International rugby is back on the treadmill this month with more at stake than national pride and another Grand Slam bid by New Zealand.

This month's matches will determine how the 12 automatic qualifiers for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand will be seeded.

They will be based on the world rankings on November 30, and the top four spots are the most prized as they will head the tournament's four pools.

Presently, the rankings are dominated by the Southern Hemisphere — with New Zealand number one, South Africa number two, Australia number three and Argentina at number four.

Argentina is most at risk of dropping. The Pumas return to Europe for the first time since last year's World Cup, where they finished a surprising third and ruined France's party by beating the hosts twice.

The Pumas meet France in Marseille on Saturday, hoping for a seventh win in eight matches against Les Bleus since 2002.

The Pumas hired former France captain Fabien Galthie this week as a technical assistant to coach Santiago Phelan during their three-match tour. Galthie lost out to Marc Lievremont in the race for the position of French coach last year and will reunite with players he used to coach at Stade Francais, such as flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez and prop Rodrigo Roncero.

Roncero will play after appealing a 30-day suspension for a brutal foul in a club match last month.

Lievremont named a team with eight Toulouse players, including the only new cap, fullback Maxime Medard. Lievremont said he hasn't mentioned avenging the World Cup losses to Argentina, only on ending that run of failure, and a three-match losing streak dating to the Six Nations, where France missed out on a third straight title.

World champs on display

Elsewhere, European champion Wales meets World Cup champ South Africa, England face the Pacific Islanders, Scotland hosts New Zealand, Italy tackles Australia, Ireland welcomes Canada, and the United States plays Uruguay before leaving on a two-Test tour of Japan.

Wales' preparations for the Springboks have been hampered by another club-versus-country spat with their provinces.

Wales had to go to the High Court to make the provinces release players for training last week, and the provinces say they will lodge a protest to the International Rugby Board over the release rules.

Coach Warren Gatland still believes his side will provide better performances than in the two June tests in South Africa, lost 43-17 and 37-21.

To try and avoid a 10th straight loss to the Boks, and earn only a second victory in 102 years, Wales will debut teenage wing Leigh Halfpenny in his eighth first-class match against Bryan Habana, last year's best player in the world.

Habana was among five changes, all of them World Cup winners, from the Boks' last Test in August, including the surprise choice of captain John Smit at tighthead prop instead of hooker, and regular scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar at flyhalf. Bakkies Botha and JP Pietersen are also back.

Johnson to make coaching debut

Another Cup winner, Martin Johnson, finally reveals his talent as a coach since his appointment as England manager forced out coach Brian Ashton after the Six Nations. Johnson missed the mid-year tour to New Zealand, to his benefit.

Johnson has promoted lock Nick Kennedy and former New Zealand Maori back Riki Flutey for the first appearance by the Islanders in two years. Led by Saracens scrumhalf Mosese Rauluni, the best of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga (the Pacific Island XV) gathered only last Sunday, but all but one are based in Europe and familiar with England.

The All Blacks also look brand new after making 12 changes to the side which beat Australia 19-14 in Hong Kong last Saturday.

Loose forwards Kieran Read and Liam Messam, and prop Jamie Mackintosh will make their debut against Scotland in a team with only six players with more than 10 caps. The All Blacks, who faced a second-string outfit at Murrayfield during last year's World Cup, said they needed to accommodate their squad in a grueling schedule.

At the start of their bid for a third Grand Slam — a sweep of the Home Unions; Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland — the All Blacks also lined up a midweek match against European club champion Munster for the 30th celebration of the only Irish side to beat them.

Scotland brought aboard former New Zealand captain Mike Brewer to fire up the pack to deliver quality ball for captain and scrumhalf Mike Blair, who was shortlisted for world player of the year.

Australia made eight changes from the defeat in Hong Kong for the Test with Italy in Padova.

Berrick Barnes will play his first Test of the year with regular flyhalf Matt Giteau in the reserves alongside 18-year-old fullback James O'Connor, who could become the second youngest man to play for the Wallabies.

Italy, last seen beating Argentina 13-12 in Cordoba in June, moved Pablo Canavosio from the wing to scrumhalf, Andrea Masi from flyhalf to fullback and Andrea Marcato from fullback to flyhalf.

Canada got the season under way last weekend with a 21-13 win over Portugal in Lisbon, but they should be out of their depth at Thomond Park against Ireland, which will introduce fullback Keith Earls.

365

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