Rugby-State of the Nations a year after World Cup

LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - A year after New Zealand underlined their superpower status by retaining their Rugby World Cup title, all the sport's leading nations come together again for a month of fixtures. Below we look at the current form and prospects of the Tier One countries, and 2019 World Cup hosts Japan, as well as focusing on the key issues that will exercise the minds of their coaches. New Zealand (World ranking 1) Fixtures: Ireland (played in USA), Italy, Ireland, France Form: The world champions are on a run of 18 test victories in a row, a record for a tier one nation that has opened the debate over where the team sits in the list of all-time great sides. They breezed to victory in the Rugby Championship, winning all six matches with ease, and also had little trouble in dispatching Wales during a three-test home series in June. They were matched by Australia for 60 minutes in a Bledisloe Cup clash in Auckland last month before their customary surge in the final 20 minutes took them to a comfortable 37-10 victory. Their victories this year have been achieved in some style too, scoring 60 tries in 10 tests for an average of 42 points per game. Issues: The biggest headache for coach Steve Hansen this season has been who to leave out of his side as they have shown remarkable consistency in performance. The loss of brilliant scrumhalf Aaron Smith before Durban game against South Africa following an incident at Christchurch airport was barely felt as TJ Perenara slipped easily into his shirt. Smith is back in the squad and will at some point add strength to an already potent backline. The power of the side off the bench has been one of the All Blacks' key characteristics this season. Flyhalf Beauden Barrett has been immaculate with ball in hand, but has struggled in the last couple of matches with his goal-kicking, which could be more of a factor in the wet of the north. Prospects: It would be a surprise were New Zealand to lose on their tour, though Ireland have in recent years run them close, especially in Dublin where the second of their clashes will be played. Having been stung on too many occasions previously by France, they will not be taking that match for granted. - - - - England (2) Fixtures: South Africa, Fiji, Argentina, Australia. Form: Eddie Jones has won all nine of his games in charge since taking over from Stuart Lancaster after the World Cup, securing a Six Nations Grand Slam and a 3-0 away series sweep of Australia in the process. Without any major personnel changes, Jones seems to have restored belief to the group of players who were destroyed by the Wallabies at Twickenham in the World Cup. The Vunipola brothers Mako and Billy have both stepped up to world class level partly it seems in response to Jones's personal touch, while Dylan Hartley looks to have added an edge since being installed as captain. Issues: Jones travelled to a warm-up camp in Portugal without 10 injured players who would probably have made his 33-man squad, with the back and second rows particularly hit. He will need to try to find a balance in both areas and blood new talent as he looks to build the depth of squad he knows is essential if England are to be serious contenders for the next World Cup. The recurring question surrounding England's best centre partnership seems settled, in his mind at least, with Owen Farrell set to continue at 12, despite regularly playing at flyhalf for Saracens, with Jonathan Joseph at 13. Jones is also without his first-choice wingers Jack Nowell and Anthony Watson so the opportunity is there for Semesa Rokoduguni to show he is worth more than the solitary cap he won two years ago. England showed in Australia that their defence is up there with the best and now Jones will be keen to introduce some of the more incisive attacking that will be essential if they are to achieve his goal of seriously challenging New Zealand for supremacy somewhere down the line. Prospects: England have not beaten South Africa for 10 years and, despite their injury issues, will probably never have a better opportunity to end that drought against a Springbok side with plenty of problems. Jones is likely to blood some new faces against Fiji, but will want to work towards putting out his strongest available sides against Argentina and Australia. On the back of his victorious year, Jones will fully expect four wins and it does not look an impossible target. - - - - Australia (3) Fixtures: Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland, England Form: The 3-0 sweep at the hands of England and three losses to the All Blacks does not suggest a team capable of completing a first successful Grand Slam tour since 1984. The Wallabies were similarly unfancied though when they headed to England for the World Cup last year, and hit their stride at the right time all the way to the final. Coach Michael Cheika has pointed to the narrowness of the defeats against England and in the final Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park. They also scraped to victory over a poor South Africa side in Brisbane and should have beaten the Springboks in the return match in Pretoria before going down 18-10 to the boot of Morne Steyn. Victories over Argentina in Perth and at Twickenham, no easy task these days, also helped them