Can Robbie Deans inspire a late surge from the Wallabies? © Getty Images

Spiro Zavos looks ahead to the serious business of the Tri-Nations, which he believes is harder to win than the World Cup, in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"The famed Australian writer Tom Keneally once described the intense build-up to a big sporting occasion as the foreplay before the climatic event itself is played out. The June Tests in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, in this context, can be seen as the foreplay for the real rugby thing of the Tri Nations series.

"I've sometimes suggested that the Tri Nations is harder to win than the World Cup. There is an element of exaggeration in this in that by definition only three nations can win the Tri Nations. And, in theory, the 20 nations competing in a World Cup tournament can win it. In fact, only one nation outside of the Tri Nations powers has won a World Cup. That was England in 2003. And in that year, England did not have to defeat the All Blacks. South Africa won the 2007 RWC tournament without defeating either the Wallabies or the All Blacks. But to win the Tri Nations one of the teams has to defeat the other two national sides, the strongest sides in world rugby."

Delme Parfitt urges Wales boss Warren Gatland not to count Andy Powell out after reports emerged linking the player with a move to France in The Western Mail.

"With Wales’ disintegrating back row not far from the top of Warren Gatland’s ‘to-do’ list, the demise of Andy Powell since his buggygate indiscretion comes as proof that, sometimes in professional rugby coaching, it never rains but it pours.

"Reports emerged yesterday that Powell has held talks about a move to French club Agen, which was a departure from months of speculation about an imminent defection to rugby league with the Crusaders. Whatever the substance of either link, one thing appears certain; Powell wants out of his present environment where he has become a fringe player with both the Blues and Wales.

"There will be those who bid him good riddance because the former Newport, Leicester and Beziers player’s style is far too crude for some."

Gerry Thornley, writing in The Irish Times, believes that Ireland must build on the few positives from their recent southern hemisphere tour.

"When Ireland bridged a 61-year gap to win the Grand Slam just over a year ago, they did so with a brand of rugby that was clever, pragmatic and saw Irish rugby reach its holy grail. Of the six teams competing in the Six Nations, Ireland kicked the ball the most, and passed the least. They made a virtue of rolling with the punches for long stretches and then stealthily making the most of their forays upfield. It delivered in spades.

"After years of relative underachievement for team Ireland, marked by Triple Crowns and a continuing succession of World Cup failures, that campaign ensured a golden generation would not retire with an empty feeling of underachievement.

"Even so, the feeling also lurked then that this rugby probably wouldn’t be ambitious enough to make an impact at the World Cup and that the Slam might be the peak for a vintage crop. Little about the intervening 15 months or so have dispelled either view, while perhaps there’s also been evidence of second season syndrome."

Wynne Gray dissects the All Blacks' Tri-Nations squad and the selection of enigmatic back-rower Liam Messam in The New Zealand Herald.

"Multi-skilled Liam Messam has won the battle for the All Blacks' looseforward vacancy as the selectors continue to tinker with those on the edges of their Tri-Nations squad.

"Messam has been a yo-yo selection for the All Blacks since his 2008 debut, a player with a huge array of talent and captain of the NZ Maori, but an erratic reputation as well. He has played three tests and been left out of a number of other campaigns.

"However, his growing leadership and versatile impact under the rule changes persuaded the selectors to pick him yesterday in their 28-strong squad for the six Tri-Nations tests against the Springboks and Wallabies."

Wales coach Warren Gatland has been linked with a move back to New Zealand following next year's Rugby World Cup © Getty Images

The Western Mail's Andy Howell believes the WRU should be in no rush to hand coach Warren Gatland a new contract beyond the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

"The WRU feel the need to examine Warren Gatland’s contract position they should cast their gaze across the Severn Bridge towards English football. For it might just stop them making an expensive mistake.

"Gatland is playing a clever game by revealing he’s considering several offers to leave his post as Wales coach following the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. The Kiwi’s current deal expires at the end of that tournament and the WRU could let it run its course and not offer Gatland an extension, as the Union did with Steve Hansen in 2004.

"But there seems to be a desire among members of the inner circle at the Welsh Rugby Union to keep the highly-paid Gatland on after the World Cup. There’s a danger the public utterances of the canny Gatland will result in them panicking and rushing to offer the 46-year-old a new deal."

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Wynne Grey is a little puzzled by the suggestion that Aaron Cruden could provide the All Blacks cover at scrum-half.

"All coaches need to think outside the square, they like to challenge convention, search for alternatives.

"The current group have had their share of curious selections, like Soseni Anesi and Campbell Johnstone, but the most leftfield in their term might have been No 8 Steven Bates in 2004.

"But Aaron Cruden as a halfback? Was that Henry's version of the Peter Taylor moment in Australian cricket when most thought the selectors meant Mark Taylor when the names were read out. Did Henry perhaps mean Aaron Smith, the NZ Maori halfback who also comes from Manawatu?"

Writingi n the Sydney Morning Herald, John Eales is a little concerned by the Wallabies current form.

"Of late the Wallabies' form has been akin to my fitness regime: they have good weeks and bad months. To be fair, while they are not that bad, four weeks into the 2010 Test season they are not as reliable as they would care to be at this point.

"It's been a tough week for the Wallabies , not as tough as it has been for the Socceroos or Kevin Rudd, but still one of much soul searching. Sometimes at the end of such weeks all you want to do is to record a win and the Wallabies did just that – and I mean just that. So did the Socceroos but their win was like a loss anyway, sending them home early from South Africa.

"When you are desperate – and the Wallabies are desperate on the injury front and to keep improving – you will take any win. This was no classic Test match but the 22-15 win was an important result."

The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly assesses a tour on which he incurred Kiwi wrath and watched Ireland lose all three games, but saw promising signs.

"Spirit: The intangible quality that shone through strongly on this trip. It may seem like a straw-clutching exercise to point to good morale and camaraderie when all three matches were lost but, given what transpired in New Plymouth, the Maori and Australia games would have been a lot worse without it.

"...New Plymouth: Nothing to do with the scenery, warmth of welcome or vitriolic response to the piece in these pages questioning the dubious levels of diversion on a wet Thursday night. Rather, it is in terms of facilities for fans that you would question New Plymouth's capabilities of being a proper World Cup venue. Accommodation is relatively sparse and a three-hour wait for a taxi on match night is unacceptable. They have a year to sort it out."

Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie has set his sights on improving the prospect of the next generation of playing after another disappointing return at the IRB Junior World Championships. The Scotsman's David Ferguson reports.

"Just a year after he took over as chief executive, McKie condemned the previous SRU regime after ill-prepared youngsters suffered a humiliating 78-3 loss to Australia in the 2006 Junior World Championships. Supported by then president Andy Irvine, he insisted they would change the structure to ensure that was not experienced again.

"Two years later, another Scotland under-20 side woefully out of its depth conceded 72 points in defeat to South Africa and in Argentina this year the luckless young Scots of 2010 lost 73-0 to the baby Boks, 58-3 to Australia and 53-23 to Ireland, finishing 10th and just avoiding a drop into the second-tier tournament. This underlined how little has changed in four years.

"McKie is not prepared to apologise for so lambasting his predecessors, but he acknowledged that his hopes for a quick turnaround were perhaps misplaced."

The Independent's Peter Bills believes the latest international clashes did little to suggest that a northern hemisphere side will challenge for the 2011 Rugby World Cup crown.

"But come the World Cup next year, who in their right mind believes any of the northern hemisphere nations has a serious chance of winning the trophy? It has been that way in five of the six World Cups to date.

"It won't change, in my view, until the game changes significantly in the northern hemisphere. That means coaches taking a far less dictatorial approach, and allowing players the freedom to make decisions for themselves based on what is in front of them, not what has been agreed six days or six weeks earlier on the training ground. Too many present day coaches have created a squad of pre-programmed robots, not rugby players with a brain to think and find solutions to difficulties they encounter on the field.

"But unless the northern hemisphere countries embrace this faster, more open, attacking style of play on a regular basis, especially now that the new law interpretations have come in, they will continue to come up woefully short whenever they play the top southern hemisphere sides. And there is little evidence of that happening at the present time."

Wales' Lee Byrne is wrapped up by New Zealand's Brad Thorn © Getty Images

Writing in the Western Mail, Gareth Edwards wonders when Wales will stop repeating the errors which have cost them so dearly over the last 12 months.

"We’ve constantly talked about discipline, too frequent lapses in concentration and basic mistakes, whether they’ve been missed tackles, losing the ball in contact or conceding possession at the lineout since last autumn. Those mistakes continually cropped up during the Six Nations Championship – against England, Scotland, Ireland and France – and they haven’t been eradicated this month.

"Playing world and Tri-Nations champions South Africa and going to New Zealand for two Tests was certainly a step-up from what Europe has to offer. But written on my end of term report are the words: “Bags of potential but made too many mistakes. Must cut out the carelessness, knuckle down to the job in hand and concentrate for the duration of examinations.”

All Blacks rookie Rene Ranger is the latest "project" to cross the All Black coaches' horizon according to the New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray.

"The 23-year-old was about to go fishing a week ago when he got a call to join the All Blacks in Hamilton as cover for the injured Israel Dagg and Conrad Smith.

"Now Ranger is in the Tri-Nations squad, a survivor of the selection cull which eliminated competition from Zac Guildford, Ben Smith and Luke McAlister.

"...The All Blacks last special project was Isaia Toeava, who was taken as a teenager on the 2005 end of year tour, has played 26 tests and is recovering after pelvic surgery last month."

The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley reflects on Ireland's loss to Australia in Brisbane.

"The Ireland team which finished this game had five of the side which won the Churchill Cup 12 months ago. From Colorado to Brisbane, Ireland have completed a circuitous journey. The record books will show a 24th successive defeat to the big three below the equator, but to come within a score of a Tri-Nations team in the Southern Hemisphere with what was essentially a Magners League pack, two weeks after shipping 66 points, wasn’t too shabby.

"At one stoppage in the final quarter, Andrew Trimble was hobbling on the far wing, Shane Jennings was down and being treated, while Jonathan Sexton was having his knee strapped, which meant Geordan Murphy took the penalty to touch. For much of a pointless second half, they were running on empty."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Tony Ward believes Ireland have no reason to fear Australia at the World Cup.

"Both teams were severely depleted so in a sense it was 'even steven'. No Irish redemption on that count. It was in effect the Emerging Wallabies v Ireland 'A' but with full caps on offer. They come with Rice Krispies packs today anyway. That said, and although their scrum has come on leaps and bounds, the Wallaby squad appears a long way short of the big two -- South Africa and New Zealand -- in terms of strength in depth.

"On the plus side for Ireland, there was little hard evidence to suggest that the Wallabies will take top spot in the World Cup pool as a matter of course. They will be favoured, but it is no foregone conclusion. For Declan Kidney, this represented a dogged and fighting end to a difficult tour. They were tired and it showed."

The Scottish Rugby Union's 2010 annual general meeting proved to be a largely positive affair on Saturday, but a desire for change and the loss of another leading sponsor kept club members' feet firmly on the ground. The Scotsman's David Ferguson reports.

"The union revealed publicly for the first time that Scottish Hydro have walked away from their sponsorship of the club game in Scotland, ending a three-year association and adding their name to a list of backers that Gordon McKie, the SRU chief executive, and his team have been unable to hold on to over the past five years.

"McKie spoke of his enthusiasm at posting a near-£600,000 surplus and the achievement in reaching a target of 38,500 players two years ahead of schedule. However, he acknowledged that the struggle to attract a broadcaster for Scotland's autumn Test matches and loss of title sponsors had brought a black cloud to the horizon. Budget expectations for next year have, consequently, been lowered."

After watching the All Blacks close out a series win against Wales, The Independent's Chris Hewett asks whether New Zealand are flirting with presumptions of greatness once again.

"The All Blacks should know everything they need to know about pride going before a fall, having landed splat on their silver-ferned posteriors at every World Cup since winning the first in 1987. But with the entire country turning its collective mind towards next year's global gathering on home soil, are the national team flirting with presumptions of greatness once again?

"Steve Hansen, one of their senior coaches, seems to think so. After his side stumbled to victory over a rookie Welsh side, he said: "We can step up into the big boys' league now, and we can go in with some confidence if we keep things smart and simple and people do their jobs."

"Big boys' league? By that, he meant the forthcoming Tri-Nations featuring Australia and South Africa. By implication , he also meant that Ireland and Wales were small by comparison. Given the way the Welsh made their hosts suffer at the set piece, it was an interesting put-down."

Will Australian celebrations be short-lived? © Getty Images

Greg Growden can't see the Wallabies posing a major threat to New Zealand and South Africa come the Tri-Nations in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Bewildered Wallabies fans should feel grateful that many of the big boys will be back for the Tri Nations - with Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Will Genia, Nathan Sharpe and maybe even Digby Ioane among those scheduled to be around in time to tussle the Springboks and All Blacks next month.

"Thank God for that - because there's only so many Wallaby wanderings one can endure, and there is no real sense of relief in toppling a northern hemisphere team that have one eye on their holidays.

"Last Saturday in Sydney the Wallabies were diabolical. And while beating Ireland last night will have them backslapping each other for a while, because any type of win by Australia in these trying times has to be cherished, it should not hide the fact that this side is a long way from convincing anyone they will be a Tri Nations threat."

