Wales face South Africa at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday November 13 © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Andy Marinos

Teams: Australia | New Zealand | South Africa | Wales

South Africa chief executive and former Wales international Andy Marinos believes Wales are best placed to challenge the Southern Hemisphere sides and thrive in a new climate of fast-paced international rugby.

South Africa, along with New Zealand and Australia, face Wales at the Millennium Stadium on consecutive weekends this November as the Tri-Nation sides take on their Northern Hemisphere counterparts in the autumn internationals.

The Springboks won one game, against Australia, and finished third in a pulsating 2010 Tri-Nations tournament which saw the Wallabies hitting form to get within a point of the unbeaten All Blacks in the final game of the series.

Marinos insists that South Africa, Australia and New Zealand increased the intensity and raised the standard of international rugby during the recent Tri-Nations tournament thanks in part to the new interpretations of the tackle area. However, the former Newport Gwent Dragons centre, who won eight caps for Wales, believes that Wales are best suited of the Six Nation sides to the open and attacking rugby that is on the rise in the international arena.

"Having recently completed the Tri Nations Series with the Springboks I feel that the game in the Southern Hemisphere has lifted a couple of notches," said Marinos. "One just has to look at the intensity and speed at which the matches were played over the last five rounds, adaptation to the pace of the game and, more significantly, to the referee's interpretation, especially as we have seen the swing to awarding the attacking team for playing positive rugby.

"However, of all the teams, and not because I am a former Welsh international, Wales are best suited to an open, quick and running type of game as evidenced when they won the Six Nations in 2008 in emphatic style.

"Possession is key and pace of the game with ball in hand is the decider. Looking at the quality of the players Wales have that relish an open and expansive game, it sets the stage for an exciting Autumn."