an English side coming down after a win over the All Blacks!
Thanks mate, appreciate it.
Canetragic
Guest
They'll beat the Wallabies. I think All Blacks and Boks will be too strong overall. For the Wallabies its too early in their new regime to expect too much at this stage.
WQ
Guest
If my predictions earlier in the year are to unfold, I predicted a loss to the Springboks in South Africa and a loss to England in England. I am one from one so far?
Batdown
Roar Rookie
A pleasure to read as always BB!
Hope not then mate.
The minnows with the big wallets, eh? ;)
Meyer said he was very happy because with the Boks not playing he could work on their fitness and conditioning. SO yeah, no game time, but conditioned.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Nest-= next
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Nest year sometime in October?