Gregor Paul is worried about the playing stocks of the New Zealand franchises prior to next season's Super 15 in The Herald on Sunday.

"Already the odds of a New Zealand side winning the inaugural Super 15 have lengthened. Every franchise has been hit by player defections and the flow of traffic offshore has not yet been stemmed.

"There will be more departures before October; more reasons to be a little concerned about the depth of quality New Zealand's teams will be able to boast next year.

"Some good players have been lost in this pre-World Cup rush to Europe and Japan. Tamati Ellison, Kevin O'Neill, Rudi Wulf, Anthony Tuitavake and Sione Lauaki have all played test rugby. Leaving aside this year - a truly disastrous one for the troubled No8- Lauaki has been an integral and inspirational force for the Chiefs. In seasons past, his form has been inexorably linked with the Chiefs' - when he plays well, they play well. For all his faults and foibles, he'll be hard to replace."

Brendan Fanning reflects on a disappointing end to an underwhelming season for Ireland in The Irish Independent.

"In a corporate box next door to our position in Suncorp Stadium last night, there was a TV tuned into the game we were watching. Handy for replays and that sort of thing.

"Long before the finish they had changed the channel. To a rugby league game between South Sydney and Melbourne. You might think this remarkable in a match where the margin was only seven points. It wasn't hard to understand though -- this was awful stuff. Two understrength teams: one of them knackered; the other so far removed from where they want to be as to make the Tri Nations a fearful prospect for them.

"What happens in that competition is for Robbie Deans to worry about. Declan Kidney has enough on his plate. It makes no sense to pan a team for playing so poorly when they are so far removed from a first-choice selection. At one stage in the second half, when Donncha O'Callaghan went to the blood bin and Dan Tuohy came on, you looked at the make-up of the Irish pack and wondered how this group could be on active service in a Test match."

Legendary Welsh fly-half Barry John believes that Wales' problems against the All Blacks are all in the mind in Wales on Sunday.

"I was sat with a friend this week, watching Federer two sets to nil down at Wimbledon and seemingly on the verge of suffering one of the biggest shocks in tennis history. My friend turned to me and told me the Wimbledon champion was going to get knocked out. I replied: “Not a chance”.

"Why? Because Federer has been in situations like that before and knows how to get himself out of them. He knows what is needed to win. He went on to do exactly that and to prove my point. Sport at the very highest level is about the mind and about belief and absolute confidence in your ability to handle everything and ultimately win.

"That is the challenge for Gatland’s Wales now. I don’t believe this current crop of Welsh players fear New Zealand at all, but they don’t know how to beat them, or even expect to beat them."

David Flatman reflects on the end of England's tour and a well-earned rest in The Independent on Sunday.

"A man at Napier airport, who was wearing the All Blacks jersey and hat, asked: "What happened last night?" Working on a hunch, I countered: "Didn't you see it, mate?" "Yeah, I saw it." "Then you know what happened, don't you?" OK, so perhaps I was being a bit touchy and perhaps the mild malaise brought about by the night before had shortened my normally medium-length fuse, but this was a level of smugness that, at that point, I could not handle.

"The queue for customs snaked on and, in between daydreams of making a run for it to escape the desperately awful world of air travel, I had time to reflect on my actions. Three minutes later the Kiwi chap and I were like old friends; he mocked my "Blackadder" accent while I lamented the absence of any Maori genes in my bloodline. Having repaired this mini-relationship I felt much better about life as I walked on.

"This was, after all, not a touchy, angry tour. It was a proper, hard, meaty, fun tour and that is how I intend to remember it. Rugby really is a wonderful way to earn a living. It takes us to all manner of places, acts as the introduction to so many different people and puts before us so many challenges that, surely, no other job does."

The New Zealand Maori celebrate a famous win over England © Getty Images

The future of Maori rugby looks a lot brighter than it did a fortnight ago, but the time remains ripe to debate how that future is configured, according the New Zealand Herald's Dylan Clever.

"The wins against Ireland and England were largely lost among the hype that surrounded the All Whites' improbable World Cup campaign, which is a shame because it stands as a landmark achievement at a pivotal time.

"If coach Jamie Joseph was asked once during this short centenary tour about the future of Maori rugby, he was asked a thousand times. Repetition did not make the question any less weighty or complex.

"There is no easy answer. With the New Zealand Rugby Union posting a record loss last year and the pressure to reclaim the World Cup increasing by the day, balancing the twin pillars of commercial and high-performance success has never been more difficult.

The Maori are an uneasy fit with either aim."

The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley fears the team's faithful supporters will not get their wish of win against the Wallabies in Brisbane.

"In keeping with previous treks to Australia, amid the Friday night buzz of downtown Brisbane there was a palpable sense of another impending Green Army invasion. The ex-pats have converged like moths to a flame, from all corners of Australia and even Singapore and no doubt beyond.

"Tricolours not only bedecked plenty of bars around town but apartments too on roads leading to Suncorp Stadium in Milton to the north of the city. Any Irish person living in “Briz” tells of every floor space being taken up. The Irish are coming. It should all make for a cracking sense of occasion.

"Suncorp, home to the Queensland rugby league and lately union sides, has almost sold out to its 52,000 capacity. Yesterday the ground echoed to the Irish kickers familiarising themselves with the steepling stands, which lend weight to Les Kiss’s “lunchbox” description of the stadium.

"Ronan O’Gara appeared more animated than Jonathan Sexton, perhaps as the pressure is off him to a degree, but he must be in a strange place. On 99 caps, he is set to become only the third Irish player to reach a century, yet won’t know if today will be the day."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Tony Ward is heartened by a recall for Paddy Wallace for the clash with Australia.

"But the most revealing selection of all is in midfield, where Paddy Wallace's deserved inclusion represents a serious statement of creative intent. Much like Kidney, I am a midfield romantic.

"The desire is clearly there. Provided it is backed for the final 80 minutes of the season by the appropriate level of commitment, then, in spite of the odds being stacked against us, it is not beyond the bounds that Macker's tales of derring-do could finally be laid to rest. Here's hoping."

A desire to reconstruct Scotland's "dysfunctional relic" of a league system will be the first talking point of today's Scottish Rugby Union annual general meeting at Murrayfield. David Ferguson reports for The Scotsman.

"With clubs in Scotland having handed over greater powers to an executive body in 2005, under a new system of twin-track governance, the agm may no longer carry the same weight as it once did, but still it represents the one meeting of the year in which clubs can come together and make obvious the weight of their support for the SRU and its direction, or not.

"The arrival last year of Graham Lowe, pictured, as the union's first director of 'performance' rugby has further helped efforts to create a greater harmony between the administration and its member clubs, and lessen the likelihood of an attack at the agm. But, much as the SRU might have liked to, it has not wiped it out."

There is only one thing worse in rugby than leaving New Zealand with a diminished sense of self-respect, and that is leaving in the knowledge that a return trip is just around the corner. The Independent's Chris Hewett reports from Hamilton.

"The next time Wales play in this city will be in 15 months, when they take on Samoa in the second match of their 2011 World Cup campaign, and they will find themselves here again at the end of the pool stage, against Fiji. The Welsh have an unfortunate habit of losing to Pacific Islands teams at global tournaments so the more reconnaissance they can do on this trip, the better.

"Many people expect next year's competition to signal the end of Warren Gatland's tenure as national coach, so the former All Black hooker's chances of beating a major southern hemisphere nation on their own turf are fast disappearing. This morning's game against his own countrymen is not obviously a golden opportunity, given the hiding dished out to the tourists in Dunedin a week ago, but a fully competitive performance will at least raise Gatland's spirits after the frustrations of the last two seasons."

Ben Daley and Co. will be back in the spotlight on Saturday © Getty Images

Former Wallabies fullback Matt Burke ponders Ireland's tactics as they prepare to take on Australia in Brisbane in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"I wonder whether the men in green are rubbing their hands at the thought they have a real shot against the Wallabies tomorrow. They would have seen the performance last week against England and thought that the old northern hemisphere bash-and-barge rugby might do the trick in Brisbane. On the back of that, if you can play a little, things just might go your way.

"The critical points of the Wallabies' loss against England, barring the last missed opportunity, is that at this stage of the season the coach commented on the team's enthusiasm. This shouldn't be a factor at all. It should be easy to get yourself up for a game. Perhaps the Wallabies expected to do it easily again."

Hugh Farrelly talks to Ireland's defence coach Les Kiss as his side prepare to play a vital final Test of the season against the Wallabies in Brisbane in The Irish Independent.

"It's been a tough old tour for Les Kiss.Ireland's defence coach has had to put up with being locked in a lift for an hour and a half, a back injury following a training exercise that went wrong and, most painfully, having to watch his system being dismantled 12 times in two matches.

"Nine tries conceded against the All Blacks, three more against the Maori -- it does not make happy reading for a man who masterminded a miserly defensive record that saw Ireland pick up a Grand Slam and travel through 2009 unbeaten. In the 18 internationals prior to the All Blacks Test, Ireland had conceded just 16 tries and then they let in nine in one go."

Did Wales lose the plot last weekend and revert to the safety of kicking? Wynne Gray certainly thinks so in The New Zealand Herald.

"Wales began promisingly in their latest assault on the 57-year victory hiatus against the All Blacks.

"They created some intense pressure, charging down Daniel Carter's attempted clearance and carrying the ball from side to side across Carisbrook.

"Then they lost it. It was either a lack of confidence or patience or both. But after three and a half minutes of serious inquiry, first five-eighths Stephen Jones dropped back in the pocket and dropped a goal from 35m. Damned fine droppie too, three points down the high-diddle-diddle."

Chris Hewett takes a look at Warren Gatland's desire to prove a point on home turf when Wales take on the All Blacks in Hamilton in The Independent.

"Warren Gatland, the Wales coach, knows enough about this rain-sodden corner of the union world – the farmlands of Waikato, where, in recent memory, one British and Irish Lions touring team was swept away on a floodtide of raw rugby energy and another suffered the painful indignity of trial by New Zealand Maori – to understand the nature of tomorrow's contest with the All Blacks. He was born here, after all. "It's nice that we're in town," he said, a trifle uncomfortably, before spending the next half-hour talking about respect and redemption.

"Last week in Dunedin, just before England chiselled out a face-saving victory over a weakened Wallaby side on the other side of the Tasman, the Welsh played half a game's worth of decent Test rugby against a New Zealand outfit armed with Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter, respectively the best forward and the finest back in the sport. Half was never likely to be enough and they ended up losing 42-9. As second Tests are generally harder for a touring side to win than first ones, despite immediate English experience to the contrary, Gatland and his players have something of a challenge on their hands."

New Zealand's Dan Carter stretches the Wales defence in Dunedin last weekend © Getty Images

Writing in the Western Mail, Gwyn Jones believes the debate must now begin as whether or not Carter is the greatest rugby player that has ever lived.

"Those who saw [Gareth] Edwards, [Barry] John and the other past greats are better placed than I am in making that judgement and comparing players from different eras is always difficult, but Carter has my vote. So when God’s representative on earth turned on the style in the second half, it should not have surprised anyone that the All Blacks moved up a class and the contest was over.

"Yet the disappointing aspect from a Welsh perspective is that Wales fell apart so drastically in the second period.

"In the past we have blamed the fitness levels for the deterioration but I’m not sure that it’s quite that simple. The Welsh players are a pretty fit bunch. Wales were the comeback kids in the Six Nations and the Blues came back strongly to beat Toulon only a few weeks ago. I think the problem is more psychological."

Balancing the rival elements of experience and excitement has been a hefty task for the All Blacks as they approach their return test against Wales, according to the New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray.

"Captain Richie McCaw revealed it had been necessary to keep a check on some of the senior players as they eyed their return to international rugby, while the rest needed to lift their bite for Saturday's test in Hamilton.

"His side could not afford to start as slowly as they had last weekend at Carisbrook, where they lacked an edge to much of their play in the opening spell.

"It is hard because we had to make sure we were not ready to play on Tuesday. There is always a knack to make sure that by Saturday, your attitude is dead right," he said."

The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley shares Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton's memories of beating the Australia in 1979.

"Admittedly, tours weren’t as commonplace in those days, but even so Ireland have played 23 Tests against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere since then and have lost the lot.

"There hasn’t even been any respite in Argentina, where Ireland also two lost Tests in 2007, as well as one in 2000, not to mention two defeats in Namibia in 1991 prior to the World Cup.

"McNaughton played in seven of the eight matches on that ’79 tour, and reckons Fergus Slattery and Mike Gibson played all eight.

“You have this impression that amateur rugby in those days was just going from one pub to another, and then the match was kind of a weekend addendum. I’ve talked to a lot of guys about this and I’ve certainly never experienced it like that, on this (1979) trip especially.”

Writing in the Irish Independent, Peter Bills believes the northern hemisphere's finest are still struggling when it comes to, "pace, tempo and intensity".

"...the point is, players from this part of the world continue to struggle with those expectations. Every year, around this time, they travel to the southern hemisphere and trot out to meet the locals in their own backyard. They think they're prepared and ready, but they're not.

