Autumn internationals: our writers’ predictions for the month ahead – What is the standout fixture? Which players will make the biggest impact? And will anyone beat the All Blacks?
Match you are most looking forward to?
Robert Kitson It is 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 is talking about England, Wales and Australia in the World Cup’s Group of Death but no one has 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 past 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 in what could be the most momentous of the three……… see more at :- http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/nov/03/autumn-internationals-writers-predictions-england-new-zealand
