There simply could not be a bigger international weekend.

With the old Five Nations and the big three from the southern hemisphere, all playing in Europe, it is the greatest concentration of rugby talent outside the World Cup.

The comparison stops there but we should have some sort of insight into the changing pecking order by the time the autumn circus finishes its run in a couple of weeks time.

These matches do not have the same mystique and sense of occasion as in the past but they are still hugely important especially in a pre-World Cup season.

It is vital for the northern hemisphere's chances (the southerners will never let us forget there has not been a World Cup winner from the north yet) that we use this opportunity to put down a few markers. It would be a momentous day if the only three countries to have won the Webb Ellis Trophy were all to be beaten on the same day and it could just happen.

Australia are struggling badly with injuries, New Zealand have left many of their top players at home and South Africa are still in the middle of a major rebuilding process.

England simply must beat the All Blacks. There is no bigger match for the English and they come into it with all their players fresh from a summer off yet with enough club rugby under their belts to be ready to step up a level.

For once Clive Woodward cannot even complain about lack of preparation time. The clubs have fallen into line on release dates and he knows the build-up could not have been better.

Sure, he has a few injury problems but that is part of the game and England are better equipped than any other country to handle it because they have more players to choose from. There has never been such strength in depth in English rugby.

All Black coach, John Mitchell, has tried to play it down but there is no escaping the fact that he has brought a second string team. From his point of view it is totally justifiable - this is the only chance to rest most of his first choice forwards and it is a great chance to discover who will join them in his World Cup squad - and it is also quite clever.

England are almost in a no win situation. If they lose it is a total disaster and anything but a record victory will be less than satisfactory. They need to pulverise the All Blacks to win any real brownie points.

That is what the All Blacks did to England when a more naïve Woodward took a ridiculously under strength team to New Zealand in 1998 for many of the same reasons and this is the chance for revenge. Matt Dawson, who was captain, and others like Jonny Wilkinson, Danny Grewcock and Lewis Moody who suffered with him will be looking forward to putting the record straight.

New Zealand referee, Kelvin Deaker, must take a lot of blame for ruining the match between Argentina and Australia last weekend in Buenos Aires but it was, nevertheless, a very poor performance from the Wallabies. To make matters worse they lost Ben Tune, Mat Rogers, Jeremy Paul and Bill Young to injury.

The loss of two front row forwards should really excite the Irish because Patricio Noriega, the remaining prop, was squirming like a fish on a hook for most of the game. Although they are without Keith Wood Ireland must fancy their chances.

There was a time when the French were pushovers before Christmas. Not any more. They roasted the Wallabies in Marseilles last year and are back at the same stadium hoping to do the same to the Springboks. French coach, Bernard Laporte, has improved the professionalism of his team enormously and the mood in Paris last week left nobody in any doubt that they expect to win.

Which leaves Scotland and Wales. I cannot see the Scots tripping up against the Romanians - for all their improvement since that humiliation against England 12 months ago - but the Fijians are a banana skin waiting to slip on for Wales.

I have never known such depression as exists in the Principality at the moment and the feeling of foreboding in Cardiff at the beginning of the week was palpable. They will need to improve considerably on their performance against Romania but, ever the optimist, I take them to win.

So, that makes it five out of five for the European teams. No doubt I shall wake up to reality Sunday morning!