to second place in the Rugby Championship. Issues: Cheika is having to deal with a string of injuries that have limited his opportunities to put settled combinations on the pitch. It has also enabled him to blood new players, however, and in locks Rory Arnold and Adam Coleman, loose forward Lopeti Timani and backs Samu Kerevi, Reece Hodge and Dane Haylett-Petty he has players who do not look out of place at test level. David Pocock will be playing his final few tests before going off on a year's sabbatical but his back row partnership with Michael Hooper has not been as effective as it was last year. Captain and hooker Stephen Moore's struggle with his throwing and changes in the second row have hit the lineout but the tight five should be competitive at scrum time. Scrumhalf Will Genia has been refused permission by Stade Francais to play against Wales and he might miss the England test because it also falls outside the international window. Cheika has included four Fijian-born backs in his squad in Sefanaia Naivalu, Henry Speight, Tevita Kuridrani and Marika Koroibete, a stand-out winger in rugby league who could make his test debut before playing his first Super Rugby game for the Melbourne Rebels. Prospects: The Wallabies will fancy their chances of a 12th straight win over Wales and be confident of denying Scotland revenge for the controversial World Cup quarter-final defeat last year. France and Ireland could be tougher but a couple of early wins will build confidence and the prospect that they will arrive at Twickenham with a Grand Slam on the line cannot be ruled out. - - - - South Africa (4) Fixtures: England, Italy, Wales Form: South Africa have seen a massive dip in form over the last year, culminating in their record 57-15 home thrashing at the hands of New Zealand last month. They won four of their nine tests in 2016 under new coach Allister Coetzee, but even those victories, at home to Ireland (twice), Argentina and Australia, had a hint of good fortune in them. So rapid has been the team's descent into mediocrity, they have not scored a try in almost four hours of rugby, having adopted a style of kicking for territory rather than running with ball in hand. Issues: The slump has caused much introspection within South African rugby as to how the game is administered and how players are developed in the country as they battle to transition from the experienced group that finished third at the World Cup 12 months ago. The loss of experienced players has left a leadership vacuum within the squad and, according to Coetzee, narrowed the options in terms of how they can play the game. Coetzee has tried to bring in new blood, but has mostly been left disappointed, especially in the halfback pairing where number 10 Elton Jantjies and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, so impressive at Super Rugby level for the Lions, have looked out of their depth. The front row and lock pairings have been solid enough, but they have missed a fetcher at the breakdown and the pack has a whole has lacked the muscle of Springbok sides of old. Prospects: Lions defensive coach JP Ferreira and backline specialist Franco Smith of the Free State Cheetahs have been added to the group but will need time to make an impact. So low are expectations that a first defeat to England in 10 years is almost assumed. Wales will also be tough but a first-ever defeat to Italy would be unthinkable. - - - - Wales (5) Fixtures - Australia, Argentina, Japan, South Africa. Form: Wales have won only three of their nine games this year, including three defeats in New Zealand where they looked good for an hour in every match before being blown away. Issues: They will be coached for this campaign, and the next Six Nations, by Rob Howley as Warren Gatland is on secondment to the British and Irish Lions. Howley had mixed results when the same arrangement was in place four years ago, but is a far more experienced operator now. After missing the World Cup with injury, Rhys Webb seems to have restored his grip on the scrumhalf jersey but flyhalf Dan Biggar, edging his way back to form after an extended break, is under presser from Gareth Anscombe and Sam Davies. The classy Leigh Halfpenny also returns at fullback after more than a year out. Prospects: Wales are without injured captain Sam Warburton and key lock Alun Wyn Jones due to a family bereavement for the Australia opener, which hardly helps their chances of ending a seven-year, 11-match losing streak against them. Argentina and Japan offer better opportunities before the chance for World Cup revenge comes against the struggling Springboks. - - - - Ireland (6) Fixtures: New Zealand (in USA), Canada, New Zealand, Australia. Form: A first test victory on South African soil in June has been the high point of Ireland's year, and two solid performances in subsequent defeats to the Springboks bode well for a tough series autumn games ahead after a shaky Six Nations. Having won Europe's premier competition in 2014 and 2015, Ireland's failure to convert their chances saw them slump to third place in 2016. Issues: The recent announcement of coach Joe Schmidt's decision to extend his contract until the end of the 2019 World Cup has since been overshadowed by the news that flyhalf Paddy Jackson has been questioned by Belfast police in relation to allegations of sexual offences. Jackson, who