The rugby world is together once again, as the autumn internationals [or spring tours, if you reside down south] take centre stage across the United Kingdom and Europe.
And hasn't there been some spice in the build-up? An intriguing slate of matches awaits in November.
Read on as we take a look at where things are at for each nation inside the top 10 -- and throw Wales some slack after they slipped down to No. 11.
NO.1: IRELAND
Where they're at: Ireland will expect to win all four of their November Tests and head into the batch of games against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia as the best team in the northern hemisphere. The squad is settled -- Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan are missing through injury -- and with this being a Lions season, expect this to double up as an audition for plenty of the men in green.
Andy Farrell will temporarily step aside from Ireland duties next year to focus on the Lions, but before he heads off to plan for Australia, he'll want a quartet of dominant performances. And he's gone for Caelan Doris -- potentially Lions captain in waiting -- to lead his team through the autumn. Doris is Ireland's youngest captain since Brian O'Driscoll first took on the honour in 2003, and should now lead the team into the next World Cup.
So expect this to be the November where Ireland are moulded in Doris' image. Ireland's depth has been bolstered by the return of Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Iain Henderson and Jamison Gibson-Park, who all missed the summer Tests.
Player to watch: Jack Crowley has been the heir apparent to Johnny Sexton but faces competition for the fly-half jersey from Ciaran Frawley and Sam Prendergast. Crowley is likely to hold on to the fly-half shirt, but he will be aware of others breathing down his neck.
- Tom Hamilton
NO. 2: SOUTH AFRICA
Where they're at: The Springboks have cemented their status as the southern hemisphere's dominant side since the beginning of the season. It may have seemed obvious to some after back-to-back World Cups that they would be the team to beat on tour, where they will visit Scotland, England and Wales. However, this year's Rugby Championship win was their first since 2019.
The Boks have mastered the art of using four-year cycles to build up their teams and peak at the crucial moments. When the British & Irish Lions visited in 2009, they were at their strongest and won the series. In 2021, they strengthened enough to retain it just in the nick of time. In each of their four World Cup wins, they hit their best form just as it was needed.
However, this time, the Springboks have yet to come down from the high of their last World Cup win. Far from starting afresh and playing catch-up again, they have pulled well clear of the rest of the southern hemisphere.
South Africa have had some late injury setbacks, with Damian Willemse joining Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu as a fly-half scratching for the three-Test tour.
Player to watch: It can be taken as a positive that there is ample strength in depth. It is unclear who will start at fullback particularly, but Aphelele Fassi has been the Springboks' surprise package this year. He had only three Test appearances at the time of his 26th birthday in January, but after working on his tackling and kicking game, he is now a regular starter (albeit not guaranteed) and potential long-term successor to Willie le Roux.
- Leonard Solms
NO. 3: NEW ZEALAND
Where they're at: It's been a mixed start to Scott Robertson's tenure as All Blacks coach and the results on the end of year tour will go a long way to determining if year one will be deemed a success or not.
New Zealand face the top three sides from this year's Six Nations in England, Ireland and France - as well as Italy - so it will be a real litmus test. All eyes will be on the fly-half spot and who gets the nod between Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett, or indeed if someone else gets a chance. While McKenzie has started the majority of games this year, (with Barrett coming off the bench or playing fullback), it's hard to argue he has made the jersey his own. With Will Jordan also returning to the fold at 15 recently, Robertson faces a juggling act to fit everyone in.
The All Blacks warmed up for their northern assignment with a stopover in Japan, where a near second-string side piled 64 points on the Brave Blossoms. However, their second-half struggles, which were a feature of the Rugby Championship, continued save for a couple of late Ruben Love tries. Two or more defeats will keep some pressure on Robertson heading into the new year.
Player to watch: Twenty-two-year-old Wallace Sititi has had a year to remember and is set to cap it off with his first northern tour. He has made himself more than comfortable in the All Blacks back-row, after an injury to Ethan Blackadder gave him an opportunity in games against South Africa and Australia. Expect him to make an impact again should Robertson stick with his breakout Test star.
- James Regan
NO.4: FRANCE
Where they're at: France return to the field for the first time since their 1-1 series draw with Argentina, and one-off win over Uruguay, with a vastly different squad, as is typical of their home-and-away squad management. They will also be pleased to have left behind the off-field indiscretions of their touring party, which brought the national team into disrepute.
The biggest inclusion is of course that of skipper Antoine Dupont whose short sevens stint result in the meagre return of OIympic gold, and thrust the GOAT debate into the spotlight across social media [wasn't that enjoyable!]. The truth of the matter is, though, that until Dupont helps fire France past the quarterfinals of the World Cup, he cannot be held in the same conversation as some of the game's all-time greats.