"It is unfair on them for they are unaccustomed to the intense demands of the game in the southern hemisphere. They may be fit, may even be in form, but what they are seldom ready for are [Warren] Gatland's three words -- the pace, tempo and intensity of the game.

"Ireland were thrashed in New Plymouth, Wales likewise in Dunedin -- both against the All Blacks. England were abject in their first test against Australia in Perth and the French were an embarrassment in Cape Town against South Africa."

The reality that the Wallabies are underachievers and well short of their Tri Nations rivals is starting to hit the players, according to Greg Growden in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Some on the team may want to ignore it, but not their second-rower, Dean Mumm, who yesterday explained how infuriating it was that they had virtually no trophies to show for their recent meanderings. The team constantly follows courageous wins with inexplicable losses, as again occurred last Saturday night in Sydney against England.

"The Wallabies have not won the World Cup since 1999, the Bledisloe Cup since 2002 or the Tri Nations trophy since 2001. Adding to the pain is that the Wallabies dropped to fourth in the International Rugby Board rankings this week."

The Scottish Rugby Union has highlighted a reluctance by the BBC to match its previous rights fee for this year's autumn Test matches and warned of a TV blackout just days after Scotland secured their first-ever Test series victory in Argentina. David Ferguson reports in The Scotsman.

"On the day Andy Robinson's squad flew back into Edinburgh from their two-Test success, Gordon McKie, the SRU chief executive, delivered his latest 'state of the union' briefing to journalists, and attacked the BBC's offer to renew the contract to screen November internationals as derisory. The SRU has written to the BBC Trust to outline its frustration with how the BBC in London continues to increase its investment in Welsh rugby, but drop its interest in the Scottish game, and also revealed that the Scottish Parliament will highlight the issue next week.

"Sarah Boyack MSP has tabled a motion titled 'Broadcasting black hole for Scottish rugby' which has the widespread cross-party backing, including that of former sports ministers Stewart Maxwell, Frank McAveety, Andy Kerr and Rhona Brankin. The motion states "that the Parliament ... is disappointed that terrestrial broadcasters do not cover a broader range of rugby matches and tournaments at all playing levels; believes that more investment in the coverage of Scottish rugby is essential in order to promote sport in general to a wider audience, thereby increasing participation and health levels and to showcase the successes of Scotland's rugby teams; notes the substantial contribution that rugby matches bring to the local Edinburgh economy, and would welcome efforts to ensure increased broadcast coverage of rugby in Scotland."

Writing in The Independent, Chris Hewett reflects on England tour-ending defeat to the New Zealand Maori.

"England had seen enough of the All Black wing Rico Gear down the years to fear what might be called an "extra Gear" in the shape of his younger brother, Hosea. They were dead right to be alarmed. The 26-year-old from Gisborne ran the tourists ragged before a capacity crowd in Napier yesterday, claiming three of the four tries that secured a full house of victories for the Maori in their centenary season. Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Cory Jane, Zac Guildford... and now this bloke. Help.

"If Martin Johnson's second-string side managed three tries of their own, they were firmly of the "after the Lord Mayor's Show" variety: a fortunate follow-up score for Steffon Armitage, a tap-and-go effort from Danny Care and an easy run-in for Chris Ashton from a Charlie Hodgson interception. By comparison, the Maori five-pointers were works of rugby art. One of them, Gear's first, bordered on the magical."

Luke McAlister says his body is now fine © Getty Images

Luke McAlister is crossing his fingers that his injury respite during his time with New Zealand Maori marks the start of an upturn in his rugby fortunes in the New Zealand Herald.

McAlister, who missed out on All Blacks selection for the home test programme against Ireland and Wales, has played 80 minutes at second five-eighth in both the Maori team's matches so far.

"The body's fine," he said. "I'm just stoked to be able to get a couple of 80 minutes under the belt.

"It's been a frustrating year. It's good to be able to put back-to-back games together and hopefully this is the last of my bad luck."

Tavis Knoyle has dedicated his first Wales cap against the All Blacks to his close family in the South Wales Evening Post.

"It was a huge honour for me to come on and represent my country and I wanted to do my best but it was difficult in the circumstances.

"If someone had told me at the start of the season I'd be playing for Wales against the All Blacks then I would have said they needed their head examined.

"Of course, it was a great experience and Rob Howley gave me a pat on the back at the end and said 'Well done'. But the scoreline was so disappointing because we had been training so well especially after the South Africa game."

Job well done - Scotland coach Andy Robinson and captain Alastair Kellock celebrate their recent series victory over Argentina © PA

Andy Robinson's first year in charge of Scotland brought five wins - including the two recent successes in Argentina - and five losses but where will his side go from here? The Scotsman's Iain Morrison asks that very question.

"Robinson has done a great job with the national squad over the past 12 months but he has not changed the fundamental nature of this team. Instead he has done running repairs, tightened the nuts and bolts rather than replaced the entire engine, made them cussed and difficult to beat. He has brought in Al Kellock who has given the side an aerial presence they previously lacked and he has been helped by Dan Parks' Lazarus-like renaissance which has been instrumental in Scotland's recent success.

"...Robinson muttered about opportunities for younger playmakers to shine but in all honesty if the Aussie [Dan Parks] retired tomorrow Scotland would be scuppered. Phil Godman came to Argentina and sat on the subs bench for 160 minutes."

New Zealanders might be able to go to the movies, to pubs and clubs to watch the Rugby World Cup games live in 3D. The New Zealand Herald's John Drinnan reports.

"The IRB is talking to its members about the feasibility of having the event filmed in 3D. The IRB will have to decide by the end of this year at the latest, said Rugby World Cup Ltd general manager Ross Young.

"But there are a lot of issues including whether there is enough interest overseas from broadcasters and sponsorship technology companies promoting the 3D TV sets.

"TV networks say with such a tiny number of 3D TV sets in New Zealand it would not be viable for them to buy 3D rights. But if the IRB does opt to film the World Cup in 3D there may be options for rugby fans beyond their home TV sets."

Police refused seven people entry after breath-testing visitors as they came through the gates to view one of New Zealand's oldest school rugby fixtures. Edward Gay reports for the New Zealand Herald.

"Thirty police officers breath-tested all of the 4000 spectators as they entered Christ College to watch the school take on rivals Christchurch Boys High, only waving school buses through their checkpoint. A spokesperson for Christchurch Central police said seven people had been turned away from the game, which was won by Christchurch Boys High for the tenth year in a row.

"Christchurch Boys High School principal Trevor McIntyre said the schools have been playing each other for the last 122 years but if bad behaviour at the match did not improve, the fixture could be canned.

"He said one of the longest standing rugby match-ups in New Zealand's history could not continue to be dogged by bad behaviour so the schools had chosen to take the "extreme" measure of breath testing spectators."

At the last count, of the 36 players to have played for Ireland in nine Tests in the 2009-10 season, 13 have been ruled out of the season finale against the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley writes.

"With David Wallace flying home to be with is wife, Aileen, for the birth of their second child, seven of them are backrowers.

"While there’s no accounting for the latter development, or the suspension of Jamie Heaslip, if nothing else one ventures this season and this tour has been a reminder to the Irish coaching staff that the attrition rate is often highest among the loose forwards.

"Accordingly, it ought to have reminded them of the need to include six backrowers in their 30-man squad for next year’s World Cup. In addition to the aforementioned two, Stephen Ferris, Denis Leamy, Seán O’Brien, Kevin McLaughlin, Donncha Ryan and John Muldoon are missing."

Living out of a suitcase for a protracted period of time has certain undesirable consequences, not least for your personal grooming The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly reports from his travel with the Ireland team in Brisbane.

"Elan, Men's Hair And Body boasts a comprehensive male grooming service, far removed from the in-and-out, "have you booked any holidays yet?" dry-cut service we are accustomed to in Ireland.

"According to the flyers, Elan "provides a total solution for men who want to look professional, feel confident and seek a distinct style" -- so far, so alluring. However, it was the next part of Elan's pitch that really grabbed the attention.

"Elan is equipped with televisions to keep the modern man up to date on all the financial news and sport, wireless internet connections for the man on the move and a selection of exclusively roasted coffees, gourmet juices and ... cold beers."

"Who said the Aussies didn't have culture?"

Wallabies rookie James Slipper has endured a baptism of fire over the last two weeks against a formidable England pack - he reflects on the experience with the Sydney Morning Herald's Rupert Guinness.

"James Slipper is sitting on the Wallabies' bench. It is the first Test against England in Perth and he realises his career will suddenly take another turning point if he is called up to play.

"His stomach churns. It pains to watch the Wallabies front row repeatedly collapse under the English pack. The knowledge that he may be thrown into the fray without notice only heightens his angst. Was he feeling butterflies that night in Perth? ''Hugely,'' Slipper said. ''Sitting on the bench, I was quite nervous, especially after seeing the first scrum.

"...How quickly a career can change. Ten days and two Test appearances off the bench against England later, the 21-year-old prop has become one of Australia's brightest front-row prospects. It has been an incredible journey for Slipper, last year's Australian under-20s player of the year."

There are tour games that offer fringe players a heaven-sent opportunity to force their way into the Test elite, and there are fixtures with the New Zealand Maori, according to The Independent's Chris Hewett.

"Many a red-rose wannabe has seen his international ambitions evaporate into the chill night air of the North Island, most notably in 1998, when the prospects of a large number of Englishmen went "pop" all over Rotorua.

"That England XV lost 62-14, and the memory of it still keeps people awake at night. The Maori are not quite the overwhelming force they once were, however. Martin Johnson, buoyed by his Test side's unexpected victory over the Wallabies at the weekend, can legitimately dream of victory when his "dirt-trackers" mark the Maori union's centenary here in Hawke's Bay tomorrow."

Wallabies prop Ben Daley is less than thrilled with the Cook Cup © Getty Images

Greg Growden reviews a disappointing evening for the Wallabies and an empty retention of the Cook Cup in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Wallabies coach Robbie Deans emphasised the exasperation of every Australian rugby fan last night when he said: ''We take no comfort in retaining the Cook Cup because it finished in a way we're not satisfied with.''

"It showed when the trophy was handed over at the end of Saturday night's second Test.

Even though the Wallabies aren't overburdened with silverware, the befuddled Australian players looked as if they wanted to be elsewhere. This was perfectly understandable, considering how badly they had dropped their standards within a week to allow England to win 21-20."

David Flatman is revelling in the life of a touring rugby player in The Independent.

"Another great week to be a sportsman. Tuesday night's win against the Australian Barbarians was hardly a classic but to win felt wonderful. The match began at such a clip that we on the bench wondered quite how long those on the field might last. And, in the end, our fears were realised as it became a battle of the gorillas. The advice from Graham Rowntree to the panting pack was simple: "You lot need to find a way to win." Exactly the right advice, spoken in the only tone an utterly exhausted front-rower can absorb.

"We did manage to find a way and, while it wasn't pretty, the scoreboard looked right come the final whistle and the bus journey back was as all journeys should be. A few local beers easily dealt with and some healthy, manly wrestling thrown in to abate some of the overflowing testosterone one would expect of a touring rugby team. Of course when touring we leave loved ones behind, so no family members or animals had to view what happened behind those strategically darkened windows, but suffice it to say it might have made the odd pacifist flinch."

Richard Loe, writing in The New Zealand Herald, was pleased with the All Blacks' second-half showing as they routed Wales.

"I said at halftime at Carisbrook that the All Blacks would run away with it in the second half ... and so they did. You could see it coming.

"The Welsh tried to live with the All Blacks at the pace they were playing and you could just tell they wouldn't be able to hang on.

"The referee, Mr George Clancy, played a part in that. I thought he ran the advantage well and let both sides have good time with the ball. If it had been more of a stop-start match, with the game halting every time the ref saw an infringement, I think Wales would have hung in there longer."

Wales' hammering by the All Blacks has put things into perspective for Ireland according to The Irish Independent.

"Although the statistics of two defeats, 12 tries conceded, injuries and suspension would suggest otherwise, there have been positive aspects to Ireland's summer trip to the southern hemisphere, which concludes against the Wallabies next weekend.

"The four tries scored with 14 men against the All Blacks was put into perspective by Wales' failure to score one with a full complement, while the Welsh losing margin was only five points better than the Irish.

"Ireland's subsequent performance against the Maori -- overwhelming favourites -- would, but for a shaky start, undoubtedly have brought victory and the Irish again showed their capacity to play high-tempo, heads-up rugby -- vital if they are to make a meaningful impression at the World Cup next year."

Brian Moore believes that the next step for England is consistency after they proved that they can win one-off Tests with victory over the Wallabies in The Daily Telegraph.

"We have been here before – last-gasp, backs-to-the-wall performances last autumn, against New Zealand, and against France in the last match of this year's Six Nations. This could prove another in a succession of false dawns, so don't run to the bookies and bet on a World Cup win next year.

"What was significant for England was that a number of points were resolved. England showed that they recognise that dominance in any set-piece is not an end in itself. They repeated their first Test debasement of the Wallaby front row and used it to gain territory and penalties. However, they also tested to breaking point the usually sound Australian defence by making them uncertain as to where the point of attack would be."

