With the November internationals grinding to a close, Planet Rugby takes a look at who were the ultimate winners and losers of the month.
Winners:
South Africa
South Africa? South Africa, we hear you cry! They've just lost to two club sides?
They've just stuttered in the gloom in Dublin?
Well, the truth of the matter is that they, as World Champions, have been big enough men to not only use the NH tour to develop their squad but also to take their brand into the clubs.
If any of you managed to attend Welford Road or Wembley you'll know exactly what we mean; packed houses, a feeling of fun, an air of camaraderie and, of we're honest, games that were more about the occasion than the result.
Dewald Potgieter, a man who will, in years to come, be a thorn in the side of many test nations, and this season's midweek tour captain, put it admirably:
"We've been embraced wherever we've been. The atmosphere and the welcome we've had from the clubs has been tremendous and I hope that the SA management see the benefit in these games for the players and the fans, and repeat it (the tour) for many years to come"
South Africa- Champions in every way.
The King of Opensides
Yes, the opensides got a mention en bloc a couple of weeks ago, but in reviewing the autumn's rugby, every time you look at the standout players, it's a truism to say the majority appear to be openside flankers and we decided that this was one of the key themes of the recent series.
There is an argument that the ruck laws play into the hands of a good seven, and that may be the case, but it would be churlish to blame players for not reacting to the opportunities created for them.
However, we cannot remember a point in time in world rugby when there were so many great flying flankers. Every team appears to have someone that would be a contender for a world 15- McCaw, Moody, Dusautoir, Pocock, Smith, Brussow, Williams, Wallace, each one of them a standout in their respective teams.
The best of them? A difficult one. On yesterday's showing, McCaw is rightly still McAwe, but with David Pocock already eclipsing a team-mate with a century of caps one wonders how long the Kiwi will retain that crown.
However, there's something more about Richie; the way he combined to create the try at Twickenham, and the way, when New Zealand stutter, it's McCaw that pops up with the crucial pass, tackle or move that unlocks the game, that sets the man apart. On current form, he is simply the most complete rugby player in the world bar none.
Richie McCaw- still the best in the business.
Graham Henry
You say you can never teach an old dog new tricks. Look back over the last 15 years or so of New Zealand Rugby and you'll see a clear pattern emerge; they peak in between World Cups and trough when the biggest prize arrives.
Henry knows that 2011 is the biggest year in the venerable history of the All Blacks. Failure, to use a cliché, is not an option, and it's likely that, should New Zealand fail to win Billy, the government will repeal the death penalty, such is the air of expectation.
Henry has used this tour to examine his options, to blood new players, but above all, create a structure in which players can rotate but still win.
His organizational skills, confident coaching and empowerment have given he All Blacks a base of solidity and a winning culture with which to move forward.
The display in Marseille was the culmination of the tour- they peaked wonderfully and looked a class act.
There are no more excuses, New Zealand expects, and on this showing who can stop them?
Graham Henry- the Coach of the Autumn.
Australia's front-row
Roll the clock back two years and the Australian front-row were a bigger national joke than Sir Leslie Patterson.
Shoved hither and thither by every international pack going, the Aussie scrummage was an embarrassment and a serious cause of concern.
Enter Patricia Noriega and Robbie Deans who have transformed the Aussies, with the not inconsiderable talents of Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, and the outstanding Benn Robinson.
Not only can these guys push, but witness their passing and open play yesterday and you'd be forgiven for thinking they were back row forwards.
Combine this newly found scrum power with the best defence in the business and the brilliance of Matt Giteau and the emerging talent of David Pocock and you can see why Australia are yet again peaking at exactly the right moment for world cup 2011.
The rest of the world need to be worried- very worried.
Andy Robinson
Yes, the Growling One is back. It's almost five years to the day since Robbo walked as manager of Club England, and five years and two weeks to the day that Rob Andrew claimed to be fully behind him. (In the words of a famous politician, it's impossible to stab someone in the back unless you're fully behind them).
Nevertheless, Robinson's success with Scotland, despite the loss to Argentina, may not have been pretty, but it was darned effective.
The Scottish forwards showed a common purpose (and more importantly, an advance in technique) that's been sadly lacking by the England pack under John Wells, a sure mark of Robinson's coaching skill.
England's loss is Scotland's gain, and they'll be a tough cookie come the Six Nations.
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Paddy O'Brien
Paddy O'Brien is one of the world's most celebrated officials.
A man of huge passion and no less commitment, O'Brien's enthusiasm is a driving force of the IRB referee's programme.
However, when that enthusiasm drives Paddy to go public in criticism of one of rugby's most experienced international refs, even he is not immune to the consequences.