denies any wrongdoing, has not travelled to the United States for the All Blacks game on Saturday but will be available for the other three games. Despite the vibrant play of the Irish provincial sides in club competitions, Ireland's strength in depth was exposed at the tail-end of the 2015 World Cup as injuries to key players such as Paul O'Connell and Johnny Sexton saw their campaign come to an abrupt end against Argentina in the quarter finals. The current absence of flanker Sean O'Brien and back-row forward Peter O'Mahony due to a lack of recent playing time may provide an opening for new faces but it could be a baptism of fire against the world champions. Prospects: The absence of O'Brien's physicality will seriously hamper Ireland's chances of putting derailing the All Blacks express. The return of Johnny Sexton will be a welcome boost and while Canada should prove beatable without him, the flyhalf's clever game management will be key if Ireland are to have any chance of threatening their southern hemisphere guests. - - - - France (7) Fixtures: Samoa, Australia, New Zealand Form: Since Guy Noves, the man who led Toulouse to 10 French titles and four European Cups, took over from Philippe Saint-Andre after the World Cup fiasco, France have shown brief glimpses of their 'flair' but not enough to prevent them finishing fifth in the Six Nations. Their June tour of Argentina, however, restored some confidence. A 30-19 opening defeat was followed by a stunning 27-0 victory during which scrumhalf Baptiste Serin produced a world class performance, giving Noves something to build on. Issues: Not for the first time, France have been hit by injuries induced by the high demands of club rugby in the gruelling Top 14 league and Maxime Medard and Eddy Ben Arous are the latest to be ruled out. The scrum is not what it used to be, suffering from a lack of discipline, while the back row looks a little lightweight up against the giants of the other top teams. Prospects: During the close season, the French federation and the league followed England's lead and signed the 'Elite Convention', which rules that a group of 30 France-based players chosen by Noves will be protected around the international fixtures. They can no longer be forced to play club rugby while on international duty, giving hope that they will perform better in November and during next year's Six Nations. They will expect to help bed down that togetherness with an opening win against Samoa before stiffer tasks to come. - - - - Scotland (8) Fixtures: Australia, Argentina, Georgia. Form: A fourth-place finish in the Six Nations was secured thanks to Scotland's first victory over France in a decade and Vern Cotter's men backed it up with a 2-0 series win over Japan in the summer. Scotland have restored their position in the world's top 10 after a brief exit following their whitewash in the 2015 Six Nations. Once renowned for their stoic defence, Scotland now have some real attacking talent to call upon. Fullback Stuart Hogg was the player of the tournament in this year's Six Nations, while Tim Visser and Sean Maitland are two of the form wingers in the English Premiership, and Tommy Seymour the Pro12's top scorer. Issues: The loss of injured tighthead prop WP Nel is a big worry ahead of stiff scrum examinations from Argentina and Georgia. With the fitness of veteran Alasdair Dickinson and Gordon Reid also in the balance, 20-year-old Zander Fagerson and Allan Dell and Alex Allan - with two caps between the three - have been brought in as cover. Flyhalf Finn Russell has just returned from a four-month layoff after a serious head injury. His only cover is Peter Horne, who usually plays in the midfield and is also returning to training after hand damage. Cotter has left out his most experienced midfielder Matt Scott in favour of 22-year-old Huw Jones, who won his first cap against Japan in the summer, a gamble that could backfire if there are injuries to the likely first-choice pairing of Alex Dunbar and Mark Bennett. Off-field issues have been an unwelcome distraction. The English Premiership only this week agreed to release Scotland players plying their trade south of the border in a dispute with Scottish Rugby over outstanding injury bills. Continuity also remains a problem, with Gregor Townsend becoming the country's fourth coach in five years when he takes over from Cotter next year. Prospects: Scotland are still stinging from their agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat by Australia, who were also narrow 21-15 victors in their last trip to Murrayfield in 2013 and another tight one could be on the cards. The Scots have beaten Argentina four of their last five meetings while they will expect to beat Georgia. But there is an added edge to this one as Georgia have been lobbying for a relegation/promotion system that would allow them into the Six Nations and Scotland have often been in that hypothetical drop zone. - - - - Argentina (9) Fixtures: Japan, Wales, Scotland, England Form: The Pumas are steadily improving in most aspects of their performance, but not in results. They have won one match in each of the last three Rugby Championships but fell short of their goal this year of winning two. Issues: Concentration and decision making under pressure are the key issues they prevented them building on good possession against Australia