England's Ben Youngs dives over to score a try against Australia © Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary was amongst those stunned by England's performance against Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

"There may not have been the fanfares or the medals, and the Cook Cup is not the Webb Ellis trophy, but the manner in which England celebrated at the final whistle bore the exultant manner of their last test victory in the southern hemisphere, that in the World Cup final in 2003.

"...The throng of England fans gathered at one end toasted them as champions as the players took a much-deserved salute, the sense of deja-vu completed by the fact that it was substitute Jonny Wilkinson who kicked the winning points only a minute after coming on the field in the 51st minute.

"Mind you, it took a miss of Don Fox proportions in front of the posts from Australia's Matt Giteau ten minutes from time to aid England’s cause. They’ll take it. They deserved a break. They have lifted themselves off the canvas, showing great soul and togetherness. And they didn’t even have to rely on penalty tries, the contest at the scrum having far less impact than in Perth."

After six years as Graham Henry's assistant, Steve Hansen wants a crack at being the All Blacks head coach, according to Gregor Paul in the Sunday Herald.

"After a stint with Ireland and what will be a four-year tour of duty with Wales, Warren Gatland wouldn't mind a crack at the All Blacks' job either when Henry steps down - most probably after the World Cup next year.

"These last two weeks have carried a little extra frisson of tension as a consequence, with both men aware the selection process has already begun. Hansen, so well known to the New Zealand Rugby Union hierarchy; so entrenched in the All Black camp; and so obviously liked by the players; appears to be in an unassailable position."

Protection of hurting, brave Irishmen must come before results, writes George Hook in the Irish Independent.

"The tour has been saved, trumpeted the experts. The team had shown the character necessary to fight back against the Maori and the group could now travel to Brisbane in good heart ready to take the fight to the Wallabies. However, it would be a tragedy were Ireland to beat Australia, because it would disguise problems for the game that have not seen the light of day. A victory for Ireland would disprove, the apologists will say, the theory that players are in the grip of fatigue, playing when hurt and risking long-term physical and mental damage.

"Brian O'Driscoll, 24 hours before he was due to line out against the All Blacks in a Test, was not fit to take part in the captain's run. An attack of vertigo we were told was the problem. The symptoms of vertigo -- ringing in the ears and dizziness -- are coincidentally the same for concussion. Ireland's greatest, and indeed the bravest player of all time, has played below his best this season. Not a match has taken place that he has not received on-field treatment. But worryingly, all too often he has looked dazed and not fully aware of his surroundings after yet another trademark hit in defence of his country's sporting honour."

If you let your imagination go wild, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans looks a bit like Bill Murray, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden.

"The well-thumbed script goes like this. The Wallabies have a few wins. They suddenly look good. Their defence is again spectacular. The attack cheeky. Everyone gets a bit light-headed. We all start arguing that the gloom and doom may just be over. Then it all goes down the drain, making everyone feel a bit silly.

"As shown last night, the Wallabies are far from the complete package, and unable to string victories together, with something always going astray. Admittedly everyone will look at Matt Giteau's bad penalty goal miss in front of goal in the 70th minute, and wonder what was going on there, as it was a Test-turner.

"But did the Wallabies deserve to win? Certainly not. England showed the greater purpose, and played to a better rhythm. They wanted to win far more than the Wallabies. England also indicated that when they want to they can provide above-average attacking skills, and can take advantage of an opposition that seemed genuinely surprised the visitors did know something about being adventurous."

Scotland produced an ebullient defensive display to secure a series victory over Argentina in Mar del Plata, The Scotsman's Iain Morrison reports from the scene of their famous triumph.

"This squad of players will go down in history as the first to return home to Scotland after winning a Test series in the southern hemisphere, or anywhere else for that matter. What's more they thoroughly deserved yesterday's win in Mar del Plata that backed up last weekend's heroics in Tucuman,

"At the end of the match, Andy Robinson was left standing on his own on the pitchside, ignoring the downpour with his phone stuck to his ear, passing the good news on to his family back home. If he wasn't singing, the Scotland coach was at least smiling in the rain."

Writing in The Independent, Chris Hewett reports that fresh talent was behind England's historic victory over Australia in Sydney.

"English rugby victories in the land of the Wallaby are rarer than radium, so two in five days takes an awful lot of believing. Martin Johnson's much-criticised, much-mocked Test side emulated the second-string "dirt-trackers" yesterday by squeezing out a narrow victory over their hosts and if Matt Giteau, one of Australia's star turns, contributed handsomely to this unexpected turn of events by making a horrible mess of his goalkicking, there was much to be said for the bloody-mindedness of the tourists, who had performed so inadequately in Perth seven days previously.

"Johnson's selectorial tinkerings – Ben Youngs for Danny Care at half-back, Courtney Lawes for Simon Shaw in the engine room of the scrum – worked out beautifully. Indeed, Youngs was wholly responsible for the first of England's two excellent tries, sniping round the back end of a shortened line-out and leaving Drew Mitchell, the Wallaby wing, holding nothing but handfuls of fresh New South Wales air."

England's rugby players secured only their third win in Australia in more than a century on Saturday with a 21-20 victory in Sydney, The Guardian's Rob Kitson reports.

"For a moment, as the strains of "Sweet Chariot" swirled around the Olympic stadium, it was as if England had clambered aboard a time-travelling Tardis back to 2003. Jonny Wilkinson kicking vital goals, the Wallabies floored on their own paddock and Martin Johnson restored to the winners' enclosure. No wonder the home side wore the haunted look of men who have just experienced a horrible sense of déjà vu.

"...You strongly suspect this result will concentrate Australian minds but it will do much more than that for English self-belief. They were almost unrecognisable from the pallid lot in Perth, miles better in attack and defence. Some of us have felt for a while that Ben Youngs should be England's starting No9 and here was conclusive proof: the Leicester scrum-half had a dreamy first Test start, which visibly galvanised those around him."

The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly believes Ireland's improved performance in defeat to the New Zealand Maori bodes well for their next Test clash against Australia.

"Once again the cards did not fall Ireland's way. Red and yellow cards scuppered their chances against the All Blacks but it was Mark Lawrence's failure to produce yellow that cost them this time around.

"He penalised the Maori five times in succession for breakdown indiscretions yet incredibly no one was sent to the bin. With Ireland dominant, playing against 14 men would have allowed Geordan Murphy's side to go for the jugular.

"They will look at defensive lapses for the tries -- 12 now conceded in two games -- when Hosea Gear and Dwayne Sweeney took advantage of space on the left for the first-half efforts and substitute Karl Lowe rounded off a move that began with a quick throw-in in the Maori half for the third on 64 minutes.

"They will also examine key failures in the last 10 minutes, a kick to touch that went out on the full and a lineout penalty that could have been avoided when they were pushing for a winning score."

The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley believes Ireland's narrow defeat to the New Zealand Maori was one that got away.

"Grasping for tackles and trailing 18-3 before the first quarter was over, Ireland’s dirt-trackers played themselves into a winning position, only to let it slip in losing to the Maoris 31-28 in Rotarua yesterday. They move on to Brisbane acutely disappointed, but with a revived spring in their step.

"Save for that slightly scary start, which promised yet more of the usual pain in the land of the long white cloud, the body language, the attitude and the line speed and leg strength in contact, especially in defence, and use of possession was far better than last Saturday’s grim night in New Plymouth against the All Blacks."

Wales must raise their game on Saturday to reignite its sibling rivalry with the All Blacks, according to the Western Mail's Caroline Hitt.

"When Wales beat New Zealand in 1953 the All Blacks conceived a cunning plan to ensure we would suffer for this victory for the next 57 years. They invited Wales to visit them on tour – an experience that has inflicted unmitigated pain ever since.

"Although a British team had first voyaged to the land of the long white cloud in 1888 and the first official British Lions side arrived in 1930, none of the home nations had travelled by themselves to take on the rugby might of the southern hemisphere.

"And it wasn’t to be in the aftermath of the 1953 win – a triumph so damaging to the All Black psyche that Sean Fitzpatrick’s father Brian could never bear to visit Cardiff again. In the ’50s, the invitation to Wales from the New Zealand Rugby Union was vetoed by the International Board, which feared its impact on Lions tours and that touring per se would become too frequent."

The Indpendent's Chris Hewett believes England must make huge improvements against Australia on Saturday after an 'unacceptable' defeat in opening Test.

"England were champions of the world once upon a time, but they have not beaten anyone, anywhere outside of Europe since Jonathan Peter Wilkinson dropped that goal of his here in 2003, which in rugby terms was back in the late Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs like Martin Johnson roamed the earth. If they lose to Australia today – and there is a very good chance of this happening – they will complete a second full cycle of abject failure.

"The Wallabies have won four successive matches on home soil, as have the New Zealanders. For the record, England's inglorious ledger also includes two defeats in South Africa and one in Argentina. As neither Andy Robinson nor Brian Ashton could eke out a result in the southern hemisphere, Johnson's spell as manager is, on the face of it, no more fruitless than his predecessors'. But Robinson travelled light in 2006, when the Australians won two Tests by the aggregate margin of 77-21, while Ashton ventured into Springbok country a year later with the Test equivalent of an Old Rubberduckians 3rd XV. Johnson, on the other hand, has something close to a full-strength squad at his disposal."

Northampton second-row Courtney Lawes has been waiting patiently for his chance to start for England and is ready to rampage against Australia according to The Guardian's Rob Kitson.

Former England and Lions international Andy Ripley died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer © Getty Images

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Brendan Gallagher reflects on his personal relationship with former England and Lions international Andy Ripley who died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

"For many of us Andy Ripley has always been a hero figure. In the Seventies when England were often - but not always - rubbish his sheer athleticism seemed to offer real long term hope and a template for future players although he was often met with selectorial suspicion.

"He was the star man when England won the world sevens in 1973 and for a short while England worked a number of elaborate tapped penalty moves to unleash his running power. Whatever happened to tapped penalty moves by the way?

"It took the might of Welsh immortal Mervyn Davies to keep him out of the 1974 Lions Test team and although on pure rugby criteria you can't argue with that, you can't help thinking that Ripley would have caused carnage on the High Veldt against a poorish Boks side. He would have been a sensation in today's modern game, a player to fill large stadia and make you gasp."

New Zealand's Israel Dagg is determined to follow up his impressive debut against Ireland with another eye-catching display against Wales on Saturday. The New Zealand Herald's Wynne Grey reports.

"A false dawn, a false read? It is the toughest part for a fledgling All Black after making the sort of quality debut six of them did last week at New Plymouth. They all played their part in a game which became a mismatch after 15 minutes when Irish No 8 Jamie Heaslip was sent off.

"They should all get a second chance tomorrow against Wales at Carisbrook, to show if they can reproduce their debut standards. One of those new faces is Israel Dagg, the 22-year-old fullback, who glided round Yarrow Stadium in a manner which compared strongly with the injured Mils Muliaina."

Scotland will hope to bury Argentina's hopes of a revival on Saturday with another display of disciplined and controlled rugby, so writes The Scotsman's Iain Morrison.

"The team are staying in a brand new hotel set a little way back from the beach and overlooking it if you have a front of house view – those at the back of the hotel look out over a graveyard full of ornate mausoleums. Scotland will hope to bury Argentina's hopes of a revival on Saturday with another display of disciplined and controlled rugby and, if it's not being greedy to ask, just a hint of flair and panache into the bargain.

"To that end Andy Robinson has moved Max Evans from wing to outside centre and restored the Glasgow midfield trio in the process. The coach claimed that it was no more than a coincidence but, if the comment can be taken at face value, then at least it's a happy one.

"The older of the Evans brothers is a Lilliput in a land of Gullivers, a relative shorty in amongst the giants of the Scottish back line. Scotland boast two strong-running wingers in the substantial forms of Simon Danielli and Sean Lamont, while inside centre Graeme Morrison is obviously made from the same mould, but Evans brings something different to the Scottish backs. He boasts most of his brother's straight line speed and he adds a very handy side step of his own devising. Since Argentina are not noted for falling off tackles it makes some sense to run around rather than through them, and Evans is better equipped than most to do just that."

f Wales are to stand any chance of beating New Zealand at Carisbrook on Saturday, then never mind worrying about what Graham Henry's lot will throw at them, they must first ensure their own house is in order, according to WalesOnlin's Delme Parfit.

"1. Sort out the lineout - Nobody is asking Wales to clean up in this area, but please, can we at least see them solid on their own ball? I suppose on recent evidence it would be progress to see them burgled just twice in the entire match. But it would also be refreshing to see them challenge on the All Blacks throw as well, so Graham Henry's men don't see the set-piece as a guaranteed source of ball. Whatever, we must see improvement here or Wales can kiss goodbye to even competing on the scoreboard.

"...7. Show some mental toughness - I'm talking about not following up a score by immediately conceding one. I'm talking about getting the basics right under pressure. I'm talking about not becoming like rabbits caught in headlights if you happen to take a decent lead. I'm talking about being able to adapt what you are doing to the changing circumstances of this particular game. I'm talking about not giving away silly penalties through sheer panic (we know Carter won't miss). I'm talking about all of Wales' Lions players showing the experience they are supposed to have and leading from the front, by example and through authoritative communication, should they find things are not going their way. All are simple basic requirements of top sides. All, sadly, have been found wanting in Wales in recent times."

