Tests down under

It's that time of the year when the Northern Hemisphere sides tour the Southern Hemisphere.

We have Wales v South Africa, Ireland v New Zealand and Australia, and England v New Zealand to look forward to.

Of these, Wales v South Africa ought to be the easiest to call, but is probably the hardest. If Wales could take their full Grand Slam side, given SA rugby has a new coach, new combinations and the like, I'd put my money on Wales. But, enough of the Welsh first choice players are injured that I think it's going to be close. My heart says Wales to win, of course, and my head says they can still win, but isn't as convinced as my heart. I think both the matches in this series will be close, and interesting. Whilst it would be nice for Wales to win, at least one if not both, losing both closely won't be a disgrace under the current conditions, remembering they are away to the current world champions and #1 ranked team.

Ireland v NZ is pretty easy to call. Although NZ are rebuilding, if you look at their squad there's nowhere that suggests it's bad. If you say Conrad Smith, one of the classier centres in world rugby, is probably the luckiest man on the squad to be there, it really isn't bad. It could all fall apart of course - how will 8 and 9 get on? How will 10 and 12 get on? In NZ rugby they're both critical questions. Nonu isn't a Brett or Bateman, but he's grown into a good number 12 as well as a very dangerous all round player. Up against that we've got an Ireland side that is still looking stale and sliding. BOD is looking older by the day, the Munster pack has a mix of age and youth, but you'd say that they haven't really dominated in recent games at a high level. They didn't smash Toulouse out of it, and the AB pack is several levels higher than that. NZ to win that one.

Ireland in Australia is harder to call. Australia will be playing for the first time under Robbie Deans. We know that Robbie Deans is an amazing coach at Super-14 level, but in his first season the 'Saders finished rock bottom. Will he take that long to get Australia playing the way he wants? It's not just a team thing, very much the same team, in an amazing turn around won the Super-12s the next year. But, Ireland will be down after NZ, Deans will have had that extra week to work with his players, so, sadly, advantage to the guys in green and gold.

England v New Zealand should be pretty easy to call. Both sides are rebuilding. One side is mid-season, the other at the end of a season, and with an interim coaching group and all the rest. If Graham Henry's got it wrong and Ireland win tomorrow, England could well pounce and do well as the wreckage descends. But, I don't think the first will happen, and I don't think the second will happen either. England still look like they're lacking inspiration and although they might do most of the basics well, grinding NZ down is never easy. New Zealand will win both these matches too.