It is Autumn International time again for those of us interested in the Fraternity of the Ovoid, so my weekend’s sporting activity today and tomorrow consists of sitting in front of the box watching Wales v Australia this afternoon and England v New Zealand tomorrow: just the job for a person recovering from the dreaded Man-Flu.
Wales will be seeking a return to the form they found four years ago: I’m not one of those who crow about Wales’ Grand Slam win in 2004 because frankly everyone else was just super-crap that year and we Welsh made the most of it. We shouldn’t forget that Wales beat Australia at the Millennium Stadium this time last year, but I feel this afternoon’s game will be a rather different affair.
I can’t see the Wallaby pack falling apart like it did last time the sides met, so Wales won’t have it all their own way up front. On the other hand, with players returning from injury, Wales should have a much more potent back line than they fielded last year and I expect us to play a more attacking and perhaps structured game.
The match will be new coach Gareth Jenkins’ first on home soil, while Wales’ last coach, Scott Johnson, is now part of the Australian set-up. Interesting, eh? Well it certainly could be.
As for tomorrow, well what can I say? England have looked at sixes and sevens recently while the All Blacks have proved time and again they are masters of the rugby field: don’t let that put you off though, pride will be at stake and England will want to find form and pinch a famous scalp.
Personally I think England seem slow and somewhat plodding around the pitch. It’s almost as though there isn’t the desire to win they showed with Martin Johnson at the helm. The skills that should be there don’t appear to be and I can’t see any result other than an All Black win; and of course being Welsh I’d always back anyone against the English. 