The day England bamboozle the Wallabies on the field the way they have just befuddled them in selection, they will stand a decent chance of revisiting the World Cup-winning glories of 2003, according to Chris Hewett in The Independent.

"Urgently in need of victory in tomorrow's second and final Test on the very patch of grass that yielded them the finest moment in their history, the tourists have shunned the blindingly obvious by leaving Jonny Wilkinson, the man who dropped the goal that won the trophy, on the bench. Radical? Adventurous? Possibly. Crazy? There is barely an Australian in the country who does not think so.

"It is not the business of Martin Johnson, the England manager, to do the things the Wallaby nation expects him to do. Under normal circumstances, his business is quite the opposite. But these are not normal circumstances. Johnson's record of eight wins from 22 Tests, none of them against serious southern hemisphere opposition, is far short of satisfactory and another defeat here would weaken him badly.

"Yet England, blessed with such set-piece superiority over a second-string Australian front row that they seem certain to scrummage their way to half-a-dozen kickable penalties at least, have decided against promoting the best kicker of them all to the starting line-up."

The Guardian's Rob Kitson is one of those surprised by England manager Martin Johnson's decision to leave fly-half Jonny Wilkinson on the bench for the clash with Australia in Sydney.

"It is so long since England won the 2003 World Cup at Stadium Australia that Jonny Wilkinson says he has forgotten at which end he kicked his life-changing drop-goal. If that sounds bizarre to an Australian audience, his exclusion from Saturday's England starting XV at the same location has similarly baffled the locals.

"There was an obvious horses-for-courses case for fielding Wilkinson at either 10 or 12 but it has been pointedly ignored in favour of a line-up featuring only two changes from the team unable to capitalise on their scrum superiority in Perth. This is a game England dare not lose tamely and the temptation to include Wilkinson for his goal-kicking alone must have been significant."

All Blacks assistant coach Waynes Smith surveys his side in New Plymouth last week © Getty Images

Passion and endurance have marked Wayne Smith's time in the fishbowl world of coaching the All Blacks according to Wynne grey in the New Zealand Herald.

"He admits the pressure can be suffocating, that he often feels wrung out at the end of each campaign but accepts those issues as part of the deal.

"The academic side of Smith seems to be more in harmony with his emotions, he is more balanced than his most taxing times as head coach.

"Smith is in his 11th season tutoring, mentoring and guiding the latest All Black crop, a group who began this campaign with an encouraging opening victory helped by Ireland's indiscipline.

"I got into coaching because I couldn't play any more and I still wanted to be part of the contest, part of the team," he explained yesterday. "Without sounding egotistical about it, it reflects winning, and so as you win you get put into positions higher up the ladder and with that comes pressure."

Friday night's meeting with the New Zealand Maori is possibly the toughest match Ireland could have squeezed into their schedule between facing the All Blacks and the Wallabies. Gerry Thornley writes in the Irish Times.

"Everything about the way the Maoris points to them playing with a high-tempo approach similar to the All Blacks. Ready as they claim to have been for this, Irish players didn’t seem particularly alert to quick throws and taps last week.

"Adapting to the relentless recycling and ball-in-hand rugby which now reins hereabouts is one thing, but Ireland’s defence was also badly exposed. In addition to sharpening their re-alignment and line speed, Ireland also need to sharpen up their breakdown work and what was a messy lineout.

"By right, Ireland should be hurting, and Joseph expects as much. “I’ve played Ireland myself and I know how passionate they are as a rugby team and a rugby nation,” says Joseph. “I’d say they’ll be hurting and we’ll get it. The guys are aware of that, and if they’re not, they will be by tonight, and if they’re still not, they’ll be made aware of it in the first five minutes mate, don’t you worry,” he says with a broad smile."

No one would question that it has been a tough trip to New Zealand, complete with injuries, a suspension and a nine-try hammering by the All Blacks, but Ireland's Chris Henry is relishing every second. Hugh Farrelly writes in the Irish Independent.

"Henry has been one of the most consistent performers in Irish rugby this season, picking up three Ulster awards in May -- the rugby writers' and supporters' player of the year, as well as the personality of the year award. Yet, he could be considered something of a late bloomer, given that he only broke into the Ulster side the previous year. Handed the captaincy when Rory Best was injured, Henry is deeply frustrated by the way the province's season fell off post-Christmas.

"I only got my first cap for Ulster a year and a half ago, so it's been a whirlwind and I've been loving every minute of it. We're ambitious in Ulster and getting selected for Ireland or Ireland 'A' is a big part of that. Maybe there hasn't been a massive representation from Ulster over the past couple of years because we haven't been winning. If you're an Irish coach, you want your team to be full of winners," he says."

Wallabies openside David Pocock has taken some positives out of being part of a scrummaging decimation against England at Subiaco last weekend. He talks to Greg Growden in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"While some Australian forwards were slinking around after conceding two penalty tries, Pocock believed it was the ''wake-up call'' they needed, after several seasons in which they had gradually started to believe they were a formidable pack.

"Admittedly the front-row stocks are well down at the moment, with Ben Alexander, Benn Robinson and Stephen Moore all sidelined, but Pocock yesterday argued this was still the time for everyone - young and old - to step up.

''Without a good scrum you're going to struggle to win the tight games,'' Pocock said yesterday. ''We can't rely on other aspects of the game to prop up one area which is lagging. It's maybe not a bad thing that we got this wake-up call early, as we can now put a lot of work into that area.''

No-one knows more about the flak that can fly in the direction of a fly-half than Stephen Jones, according to Simon Thomas in the Western Mail.

"Despite having earned close-on 90 Welsh caps, won two Grand Slams and played six Tests for the Lions, the Scarlets No 10 has spent a fair chunk of his career dodging the bullets from punters and pundits alike. He accepts it goes with the territory and realises that’s just the way it is when you are an outside-half.

But even Jones has been shocked by the criticism that has been levelled at his Kiwi counterpart Dan Carter this year.

Having been the golden star of New Zealand rugby for years, Carter suddenly found himself under fire following a disappointing Super 14 campaign for the Crusaders.

Perish the thought, but there were even some voices questioning whether he was still the right man to pull the strings for Graham Henry’s All Blacks."

Ireland lock Dan Tuohy takes on the All Blacks' defence © Getty Images

Gerry Thornley talks to Ireland lock Dan Tuohy following his eventful Test debut against the All Blacks last weekend in The Irish Independent.

"There's always been something about debuts and Dan Tuohy, but last Saturday in New Plymouth topped the lot. Less than a minute after replacing the hamstrung Mick O’Driscoll, Tuohy had cleared out a ruck when he followed another side-stepping carry by Andrew Trimble.

"He could hear Ronan O’Gara shouting “they’re not committed to it”, so as Trimble presented the ball Tuohy picked up and went.

“I sometimes get blasted for doing that because I’ve done it before with no support. But I just thought, ‘I have to do something’. When you come on you think you have to do something to get into the game.”

Greg Growden reviews a forgettable fixture between England and the Australian Barbarians, but retains his share of scrum fear, in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Australia's scrum woes were amplified last night when the Barbarians front-row was minced up by the England opposition at Gosford, enabling the tourists to enjoy a mind-numbingly boring 15-9 victory.

"The Australian Barbarians pack were penalised eight times by referee Steve Walsh, with the most crucial occurring just before full-time when a makeshift front-row of hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau playing at tight-head prop, and replacements Huia Edmonds and James Slipper were guilty of collapsing. This enabled England kicker Olly Barkley to boot the winning points in a tryless and, at times, seemingly pointless match.

"Not surprisingly, a fair proportion of the crowd of 9053 booed when full-time was sounded, giving their opinion of a dreadful encounter which thankfully was not televised, because it would have sent the game backwards by decades. As the players filed off the field, one exasperated spectator yelled at the Wallabies bench: ''Bring back Tahu.''

Hugh Farrelly talks to Ireland's latest skipper, fullback Geordan Murphy, about facing up to the haka prior to Friday's meeting with the New Zealand Maori in The Irish Independent.

"The haka promises to be something special when Ireland line up against the New Zealand Maori on Friday night, but it may come as a surprise to the host team to learn that the Irish captain has been on the other side of the fence when it comes to the Maori war dance, writes Hugh Farrelly.

"When he was a student at Newbridge College in Kildare, Geordan Murphy was part of an exchange scheme with Auckland Grammar, a famed rugby school in New Zealand, and during that time performed his share of hakas.

"He went on to face New Zealand's haka eight times, seven with Ireland and once with the Lions in 2005 and it provides a unique insight into the practice and its importance to the Maori culture."

Richie McCaw wants to give Carisbrook a game to remember © Getty Images

Richie McCaw wants to give one of New Zealand's iconic rugby venues a fitting send-off against Wales when the team plays at Carisbrook on Saturday in the Dominion Post.

"It will be a big moment," said McCaw. "It will be nice to have a run round out there - I guess there are a few memories watching games while at school down here. "I guess always when it's the last game somewhere it's a wee bit sad, but it's the way it is and that new place will be pretty good too I think."

Graham Henry was somewhat more zealous on his reflections both of Carisbrook and Dunedin.

"It's a great ground, marvellous surface, and there have been many fabulous games played there by both Otago and the All Blacks. We'd like to leave that ground with fond memories," he added. "I'm sure the ground would like to close with fond memories too -- not like the last two test matches.

"We enjoy being here, enjoy being in Dunedin... Some of us spent a bit of time down here, which brings back memories, good memories, very good memories, very enjoyable memories."

Warren Gatland has urged his Wales squad to draw on inspiration from France to deliver a historic victory over the All Blacks in the South Wales Evening Post.

"Between now and Saturday we need to build our self-belief and confidence. We have to build on the performance and what we created against South Africa. We have to believe in our own ability and it's part of my job to keep the players motivated and create their self-belief.

"I keep looking back to Carisbrook last year when France came down to New Zealand with a very weakened team. They would have been written off before that game was played. But they came here with an air of confidence. France won the first Test and they probably should have won the second Test as well, and went away with the Dave Gallaher Shield.

"You have to keep looking at those occasions and hopefully the same may apply and happen to us."

The Australian scrum goes backwards at Subiaco Oval © Getty Images

Greg Growden expects Robbie Deans to persevere with his inexperienced front-row when the Wallabies face England on Saturday with revenge in mind in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Even though Wallabies tighthead prop Salesi Ma'afu was sin-binned for scrum collapses and the pack suffered the indignity of two penalty tries being awarded against it - as well as infringing on at least eight other occasions - there will be no SOS calls for old-time props to bolster an inexperienced and injury-shackled forward contingent.

"Instead, for the second Test in Sydney on Saturday night, the Wallabies will tinker with their forward pack. Powerhouse hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is certain to play as long as he can prove his fitness when he starts for the Australian Barbarians against England tomorrow night in Gosford.

"James Slipper is in line to be the new tight-head prop, after excelling in his 15 minutes off the bench in his Test debut when the 21-year-old played on both sides of the scrum. The Wallabies are expected to persevere with Ben Daley at loose-head."

David Flatman is finally off and running in Australia but admits to having missed a thing or two in England's draw with the Australian Barbarians in The Independent.

"A tour is not a tour until games have been played. And now they have, so we're off. Just under an hour and a half of sport for me in midweek meant so many different things for so many different reasons. For the trip itself, as an event, it brings it to life, makes it real. But as well as playing the part of a (somewhat tardy) starter's pistol, it was England versus the Aussies.

"Despite the fact that, seemingly, it was not important enough to be televised, this was yet another sporting contest to which the men involved offered every single iota of effort their bodies would allow. Every training session, every word spoken by a helpful coach or a loving parent or an omniscient commentator had led us to this point and, as is only right, those fortunate enough to have been delivered to this place in time committed to give it all to the cause."

Brian Moore believes that it is time for Martin Johnson to axe England's coaching staff in the wake of another poor display The Daily Telegraph.

"England's rugby management team will by now have had hours of analysis and discussion about their side's 27-17 defeat to the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday.

"They need not have bothered; anyone could identify the principal problem that undermines anything attempted by Martin Johnson's England team: slowness, torpor, sluggishness, lethargy – whatever word your thesaurus produces, it means the same thing.

"The closeness of the final score papers over large cracks in England's game. Apart from obliterating an Australian front row that would have been outgunned in mini rugby, nearly everything else England did could have been recorded by a portrait artist. How long will Johnson allow this malaise to continue? I could go back through my articles covering England's last five seasons and cut and paste comments about this deficiency."

Owen Slot talks to former England coach Clive Woodward about the dearth of top class coaches in Britain in The Times.

"Great Britain may have soared in the medals table at the Beijing Olympics two years ago, but Sir Clive Woodward believes that the team had the potential to rise higher. He says that there were at least six sports in which their athletes could have won medals if their coaching had been at a world-class level.

"Woodward, the performance director of the British Olympic Association (BOA), is not dismissive of the coaches, but is highly critical of the system. “Our best coaches are totally unsung heroes,” he says. But he also believes that there are not enough of them and that the structures to produce them are hopelessly inadequate — and that someone needs to help them.

“I passionately believe that you cannot win a gold medal unless you have a world-class athlete and a world-class coach,” he says. “This country is developing bucket-loads of talent. But are we developing enough world-class coaches? I don’t think we are."