The clash with the All Blacks is the standout fixture among Les Bleus' November campaign, the two sides meeting for the first time since their World Cup opener last year. It is also a precursor to next year's series in July, though France have already indicated an understrength squad will again embark on that tour.
Player to watch: While all eyes will naturally be trained on le petit general, French fans will likely get a look at their latest naturalized Test prospect in Tongan-born Tevita Tatafu. The 140kg, 180cm Bayonne player looms as the successor to Uni Antonio at tighthead and is a timely reminder of the far-reaching academies that are helping to strengthen French rugby to the detriment of several developing nations.
- Sam Bruce
NO.5: ENGLAND
Where they're at: England have undergone some backroom reshuffling over the summer with both head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters, and defence coach Felix Jones, handing in their resignations. Walters is now with Irish rugby while Jones is seeing out his contract in a remote capacity working on analysis. In their place have come defence coach Joe El-Abd (who is combining his role with director of rugby at Oyonnax until the end of the season) and Dan Tobin has been brought into the backroom team, but England haven't yet got their number one target to replace Walters in Saracens' Phil Morrow.
On the pitch, England will be without first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell and they could face some issues in the centres. George Ford is hoping to be fit for their opener against New Zealand, but if he's injured, then Marcus Smith could get the keys to No.10.
Elsewhere, Steve Borthwick has choices to make at No. 8 while this could be the series when he slowly ushers in a new group of front-rowers. Despite being admired for their performances in their two defeats to New Zealand in the summer, England expects results this November with the All Blacks, Australia, South Africa and Japan lying in wait.
Player to watch: It'll be fascinating to see who Borthwick goes for at scrum-half and in the centres, but this should be George Furbank's autumn. The fullback is pivotal to the side's attack, with his ability to slot in as a second playmaker, while also having the deftness to attack from deep. He is integral to England's game plan, and you could see how much they missed him in the second Test with the All Blacks in the summer.
- Tom Hamilton
NO. 6: ARGENTINA
Where they're at: This year, they underwent a change in head coach: Michael Cheika stepped down after the World Cup, but the rest of the staff remained, and Felipe Contepomi transitioned from attack coach to head coach. In this way, the transition was not too abrupt, and the team adapted well.
Their start in July wasn't promising, with a loss to a second-string French team, but from the second match onward, the team showed up, earning a victory over the French and then a landslide win against Uruguay. Next came the Rugby Championship, which turned out to be an historic tournament. The team secured a win against each of the three southern hemisphere opponents, remained in the fight for the title until the final matchday, and suffered a last-second loss to Australia that would have granted them a memorable second place.
Additionally, the team introduced new players and rotated the squad for every game. Contepomi's approach was clear: manage workloads and playing time to prevent overloading players who have a relentless schedule. While the team's goal is continuous improvement, if they manage to defeat Ireland, they will have beaten the top four teams in the world rankings within the same calendar year.
Player to watch: One of the major developments during the Rugby Championship was the emergence of Tomás Albornoz as the starting fly-half. Playing for Benetton, Albornoz replaced Santiago Carreras in the position during the fourth round and was instrumental in securing the biggest victory in Argentina's history against the Wallabies. His performance earned him a starting role against South Africa in the final two matches of the tournament.
- Maximiliano De Mingo
NO. 7: SCOTLAND
Where they're at: After so much hope before this year's Six Nations, Scotland fell short again. An impressive win over England was marred by deflating defeats to France and Italy as well as Ireland. They also only edged lowly Wales by a point. South Africa will pose by far the biggest test of the upcoming games, but the expectation will surely be a good performance there and a win over Australia in their last game of the series.
Both the Wallabies and Scotland are desperate for a big win, so that is certainly a match to keep an eye on. They also face a potential banana skin match against Fiji, as well as Portugal. Results here will set the tone ahead of the fast approaching Six Nations.
Player to watch: Sione Tuipulotu has replaced Finn Russell as captain for the series, so it will be interesting to see how both respond. Tuipulotu has led the side before, but the pressure will be much higher when they take to Murrayfield in November. While Russell has still been named as a vice captain alongside Rory Darge, there may be a weight off the fly-half's shoulders that allows him to excel the way everyone knows he can.
- James Regan
NO. 8: ITALY
Where they're at: The game against Georgia, a team who have long called for themselves to join the Six Nations, is a good chance for Italy to assert their authority. 2024 has been a year of good progress under coach Gonzalo Quesada and Italy will want that trend to continue at the end of the year; their current eighth-place is their equal best ever and highest since 2007.