and South Africa. They need to take the lead and build on it because in most matches they are fighting back to make up for a points deficit and open to counter-attacks. The necessary experience to stand toe to toe with their opponents on a regular basis may still be several years away. This should come with more growth of a relatively small player base and more playing time together not just as Pumas but also as Jaguares in Super Rugby. Needing to improve their ranking so they are among the top eight for the May 2019 World Cup draw might be an added spur but could also increase the pressure on them for victories. Prospects: Argentina will want to replicate their 2015 World Cup form and win at least three of their four tests, victory over England looking the biggest obstacle. Individually, they have back row forwards Facundo Isa and Javier Ortega Desio in fine form, Nicolas Sanchez's playmaking and place kicking are of the top order and the back three of Santiago Cordero, Manuel Montero and Joaquin Tuculet a handful when in full flight in attack. - - - - Japan (12) Fixtures: Argentina, Georgia, Wales, Fiji. Form: Two, albeit narrow, defeats to Scotland followed by a win in Canada in June followed the annual canter through the Asia Rugby Championship with thrashings of South Korea and Hong Kong. Securing continental bragging rights for an 11th straight tournament might not be the best preparation for taking on four teams above the Brave Blossoms in the world rankings. However, nobody in world rugby will have forgotten what they achieved under Eddie Jones in the World Cup ago with the stunning upset of South Africa as well as victories over Samoa and the United States. Issues: Coach Jamie Joseph finally arrived in Japan in September, some 11 months after the departure of Jones and with just over three years to build a team to play host at the 2019 World Cup. The former All Black was forced to name 17 uncapped players in his first squad because of a raft of injuries and even some withdrawals, which the New Zealander described as "disappointing". Shota Horie and Harumuchi Tatekawa will captain the side in the absence of World Cup skipper Michael Leitch, who opted out of the tests to "freshen up". Standout Fumiaki Tanaka will again run things from scrumhalf with Yu Tamura at flyhalf and centre Harumichi Tatekawa offering some continuity in the backline. Loose forward Hendrik Tui, locks Michael Broadhurst and Luke Thompson as well as fullback Ayumu Goromaru are absent, however, with the foreign-born forwards particularly missed. Jones used imports to build a scrums that was able to compete with tier one packs but 12 of the 18 forwards in Joseph's squad are uncapped, including 35-year-old prop Satoshi Nakatani. Prospects: Joseph accepts there will be defeats along the way as he tries to build a side capable of a respectable showing in 2019 but would probably not thank the Japanese Rugby Union for such a tough schedule. Argentina and Georgia have turned scrummaging into an art form, Fiji and Wales always present a huge physical challenge so the Japan pack might do well to give the backs any ball to try out the moves prepared by attack coach Tony Brown. Given that, Joseph's inexperienced team will do well to avoid humiliation against the Pumas in Tokyo, the Pacific Islanders in Vannes, France and the Welsh in Cardiff and hope to nick a win in Tbilisi. - - - - Italy (13) Fixtures: New Zealand, South Africa, Tonga. Form: Under new coach Conor O'Shea, Italy's goal is to earn some badly needed respect when they meet the All Blacks in their first autumn encounter. The former Irish fullback and Harlequins director of rugby took over from Jacques Brunel following yet another Six Nations failure. After an agonising 23-21 defeat in Paris the tournament then unravelled and ended with two drubbings at the hands of Ireland and Wales. In June, with O'Shea just days into his new job, Italy toured the Americas, going down to Argentina 24-30 and registering narrow victories over the United States and Canada. Issues: O'Shea and his new attack coach, former England back Mike Catt, are managing expectations and telling their new employers and Italian fans not to hope for any sharp turnaround in fortunes. They are going back to basics, focusing hard on fitness and skills to ensure players can deliver high-quality rugby for the full 80 minutes. In his squad for the autumn series, O'Shea has chosen a core of experienced players who were rested during the summer tour, including flanker and captain Sergio Parisse (119 caps), fellow flanker Alessandro Zanni (99) and hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini (81). He also exposes some new talent this autumn, with three uncapped players in the squad: prop Simone Ferrari, wing Andrea Buondonno and scrumhalf Giorgio Bronzini. Prospects: Avoiding a massive defeat is the only realistic target against the All Blacks in Rome, and the last 20 minutes could be x-rated as the Italians so often fade just when the world champions step on the gas. They will have higher hopes in Florence against South Africa, though a first win against them might be too much to ask and anything but victory over Tonga would be a real blow. (Reporting by Nick Said, John Geddie, Mitch Phillips, Phil O'Connor, Nick Mulvenney, Mark Bendeich, Rex Gowar, Julien Pretot, Editing by: Mitch Phillips/Toby Davis)