Ireland's Jamie Heaslip is given his marching orders in New Plymouth © Getty Images

Ireland's defeat at the hands of New Zealand was "ugly" in many ways according to the Irish Times' Gerry Thornley.

"Not so much a return to the bad old days as a whole brand new one all to itself, the psychological scars from which would have been even worse were it not for a 14-man effort which saw Ireland respond to a nightmare 38-0 deficit after just 33 minutes to thereafter share four converted tries apiece. Even so, this already daunting tour just became a whole lot longer.

"Ill-discipline, primarily a red card for Jamie Heaslip and mistakes cost them from the off, effectively ending the contest from the 15th minute. Heaslip was sent off by referee Wayne Barnes for, according to the Englishman, deliberate knees to the head, although it wasn’t abundantly clear who the recipient was or, if indeed, he didn’t catch a teammate just as much. The pity is that Ireland were hammering away at the All Blacks line at the time, both Andrew Trimble and Gordon D’Arcy having been held up inches short from making the score 10-7. But instead of game on, it was game over."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Frankie Sheahan believes Jamie Heaslip's sending off should not be used as a smokescreen for Ireland's defeat at the hands of New Zealand.

"You must own the ball and not give it away. Two of the most obvious ones for me though, and which became the biggest problems during the game, were defence and ball retention.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the sending off of Jamie Heaslip and the sin binning of Ronan O'Gara were key moments because New Zealand scored 21 points in that period. However, the main area that really disappointed me was our defence and I would imagine that Les Kiss's defensive video session during the week will be like a scene from The Exorcist."

After watching a raft of substitutions stip the All Blacks of momentum in their crushing victory over Ireland, the Sunday Herald's Richard Loe believes no one benefits when team rings wholesale changes.

"I hate to sound like a grumpy old man but I have had a crack at this before. I think it is better, even if you are trying to give people test match experience, to give them a run in the starting team.

"Sometimes, you see all the substitutions made in a game like that and you wonder what anyone gets out of it, really.

"You know, people like Victor Vito and Aaron Cruden who are trying to show they belong here. The game had got messy and destabilised and the best you could say about that kind of player is that the jury is still out."

Saturday night was not one of the great nights in the history of Australian scrummaging, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden.

"But what made this Test win special was that elsewhere the Wallabies were spectacular, giving enough clues that they are starting to gain the attacking and defensive capabilities which are required to be a real World Cup threat next year.

"The old adage is that if you can win up front, in particular the scrummaging tussle, the game is yours. If that was the case last night, England should have won by 20 points."

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Paul Ackford believes a lack of invention cost England dear against Australia.

"Right. The good stuff first. England's scrummaging. That's it. Full stop. End of story.

"...This match did nothing to suggest that England had kicked on from their game with France. That was the hope going into the encounter, that at the end of a disturbingly-poor Six Nations, Martin Johnson's second, England might be turning some sort of corner. No chance. If anything, England are slipping further out of touch with what is required in international rugby.

"Whereas England do structure and pattern and nothing much else, the best of the rest do opportunity. The emphasis is on making sense out of movement, on players having the confidence and the skill sets to create situations which they can exploit.

"And if that sounds woolly, then good. It's meant to, because when Australia, France and New Zealand are on their game, they operate by instinct not via a play book."

Scotland's victory over Argentina in Tucuman was one of the most impressive performances of recent years according to The Scotsman's Richard Bath.

"In little over a year, these two sides are going to be meeting on the other side of the world in a one-off World Cup pool match which gives real context to this two-Test series in Argentina. When it comes to winning, Scotland coach Andy Robinson is a single issue obsessive, and yesterday in one of the most impressive performances of recent years by a Scotland side, he surely learnt the secret of how to kill off that most tenacious of all animals, the Pumas.

"Strangely, very little of what he would have gleaned from yesterday's game concerned the Pumas. Their brand of unchanging Route One rugby based around their big men bish-bash-boshing their way up the middle of the park was exactly the same cussed and outrageously physical style of play that saw them outmuscle Scotland 9-6 at Murrayfield in the autumn

"No, what Robinson learnt yesterday was that his own side has the capacity to be far more than an outfit built around the set-piece in general and the lineout in particular, that they can put sides to the sword rather than rely on winning enough penalties to let Chris Paterson's boot doing their talking. Throwing the ball to the wings, Scotland looked like a side which has the ability – and, more importantly, the appetite – to play the sort of wide game that will bring the tries that consistently win games."

The England scrum may have dominated their Australian rivals but the tourists were taken apart by the Wallabies' backs according to The Independent's Chris Hewett.

"Another Test match in Wallaby country, another defeat. For much of yesterday's contest at the Subiaco Oval, the crowd found themselves wondering whether there was any beginning to England's talents.

"This was not quite fair. Martin Johnson's team can scrummage, and scrummage well – especially against a rival front row so far short of international class that a half-decent Premiership second-string would bend them double at the set-piece. The tourists' supremacy in the darkened recesses earned them two pen-alty tries. But they achieved nothing else. Depressing? Yes, and then some.

"The Wallabies were so spellbindingly poor in the tight that for all their brilliance elsewhere – tainted brilliance, given their regular handling errors, but brilliance all the same – they might have finished this most peculiar match in the runners-up position."

Rugby's domination of New Zealand sport is under threat from growing interest in the nation's footballers at the World Cup according to Paul Rees in The Guardian.

"New Zealand and World Cups have tended not to go together in the past 20 years but, if the All Blacks are usually installed as favourites to win the rugby union version only to implode, the country's football side, who were dubbed the All Whites in the build-up to their only other appearance in the World Cup in 1982, have never been encumbered by expectation.

"Yet the All Whites manager, Ricki Herbert, believes football has overtaken rugby in the popularity stakes in New Zealand, as it briefly did 28 years ago when the team's Spanish sojourn coincided with a disenchantment with the oval ball game. The year before a contentious tour by South Africa was bedevilled by anti-apartheid protests, one of which forced the cancellation of a game in Hamilton."

England's Dan Cole is shackled by the Australia defence in Perth © Getty Images

England’s World Cup mission is once again in doubt according to the Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary following their loss to Australia in Perth.

"England are often portrayed as no more than a bunch of grunts in these parts, laboured and one-dimensional: boring, boring Poms. It was hard not to argue with the locals.

"Australia were slick, clever and pacy. England were none of these things. They didn’t get across the try-line in open play. It was as dispiriting as it was disturbing. The scoreboard could have been far more damning, even if once again the Wallaby scrum was once again an insult to Test rugby.

"...England’s World Cup mission is once again in doubt. For all their fine words, they continue to look uneasy with each other, timid in attack and turgid in the loose. They made a catastrophic amount of mistakes, missing more than thirty tackles in the first hour alone.

"They allowed Australia a free run, particularly in the first half when England looked for all the world as if they were still back in Blighty. That things improved in the second half can be their only source of consolation as they head to Sydney for the second test next Saturday. They will need all their powers of persuasion to silence their inner demons."

Seldom does the New Zealand Rugby Union move with the subtlety and agility that it has displayed in the securing of Sonny Bill Williams for its depleted player ranks. The New Zealand Herald heaps praise on the NZRU in an editorial.

"Up against the much bigger money offered by his French club Toulon, the union has wooed Williams without being able to commit absolutely to the one thing he most wants - a place in the All Blacks for the World Cup.

"Quite how it has structured his contract and how incentive payments might work in his favour are not yet clear.

"What is clear is that New Zealand rugby without trading All Black jerseys as bait will soon have another potential star for the year before D-Day on Labour Weekend 2011.

"What is also clear is that Williams has shown that he does, truly, want to play for the All Blacks."

Australia's defence was "marvellous" and their attack at its "mightiest" against England according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden.

"It was a mess up front, with the bulk of England's points coming from the penalty tries that were the result of the raw Australian front row being constantly smashed and unable to hold the scrum up. But out wide, the Wallabies were in another league, with their flash and flair leading to a deserved triumph.

"The Wallabies had to endure plenty of pain and endless tense moments for their 14 first-half points. Their young scrum was subjected to enormous pressure, and were constantly penalised by the Welsh referee Nigel Owens for collapsing it, but their composure in attack and self-belief was exceptional, enabling them to enjoy the moral victory of keeping the visitors scoreless until the 44th minute."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Duncan Johnstone is impressed by the All Blacks showing against Ireland and one rising stat in particular.

"No hype surrounds Benson Stanley - unlike another young man about to push his claims for the All Blacks No.12 jersey - but the Auckland inside-centre showed why understatement can still be fashionable, especially in a provincial setting like New Plymouth.

"Let's get one thing straight - this was a good night to debut as the Irish capitulated through a mix of their own foolishness and relentless All Blacks pressure.

"But there was more than enough from Stanley to suggest he will be a worthy candidate as the selectors ponder their options for the World Cup next year."

Writing in The Scotsman, Iain Morrison previews Scotland's testing clash against Argentina in Tucuman.

"The eyes of the wider sporting world may be focused on South Africa rather than South America but this afternoon's match in Tucuman is still a sell-out with 35,000 Puma fans expected to uphold the stadium's well-earned reputation as one of the most hostile environments in which to play test match rugby.

"Surprisingly it's the first international match held in Tucuman since 2004 and the locals aren't going to let an opportunity to celebrate their other national sport go to waste.

"Andy Robinson was sporting a wide grin on his face at yesterday's press conference. The anticipation of an upcoming international seems to add a little lustre to the Englishman who had a "Readybrek" glow about him. The coach quickly acknowledged the size of the task looming ahead."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Hugh Farrelly reports from New Plymouth ahead of Ireland's clash with New Zealand.

"Dutch Gold don't do one-horse towns, but ... Actually, that's a bit unfair, you cannot describe New Plymouth as a one-horse town, given that the horse has long since bolted for a more stimulating existence in the Australian outback.

"It calls itself a city, but New Plymouth (or 'Newtownshambles' as one of the more cynical members of the Irish press corps calls it) is no more than a moderate-sized town and it was a pretty grim place to be on Thursday evening with violent wind and rain coming in off the Tasman Sea.

"The streets are laid out American-style, so your hotel is located "two blocks from the clock tower on the corner of King and Devon, and so on. And the main drag was exactly that, shutters clattering, not a car in sight, and only a few die-hard locals venturing from their homes to ponder their existence over sorrowful pints at various Tumbleweed Arms-type hostelries."

"Is that Robbie Fowler?" © Getty Images

Greg Growden's Ruck & Maul for the The Sydney Morning Herald features some awestruck England players and a guest appearance from former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler.

"Not surprisingly they had to come to Australia on two different flights, on two different airlines. But at least the 40-odd England players have kept perspective inside their big, cozy cocoon.

"At one of their training sessions in Perth this week, proceedings were stopped when they saw who was running around on the ground next to them. It was Robbie Fowler with the Perth Glory, and the rah-rahs watched in admiration."

David Kelly talks to legendary All Black Sean Fitzpatrick about Ireland's need to break their duck against New Zealand in The Irish Independent.

"New Zealand's legendary former captain Sean Fitzpatrick has warned Ireland that it is time to put up or shut up as the tourists seek to end their ignominious 105-year winless streak against the All Blacks tomorrow.

"The prodigious ex-hooker was capped a record 92 times for the All Blacks and was first handed the captaincy during the 1992 campaign when Ireland came agonisingly close to ending their unenviable losing streak in that year's first Dunedin test.

"Before and since then, Ireland have played a good game off the pitch, but rarely looked like converting on it, even when Fitzpatrick's long-time understudy Warren Gatland led his side to a significant lead in the 2002 encounter at Lansdowne Road. "Ireland need to go out and play with enthusiasm and put pressure on the All Blacks," declares Fitzpatrick. "And not just for 60 minutes, but for 80 minutes. It's all very good talking about it. It's a different thing to go out and do it."

Inga Tuigamala praises the All Blacks for getting their man after Sonny Bill Williams signed with the NZRU in The New Zealand Herald.

"Graham Henry and his troops have done the right thing by going out and getting Sonny Bill Williams.

"Sport needs its personalities - star factor, call it what you like - and Sonny Bill has that in spades. Most of all though he's a phenomenal player, the type of athlete that comes along just a few times in any generation. We're talking a Jonah Lomu-type talent here, Michael Jones, John Kirwan, above the mere mortals."

England fly-half Toby Flood is enjoying his first trip to Australia, and promises some open play from England as they take on the Wallabies in The Independent.

"This is my first time in Australia and so far I'm impressed, even if the national sport appears to be beating Poms at anything from cards to rugby. It doesn't take long to realise this is a country that is passionate about sport and we are all too aware of the challenge that awaits us in Perth tomorrow and Sydney next week.

"The talk here in the media ahead of tomorrow's first Test is of taking Australia on up front. Of course we have to play to our strengths and if that is up front then that is what we must aim to do – you have to be realistic, we are playing Australia in Australia and that's a tough assignment. But we will still look for the opportunity to go wide or attack in other areas if the chance arises. It is also doing them an injustice to talk down their pack – I know as a player that when people don't give you respect it only fires you up even more."

Scotland need to hit the ground running this weekend © Getty Images

Scotland attack coach Gregor Townsend talks to The Scotsman's Iain Morrison about their need to score 20 points or more against the Pumas this weekend.