Every game is vital in the build up to next year's Six Nations and the development of this Italian side. Argentina, who are very much on the up themselves with wins over South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the Rugby Championship, present an intriguing matchup. Italy round off their year against New Zealand, where they'll look to cause a few headaches against an All Blacks side who will be coming off tough Tests of their own. Going to Italy is never an easy ask, and Quesada will no doubt be challenging his side and daring them to dream.
Player to watch: Ross Vincent has continued to make an impression since being handed his debut earlier this year. He started in the draw against France and the win against Scotland while he made an impact off the bench to help cement victory against Wales. At 22 years old, the Exeter back-row is getting more games under his belt in the Gallagher Premiership which will only help his development.
- James Regan
NO. 9: FIJI
Where they're at: Fiji hit their November campaign full of momentum, continuing on from their superb World Cup showing when they were within striking distance of a maiden semifinal appearance. After their Super Rugby Pacific franchise, the Drua, made the quarterfinals, Fiji then embarked on an undefeated Pacific Nations Cup that culminated with a 41-17 hammering of Japan in the final.
Mick Byrne has meanwhile graduated from Drua to Fiji coach, replacing Simon Raiwalui, the former All Blacks assistant and Australian rule ruckman continuing his unlikely climb up rugby's coaching ladder. And now Byrne faces his biggest test to date, with games against Scotland, Wales and Ireland all in line this November.
With a squad bolstered by a number of European-based stars who weren't available during the Pacific Nations Cup, Fiji, if they play to their full potential, are capable of winning two of those three Tests, particularly with the Scotland Test falling outside the official November Test window.
Player to watch: While Semi Radradra, Josua Tuisova and co-captain Waisale Nayacalevua all add genuine star factor to the Flying Fijians, the industrious hooker and co-captain Tevita Ikanivere continues to go from strength to strength. One of the big success stories of the Drua, Ikanivere carries with authority up front, scrummages well, and now just needs to add the polish to his lineout throwing to be the complete Test hooker.
- Sam Bruce
NO. 10: AUSTRALIA
Where they're at: The Joe Schmidt revolution is well and truly underway Down Under, even if the results have so far not flowed as Rugby Australia might have hoped. The Wallabies' record sits at 4-5 for the season -- which is two more wins than Eddie Jones managed last year mind you -- while Schmidt has handed out no fewer than 16 Test debuts.
The coach is however edging closer to his preferred starting XV -- nearly two-thirds of it looks established -- while more about the remainder of Australia's best run-on side should be revealed over the next month. Having only called on Marika Koroibete as an overseas-based player to date, Schmidt has now brought Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi into his Wallabies mix. Skelton's punch up front will be welcomed, while Kerevi's selection also offers intrigue, both for the fact he has been playing only League Two rugby in Japan and that it suggests Schmidt is not yet wholly content with the 10-12 axis of Noah Lolesio and Hunter Paisami.
The Wallabies have a rare Grand Slam opportunity, but recording two wins from a schedule where they will likely start outsiders in every Test is a far more realistic goal for Schmidt's side at this juncture. This is also about finetuning in what is Australia's last run of games before next year's British & Irish Lions series.
Player to watch: Eighteen months from when he first signed, code-hopper Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been brought straight into the Wallabies touring squad despite not playing a game of rugby, at any level, since 2020. The former NRL star is likely to get his chance off the bench at some stage on tour, as Schmidt takes the opportunity to fast-track the 21-year-old's rugby reeducation.
- Sam Bruce
NO. 11: WALES
Where they're at: It's been a tough 2024 for Wales and Warren Gatland. They are without a win in nine Test matches stretching back to the World Cup last year, and the pressure is on to deliver in November. They have Fiji, Australia and the Springboks lying in wait and Gatland knows he needs a result or two. But that pressure is not dissuading him from his long-term goal of rebuilding the Welsh national team and ushering in the next generation.
"I'm not here thinking about my own position or how I protect my own backside. Results are important but I've tried to be incredibly honest. It's about making the right decisions for Wales," Gatland said.
There are familiar faces in the Wales squad with a strong Gloucester contingent but don't expect much rotation. As Wales have just the trio of matches, Gatland will go full strength for all three. Dewi Lake captains the team, but they'll be without Dafydd Jenkins and hooker Elliot Dee while Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau are not yet fit enough to play.
Player to watch: With Gareth Anscombe likely to start at fly-half, Cardiff's Ben Thomas is set to impress at inside centre. Gatland called Thomas the "best back in Wales" at the squad announcement and looks likely to slot in at No.12 with Mason Grady used either at outside centre or on the wing. Thomas started all three Tests in the summer at fly-half but Gatland is likely to try out his skill set in the centres this autumn.
- Tom Hamilton