The issue here is not Stu Dickinson's technical skill, or even whether or not he got the scrummage penalties right at the San Siro, it's how O'Brien went into print to publicly bawl out the Australian.
Some things need to be said, but sometimes it's best saying them behind closed doors, and Paddy will hopefully reflect on this and still continue in his role.
The England Backs
One wonders whether or not this should be a lifetime 'In-achievement' award, such is the consistent dirge of back play that England trot out season after season.
One try in three games, and quite frankly another 239 minutes of international rugby where they never even threatened to cross the white wash.
Despite Lord Jonny's comeback, England's plodding back division suffered from chronic alignment, schoolboy handling errors, a lack of any creative vision and a cohesion that smacks of a European Parliament.
Just look at the New Zealand game- England finally mount a coruscating attack; they drive deep into enemy territory, England need to lay down a mark and draw blood.
What does Johnny do? With a three on two overlap outside him he drops for goal.
There are times when a side needs to score a try, just to lay that marker down, and that was it. Wilkinson failed to see this, which is worrying in extreme.
If you cast your mind back over November, we defy you to remember one line break by the English. We challenge you to recall one run by any of their centres.
The issues are simple; selections were ill-advised, Wilkinson is lying so deeply that he's at times 20 metres behind the gain-line when he takes the ball and the centres outside him simply have not the skills to play at international level.
Factor in the omission of proven attacking talent such as Mathew Tait and James Simpson-Daniel and you can see that whilst Johnno knows a good forward, he's a little myopic when it comes to back play.
Paradoxically, in the spring, Riki Flutey's jack-in-a-box performances had given the red rose hope.Let's hope that the spring sees the two talents of Wilko and Flutey united.
Wales
"This will be our year"
We've heard this many times. Wales are not short of talent. The side has truly world class players - Jenkins, Wyn-Jones, Williams (Martyn) and Roberts for Wales.
It's fine beating their neighbours time and time again, but to progress they have to start beating the Southern Hemisphere sides. There is no way that the Celts could claim to have moved forward unless they have done this. And not once, but twice and three times.
Yes, they've had injury issues, yes, the Cardiff surface does not aid their brand of attacking rugby but the Welsh public deserve and expect better.
To paraphrase the Lion King: "Come on guys, give us something to be proud of. Make the hairs on the back of our necks stand up"
Wales end of year report?" All the ability but need to apply it better".
The Kiss and Tell Interviewer:
If you review the end of match interviews this season, you might wonder if the IRB are considering extending the red and yellow cards until 60 minutes after the game finishes, such was the ineptitude of a couple of the kiss and tell moments.
Sonia McLaughlin featured earlier in this column when her embarrassment of Dan Carter's display in Wales made the viewer cringe. Every time one watches her stumbling understanding of the game it is car-crash TV viewing.
And then Graham Simmons, the master of the post match, infuriated the England Team Manager Martin Johnson to such a level that reports of very strong words between the pair after the interview are no big secret.
In Sonia's case, one could put it down to ineptitude; in Simmo's case, he went too far.
Come on guys, let's get a sense of perspective and let's treat the players and managers that make rugby what it is with a degree of respect.
The IRB Law Makers
To the enlightened watcher, rugby has two unique and great visual elements; the physicality of the forwards and the handling of the backs.
One thing that is not viewed with such delectation is the aerial bombardment tactic that appears to have crept into our game, and the slowness of ruck ball being caused by the allowance of hands in the ruck.
Let's take the kicks first- it is (or should be) a last resort tactic, or a surprise weapon. No-one minds the scary Garryowen; it's been part of the game for years. Everyone loves a well executed cross field kick to a winger of Banahan's size. But when it's the de rigueur default tactic for those that have a cupboard bereft of creativity, it gets on your nerves.
In one international this season, we recorded 59 such kicks. Now factor in that the ball is in play for around 30-35 minutes of the average match, that gives us roughly a kick every 30 seconds.
The ELV's were supposed to make the game more attractive, but a downside consequence of the 'pass back' law into the 22 is that players cannot kick to touch. If they could, then we'd be saved of this veritable kicking cornucopia.
Then we have the breakdown and ruck-time; an interesting statistic quoted recently was that there were 70 per cent less tries in this year's Tri Nations games as compared to 2007.
The ruck has always been a place for feet and until recently, never for hands. With the skill of McCaw, Pocock and Brussouw in jackeling and slowing the ball down, the protection of the ball in the ruck has become almost impossible.
It is exactly the issues at the breakdown that is preventing sides from maintaining the momentum of attacking moves, an the delivery of try scoring opportunities.
We need to address this and finally get a balance between physicality and skill.
The game is generally in rude health; deal with these particular issues and it'll be positively glowing.
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