"If Scotland are to have any chance of winning the first Test in Tucuman on Saturday they will need to score a minimum of 20 points. At least that is the belief of Gregor Townsend and the Scotland attack coach is paid to know these sorts of things.

"If the figure seems a little arbitrary, and it almost certainly is, on closer inspection it just about fits the bill. Two years ago Scotland scored 15 points in Rosario and lost the opening Test. One week later they scored 26 points in Buenos Aires and levelled the series. It's no magic number but 20 points is a handy enough target and it is a lot easier to reach with a try or two nudging the score board along. Unfortunately tries are proving desperately difficult to come by right now.

"While Townsend was one of the most gloriously unpredictable players of his generation the back line he coaches is a little pedestrian, managing just two touchdowns in the last eight Test matches. Townsend admitted that the number of tries scored by the piano shifters, as opposed to the piano players, has become a talking point."

The New Zealand Herald's Dylan Cleaver looks into a new initiative to keep unruly parents under wraps at youth games.

"Auckland rugby bosses have compiled Ten Commandments for schoolboy rugby matches in a bid to stop unruly parents and others ranting from the sidelines.

"The campaign follows last year's drive to end the abuse of referees by players' supporters watching from the touch line. Club rugby manager Matt McHardy said that while that drive targeted junior club rugby - age 13 and under - this year's included secondary school rugby."

Peter Bills is disappointed by the Barbarians' waning mojo in the world of professional rugby in The Irish Independent.

"So where now for the Barbarians, Ireland's conquerors in Limerick last weekend but a tribe looking increasingly threatened by the passage of time?

"Once, they played in a style so spectacular that untold numbers took to their game, lured by the sheer joie de vivre, the style and elan of their approach, the bliss of their philosophy founded as it was on pleasure for both participants and those watching.

"But 1973 is an awful long way back in anyone's life, and especially the Barbarians'. Life and sports have changed; values espoused decades back have declined. This month's games against England and Ireland have rather underlined the point. And one of this unique, invitation rugby club's most esteemed sons shook his head in sadness."

David Hands is intrigued by England's new midfield pairing of Mike Tindall and Shontayne Hape in The Times.

" England’s choice for the first of two internationals against Australia, at Subiaco Oval on Saturday, will surprise few except those here who have assumed from the outset that Jonny Wilkinson would be playing fly half. Throughout the week, Australia’s midfield backs have been quizzed about their regard for Wilkinson who will take his place among England’s replacements, behind Toby Flood.

"It is almost as though seven years have not passed and Wilkinson is still the player whose dropped goal won England the 2003 World Cup. He would admit before anyone else that he is not the same person, never mind the same player, as that 24-year-old but he is also part of Martin Johnson’s ambition to have, in Flood, another player who can control both the game and the scoreboard in the way that Wilkinson can.

"Flood was promoted to that task against France in Paris in March and retains the jersey but four of those who started the last act of the RBS Six Nations Championship have gone: Dylan Hartley and Riki Flutey, absent from this tour because of injury, Louis Deacon, who has been given the summer off, and Joe Worsley, the London Wasps flanker who is here but loses his place to Tom Croft."

Leicester Tigers rugby director Peter Wheeler admitted Leicester would be disappointed if they did not qualify for the quarter-finals in the Leicester Mercury.

"Without being euphoric about it, that is a good group. It's better than a couple of the others, which look really dangerous.

"You would be disappointed if we did not qualify. The make-up of the group gives you an opportunity to qualify. Even though the groups are seeded these days you can get a tough group, as we did last season."

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder is confident of a repeat of last season's quarter-final appearance after a Heineken Cup draw that could have been much worse in The Daily Telegraph.

"It is a promising draw for us," admits Mallinder. "We have ambitions of becoming one of Europe's top teams that reaches the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup on a regular basis and this group is wide open.

"Cardiff showed how far they have come by winning the Challenge Cup in a hostile atmosphere against Toulon and Edinburgh have improved a great deal over the last few years.

"And any trip to France is tough, especially to a place like Castres. This season they beat both Toulouse and Biarritz, which shows that they have to be taken seriously too."

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has delivered an ominous warning to Wales over Dan Carter’s form in the Daily Post North Wales.

“He will be playing great again whether it is on Saturday or Saturday week (versus Wales). “What you have with a guy like Dan is someone who will give you 100% all the time.

“He has very high personal standards and he knows what he has to do. He will play some outstanding football moving forward like he has played in the past. You can’t expect him to play at 100% all of the time. There will be a drop at times because he is human.”

Chester Williams says the 2010 football World Cup will be ten times bigger than the 1995 Rugby World Cup for South Africa © Getty Images

Former South Africa winger Chester Williams says the 2010 football World Cup has the potential to be much bigger for South Africa than the rugby tournament of 1995 in The Daily Telegraph.

"Listen, hosting the World Cup soccer is a much bigger thing for the country than rugby World Cup," said Williams. "Actually, I'm probably underplaying it to say it's 10 times bigger. Obviously, economically it's bigger, they'll be more people coming here and far more people around the world will be watching us and how we do it. But I think for us in South Africa itself it will mean more. Nineteen ninety-five was all about getting the black majority to accept the white man's game. This is about getting the white man to accept the black man's game."

Hugh Farrelly ponders the ramifications of All Black coach Graham Henry's referee jib in The Irish Independent.

"The weather here may be 'cat' in Irish terms but things are hotting up nicely ahead of Saturday's Test between the All Blacks and Ireland in New Plymouth.

"Despite both camps having to cope with extensive injury lists, allied to a disappointing Super 14 season for the Kiwis and a daunting assignment at the end of a long and arduous season for the Irish, it is fair to say that there is a collective enthusiasm for this encounter.

"New Zealand's first international of the season is always going to excite interest in this oval-obsessed nation, particularly with the clutch of new players in their side, while the prospect of facing the only major international side Ireland have never defeated is a massive incentive for the visitors."

Alun-Wyn Jones says Wales can cause an upset against New Zealand in at least one of their two Tests down under in the Daily Post North Wales.

“If we can sustain that for another 10 minutes and have teams on the ropes just before half-time then we know we can come out stronger, our second half performances are good. We’re not far off, we keep saying we’re not that far off. Gats [Warren Gatland] has given us that message and we have to carry it on.

“I’ve stood here before and said the same things, but it we’ve got a great opportunity to go out to New Zealand, a team that far outranks us, and cause an upset.

Karmichael Hunt (right) has excelled across the board © Getty Images

Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt's AFL defection opens up an interesting new world for Australian rugby union, accoring to Adam Freier in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"But both the body-contact codes, league and rugby, have a potential problem on their hands: what happens if the Folau and Karmichael Hunt experiment actually works and it turns out that all NRL players can make the switch quite easily?

"At school, there was always the kid who seemed to be great at every sport you put in front of him. At Waverley College in Sydney we had Ryan Cross. He opened the batting and bowling, ran the 100m and hurdles, then became the Australian schools champion shot-putter and was selected in the Australian schoolboys rugby for two years. Then, after deciding to go and play league for the Roosters, he is now a fully fledged Wallaby.

"Berrick Barnes did the same, having shown equally outstanding ability as a cricketer or football player. Jamal Idris is still battling to work out whether he can be an Olympic shot-putter while still playing in the NRL."

England prop David Flatman checks in from Perth as they prepare to face the Australian Barbarians in The Independent.

"I am thinking about taking up Aussie Rules. OK, so these boys probably cover 20 kilometres over the course of a game and I doubt I trot much more than a quarter of that in a rugby match, but bear with me.

"I reckon about a fortnight in the Perth summer sun would see me sweat off the weight of an average Labrador, leaving me a leaner, more endurance-based athlete (but still about 20 kilos heavier than your common-or-garden "footy" player). The kit is super, super tight, which, I am sure you will agree, can only be great news for my physique and public profile. But more importantly than all of this, pretty Australian girls love footy. So I would never meet any of them (wife plus physical appearance would see to that), but life is just better when the scenery is this good. Fact."

Paul Ackford believes that a northern hemisphere side must win on tour this summer to keep alive any semblance of pride in The Daily Telegraph.

"Since that visit, which encouraged the self-belief which led to global dominance two months later, England’s record has been execrable: a 51-15 defeat in Brisbane in 2004, followed by two Tests in 2006 which England lost 34-3 in Sydney and 43-18 in Melbourne.

"Yet, incredibly, England are the success story here. Wales have never won a Test match in New Zealand, Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks and last triumphed in Australia way back in 1979, and Scotland’s record against Argentina stands at two victories from 10 outings.

"That’s the reality right there. For all the smug self-congratulation at the commercial success of the Six Nations championship, for all the inflated salaries which the top players earn in this part of the world, when it comes to winning Test matches on the other side of the planet, we’re no bloody good."

As preparations for this weekend's Test intensify, Scotland prop Moray Low talks to The Times' Lewis Stuart about attacking their scrum.

"After a weekend to recover from the 16-hour journey to South America, Scotland are planning a brutal training session in Buenos Aires today as preparations for the opening international with Argentina enter their final phase.

"A key part of the plan, it seems, is to attack the home side in one of their areas of greatest strength — the scrum. It was a tactic that should have worked last November when Scotland dominated the Pumas for long periods, only to be foiled and frustrated by their defence.

"Central to it all was Moray Low, the tighthead prop, making only his third start for Scotland. He is desperate to prove that it was no fluke and that the team can go one better against a stronger Argentina side on their own patch."

All Blacks rugby centre Conrad Smith is excited about the prospect of combining with Sonny Bill Williams after the former Kiwis league international moved a step closer to a black jersey today in The Dominion Post.

"Yeah, for sure. I'm just glad that, if he does play, he's playing in New Zealand. If we've got hold of him rather than playing overseas then it'll be good."

Sports psychologist Dr Richard Cox hopes to have Scotland mentally ready for next year’s World Cup, in the Scottish Herald.

“Every day we’re learning more and more about how the brain works and what a wonderful computer it is,” he said. “The most recent developments are in that line, in what we call psychobiology. But it could be another 200 years before science finally defines what makes man tick.

“Among other things I talk to the squad as a whole. I’ve done workshops on thinking, and why people think in certain ways. We talk about task-
relevant thinking, which is simply about keeping your mind on the job.

“In rugby, you can be hit hard or struggling for air in the last 20 minutes, or both. It can be very hard to concentrate on the task, and you concentrate on yourself instead. What I do is try to develop players who can offset that. Once you raise their awareness of what will happen under normal circumstances you create an opportunity for them to interfere with that sequence of events.”

James Hook feels Wales are preventing themselves from becoming a top international side in the Wales On Sunday.

“It’s so frustrating to lose a game after being 16-3 up,” said Hook, who scored his 10th Wales try. “We had the game by the scruff of the neck and a few errors let us down. “I don’t think we are very far away but at times we need to do the basics very well. Against a quality side like South Africa you can’t do it and they punished us.

“We shoot ourselves in the foot, we scored a try and then let them straight back into the game. Warren said we have got to do the basics well at times and not try and play too much rugby. We try to play too much rugby instead of just holding on to the ball and running hard like they did. We need to concentrate on not making any mistakes for five or 10 minutes immediately after we score."

Tony Buckley sees the tour of New Zealand as his big chance © Getty Images

Tony Buckley sees the tour to New Zealand as his big chance to break out of the shadow of John Hayes at the age of 29 in the Irish Independent.

"It's one thing doing all the physical training but it's also tough mentally, like. I think a lot of the lads have had a long season and the bodies are showing the signs of it. I think we've all had injuries this season. I tore my calf in October but luckily only missed three weeks. I played through the [recent] knee and only missed one match. I'm so lucky compared to the likes of Paulie and Earlsy - terrible.

"It's up to me to take the opportunity when I'm given it," he says. "Hopefully I'll get another start out of the three games, which would be great for me. If I do get a start, it's up to me to stake my claim."

Former All Black Richard Loe cannot comprehend why the selectors have chosen three injured players in the squad against Ireland in the NZ Herald.

“For the life of me, I can't understand the All Blacks selectors choosing three injured players with little or no chance of playing against Ireland on Saturday.

“Mils Muliaina, Richard Kahui and Tom Donnelly are all unlikely to front and the obvious question is: why were they selected in the first place?

“What's wrong with a phone call to say: "Gee, we wanted to select you but you're injured and haven't played enough rugby. But don't worry - you're still the player we want in that position when you're right." I mean, what could be simpler?”

Melbourne Rebels fly-half Danny Cipriani has revealed he was on the verge of quitting rugby to escape the harsh glare of life in the spotlight in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"I get scrutinised differently to other rugby players, which is okay, but there is so much negativity. I don't want to be around it anymore. I don't want this to be the headline but there were times when I thought about quitting. I just thought: 'Is it worth it? Should I be doing something else?'

"I feel privileged to earn a living from rugby but with everything I was getting there were times when it just felt like a job. And it annoys me that happened because this is something I love. I get scrutinised differently to other rugby players, which is okay, but there is so much negativity."

George Smith says England needs more than just Jonny to compete in the World Cup © Getty Images

Jonny Wilkinson may be preparing for his first tour of Australia since his World Cup triumph in 2003, but he alone will not be able to save England when their tour starts in Perth next Saturday, retired Test star George Smith told the Sydney Morning Herald.

''They definitely have the drive to win down there,'' Smith told the Herald. ''They will be very competitive, but with their end of their season and the Wallabies at the start of theirs, the Wallabies will be too strong.''

Scotland coach Andy Robinson has urged his players not to waste their chances in the two-Test series as the team left for Argentina in The Scotsman.

"In any game of rugby that is what you have to do, and we didn't do it in that last game against Argentina. We can look at three or four of the games when that hasn't happened. That's one of the areas of the game we need to improve on, our ability to finish. "It's okay doing all the good build-up work but we have got to get across the line and score tries. We always have to have a real collective edge about the way we defend. Coming together for the Japan game enabled us to get that. There is always a way that we have to improve every facet of our game.

"There has been a belief about the way the team has played through the autumn and the Six Nations. Again it was looking at ourselves, the accuracy of our handling, our inability to finish and some of the dull penalties we gave away.

"They are all facets you have in a very physical game, so it's important we are able to stay in control of the game in the way that we don't give dull penalties away, and also our execution – having good hands and being able to keep hold of the ball."

Warren Gatland says that he thinks Wales are on the brink of another golden era in The Times.

“In the next four years Welsh rugby will go through a golden era with the regions doing well [and] international teams doing well.”

Peter De Villiers has some thinking to do © Getty Images

With impending surgery for Fourie du Preez, Gavin Rich believes that this weekend's Test with Wales couldn't have come at a better time on Supersport.

"With Fourie du Preez announcing that he is likely to undergo a shoulder operation that will keep him out of rugby for the rest of the year, Saturday’s first test of 2010 against Wales in Cardiff probably couldn’t come at a better time for the Springbok management.

"It is no secret that no-one really wanted this match. At least no-one directly involved with the Boks. When it was announced a few months ago there were raised eyebrows and not a few mutterings of discontent. With a Grand Slam tour due to come at the end of it, the year before the World Cup was already seen to be a taxing one.

"But coach Peter de Villiers’s response to the challenge was a wise one. Instead of throwing his frontline players into an extra match, he resolved to widen the net for this game and test his depth. It may be necessary given that the Boks during their successful 2009 campaign never looked comfortable when the core of experienced players that make up the spine of the team were not present."

Greg Growden offers up his usual mix of rumours and banter in Ruck & Maul for the The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Scott Johnson and John Muggleton, two quality Australian coaches who have spent recent years plying their trade overseas, may soon be in charge at the Western Force. R&M has heard that high on the list of those the Force are looking at to take over from John Mitchell are the former Wallabies assistant coach Johnson and long-time Australian defensive coach Muggleton.

"In both cases, the Force are on the right track. Johnson, an innovative coach who would have been a good right-hand man to Robbie Deans, is the director of coaching at Ospreys in Wales, while Muggleton, who served under a succession of Wallabies coaches has just finished up at the Llanelli Scarlets."

Tony Ward is excited by the arrival of the Barbarians in Ireland and also by the opportunity for several youngsters to show their worth in The Irish Independent.

"What Eusebio and Pele did in selling the beautiful game to the watching world in 1966 and '70, Gareth Edwards did for rugby in '73.

"To this day, the Welsh scrum-half's third-minute length-of-the-field touch-down for the Barbarians against the All Blacks is still held universally as the greatest try of all time.

"It was the day rugby really registered. Bear in mind that, unlike soccer, there were no four-yearly Rugby World Cups back then. Probably the only equivalent oval-ball event was when the British and Irish Lions went on tour, specifically to New Zealand or South Africa."

Shaun Edwards is pleased that the changes to the breakdown reinvigorated the Guinness Premiership in the second half of the season in The Guardian.

"Throw me an unmarked DVD of any match in the 2009-10 Premiership season and, within seconds, I'll tell you whether it was played before or after February. The Leicester v Saracens final – what a sensational game that was – simply emphasised the difference between the rugby we saw initially and what we ended up with, thanks to the revised refereeing interpretations at the breakdown. Chalk and cheese is an understatement. There is no question the balance of the game has shifted for the better.

"I still believe it was a brave decision by those in high places. In the end they had to acknowledge the "other way" wasn't working. Referees were being told to referee in a manner that simply wasn't encouraging phase-play rugby. I'm a defensive coach and well over 50% of my time was being spent teaching people how to kill the ball or how to catch up-and-unders. Thank God, that's no longer the case.

"The result has been contests like last Saturday's. I thought the first half, in particular, was outstanding, although this season has also underlined the value of good prop forwards. Rugby union, without doubt, is now a 23-man game. Both Heineken Cup semi-finals and the Leicester v Bath Premiership semi-final were effectively settled by props coming off the bench. That's why the best ones are now among the highest-paid players in the world."

Ireland have an opportunity against the All Blacks © Getty Images

Hugh Farrelly, writing in The Irish Independent, believes that Ireland must be positive as they head off on a daunting tour to New Zealand and Australia.

"When Declan Kidney was cutting his coaching teeth with the U-15s at PBC Cork in the mid-1980s, he would begin each campaign with a squad meeting and a blackboard.

"On it were set out the goals for the season. Number two on the list was always "win the Munster Schools Junior Cup", which one would have assumed deserved top billing, but never got it -- for that was always taken up by the simple instruction to "enjoy yourselves".

"Between 1983 and 1988, Pres won five out of six Junior Cups, at which point Kidney took his blackboard up to the U-18s and, after two semi-final defeats in 1989 and 1990, Kidney won the next three Senior Schools titles in a row.

"It is a simple philosophy and one that Kidney has adhered to throughout his highly successful career -- enjoyment and victory go hand-in-hand -- and one he will employ on Ireland's summer tour to New Zealand and Australia over the next month."

This summer's tour to Argentina gives Scotland a vital chance to build consistency prior to the World Cup, according to David Ferguson in The Scotsman.

"But there is no doubt the two-Test tour of Argentina, at the same time as the 'A' squad face Argentina's second string, Georgia and Namibia in the IRB Nations Cup, involving many players likely to meet Scotland at next year's World Cup, will provide the material that begins to harden coaches' thoughts.

"Japan have provided the players with a needed wake-up call, which is perhaps just what Robinson planned by taking on the fixture. The Scotland squad began this week by reflecting on the wonder of a final Six Nations win against Ireland, in Dublin, a first over there in 12 years. The positives from that result were then bolstered by the recognition that the team was only well beaten once, by France, and even that game was not out of Scotland's reach had they finished off one or two promising opportunities.

"The players were warned not to under-estimate the Japanese, however, and Robinson will have made it clear that consistency remains the great elusive goal for this Scottish team, as with its predecessors, and also the one key to successful sides."

Peter Bills has no time for the talk of an integrated game in South Africa following the Super 14 final in The Star.

"An all-South African final of the Super 14 and with it, confirmation that South African rugby sits at the top of the southern hemisphere and probably the world tree.

"For sure, the Stormers never had the precision, invention or sheer rugby intelligence of the Bulls. Subtlety might seem an oxymoronic quality to discuss in so physical a game as rugby. Yet so often it is the crucial element, as the Bulls showed with the clever creation of their first try in Soweto.

"Their superior thinking and reading of the play put them on a plateau beyond the capacity of the Stormers, themselves by no means an ordinary side."

It's time for the All Blacks' big guns to click, and click fast, according to Duncan Johnstone on stuff.co.nz.

"The All Blacks coaches will place bigger than usual pressure on senior players to get the team into gear quickly for next week's test against Ireland in New Plymouth.

"They have to on several fronts. Often slow starters – remember last year's wobbles against France and Italy – the All Blacks face a worthy and dangerous opponent in Ireland who have the added advantage of a warm-up match against the British Barbarians this year.

"The New Zealand coaches are operating against a backdrop of a sloppy Super 14 campaign from all of the Kiwi franchises."

Brian O'Driscoll reflects on Leinster's defeat to the Ospreys © PA

Gerry Thornley believes that time may be running out for Ireland's 'golden generation' after a barren year in The Irish Times.

"They weren’t that far away, but injuries to key men, even the slightest dilution of desire after reaching so many promised lands in recent years and improvements by others took a toll (and it doesn’t help when, on top of Ireland playing in Paris, both Leinster and Munster were drawn away in France in the semi-finals).

"The future doesn’t look like getting easier any time soon though. French clubs, backed by multi-millionaire benefactors, have strengthened their hand to the point that Biarritz and Stade Français have become mid-table also rans. Leicester have a Munster-like culture and both Northampton and Saracens are coming forces, as are the Welsh, and especially the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues.

"The golden generation, and they truly have been, have a few more big games in them. But this season has perhaps marked the beginning of the end of an era, with the next World Cup and the 2011-12 season marking something of a watershed."

Gavin Rich re-evaluates his opinions on the Bulls' march to Soweto on Supersport.

"There were some brutish looking Bulls supporters, regaled in the unmistakeable light blue, standing somewhere between Hillcrest and Winston Park during Sunday’s down Comrades between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

"As they surveyed the passing show, proudly showing off their colours in the knowledge that their team remains the top rugby side in the southern hemisphere, a group of black runners ran up towards them. “Ah weh Soweto Bulls, Ah weh Soweto Bulls,” they chanted as they reached out their fists to touch those of the burly, white Bulls fans.

"If you didn’t believe the Bulls pulled off a coup by playing their Super 14 play-off games in Soweto, the proof was right there. They always claimed it, but we never had the evidence to believe them. Now we know the Bulls administration are right, they do have black supporters. And there are probably a lot more now than there were a few weeks ago."

Peter Bills salutes Clermont Auvergne following their Top 14 victory, but again calls attention to the state of the scrum in The Independent.

"Exorcising a demon is always a pleasurable activity and few come bigger than French club Clermont Auvergne's achievement at the weekend of becoming French champions for the first time in their 99-year history.

"To do it, Clermont had to banish the memory of 10 finals, every one of them lost dating back to 1936. This was their fourth consecutive final and they had lost in 2007, 2008 and 2009. So credit Clermont and their New Zealand coaching duo of Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt, as the latter now heads for Leinster to replace Michael Cheika as head coach.

"In truth, Clermont's victory, by 19pts to 6 in the final over Perpignan, was no classic. But it contained, as too many matches do nowadays, an absolute absurdity that the International Rugby Board surely needs to address to restore proper values of fair play."

Francois Hougaard feels the force of the Stormers' defence © Getty Images

Spiro Zavos calls on the Wallabies to stand firm in the face of a South African onslaught this season in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"This year's Super14 final between the Bulls and the Stormers had a one-minute 39-second, all-hell-breaking-loose start to a thunderous match. The ball was run wide by both sides during this opening blitz. Kicks were belted high into the air with forwards and backs charging after them.

"Hard-shouldered tackling was inflicted. And gangbuster tackling that would have stopped a runaway bus was delivered by the unsmiling giants of South African rugby. The match continued at this pace and physicality until, with time up, the Stormers, down 25-17, continued their assault on the Bulls' defensive line.

"After watching enthralled at the quality and power of the rugby, which was of a Test-match intensity, I remembered receiving a phone call from a high-ranking ARU official after a similarly intense and well-played final in 1998, between the Blues in their third consecutive final and the Crusaders. "How are the Wallabies ever going to defeat the All Blacks this year after a final like that?" he said."

Wynne Gray admits to being puzzled by the selection of Piri Weepu in the All Blacks' squad to face Ireland and Wales in The New Zealand Herald.

"Halfbacks Piri Weepu and Jimmy Cowan made their All Black debuts a week apart on the same tour to Europe in late 2004.

"They were part of a backs division which carried familiar names such as Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Daniel Carter alongside a pack which has undergone serious changes since.

"Seven years later Weepu and Cowan are the preferred halfbacks for the June internationals, blokes who have each played more than 30 tests without quite nailing it."

Brendan Nel calls for the Bulls' use of Orlando Stadium in Soweto to be the start of a new era in South African sport on Supersport.

"In the cold crisp air of this winter’s morning, it would be a difficult task to find anyone who doesn’t believe that the Soweto rugby experience wasn’t a success – both in terms of marketing, rugby and nation-building.

"But rugby’s biggest challenge now is to see how to take this further, and use the momentum created by the Bulls' Super 14 victory to the greater good for the sport.

"While it is fair to say the Bulls stumbled upon this goldmine thanks to the fact they couldn’t use their regular stadium at Loftus Versfeld thanks to the Fifa World Cup, the opportunity to take a massive rugby game into the townships was more than just a resounding success."

Tony Ward believes that Ireland's barren season is the wake-up call they need prior to next season's World Cup in The Irish Independent.

"From trophy-laden heroes to empty-cabinet zeros. Having swept the boards in a 2009 winning feast, taking the Grand Slam, Six Nations, Triple Crown, Heineken Cup, Magners League and Churchill Cup, 2010 has made for the inevitable hangover -- the famine after the feast.

"Realistically, could it ever have been any other way? Inevitably, when you win everything the only way is down. It took little by way of rocket science to predict that last year's sweep would be a difficult act to follow.

"For such a relatively small but sports-daft nation, we set ourselves some sky high standards. That, as Keith Wood, Roy Keane, Brian O'Driscoll and others of that ilk will tell you, is no bad thing. We do need to set our standards high, but they must be grounded in reality."