Get your hopes up.
After the rubbish served up last year in the name of World Cup preparations, there is the prospect of proper north v south Test rugby breaking out when England, Ireland, Wales and France travel south for series against the Tri Nations sides in June.
England, Ireland and Wales have named their strongest squads, injuries notwithstanding, although a scheduling clash means France will arrive with a weakened outfit. Their two best clubs are contesting the final of the French domestic competition, the Top 14, on the same weekend their national side is taking on the Wallabies in the first Test on June 28. The international calendar remains a work in progress.
The northern nations arrive with much to prove. For Ireland, it is the chance to show last year's World Cup debacle was an aberration; for Wales, to show the Six Nations win was just the start; for England, to impress new leader Martin Johnson; and for France, the chance for young coach Marc Lievremont to show he is on the right track after an erratic Six Nations.
Rugbyheaven.com.au will be covering every Test, and picking an international Team of the Week each Monday.
IRELAND
Fixtures: New Zealand, June 7, Wellington. Australia: Australia, June 14, Melbourne
New coach. new era. Declan Kidney, who in May masterminded Munster's second Heineken Cup win in three years, is taking over the reins, but Connacht coach Michael Bradley will be in charge for the two-Test tour.
Kidney's Munster pack, who suffocated Toulouse in the European Cup final, will form the core of the Test side and be led by Paul O'Connell, who forms a formidable partnership with Donncha O'Callaghan in the second row. The pair shook up the All Blacks' lineout in two close Test losses in 2006 in Waikato and Auckland. Only a dominant scrummaging performance from Carl Hayman got the All Blacks out of a hole as the Kiwis won 34-23 and 27-17. A week later, four second-half tries gave the Wallabies a 37-15 win over the Irish in Perth, as the long season caught up with them.
Ireland will trouble the Wallabies and All Blacks packs again, especially if five-eighth Ronan O'Gara's tactical kicking is as good as it can be, but they can only win if they discover some fluency in the backs. Munster highlighted the strength and weakness of Irish rugby. Their pack is a mix of strength and bloody-mindedness but their main strike weapons - Rua Tipoki, Doug Howlett and Lifemi Mafi - are from New Zealand and Tonga.
Leinster's Brian O'Driscoll needs to be at his talismanic best at centre, but it is the new kid on the block, his provincial teammate Luke Fitzgerald, who is creating ripples in Ireland. The 20-year old is a flying machine who has been used at wing and fullback but may be shifted in to play beside O'Driscoll. If the two click, Ireland can be much more than just pests; if they don't, brave defeats beckon.
Why they can win: Munster are the best side in Europe.
Why they can't win: European rugby isn't that good.
Man to watch: Luke Fitzgerald - Fearlessness of youth and pace to burn.
Squad: Backs: T Bowe (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster), I Dowling (Munster), G Dempsey (Leinster), G Duffy (Connacht), L Fitzgerald (Leinster), S Horgan (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps), P Stringer (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster).
Forwards: R Best (Ulster), T Buckley (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster), M Horan (Munster), B Jackman (Leinster), S Jennings (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), A Quinlan (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), B Young (Ulster).
ENGLAND
Fixtures: New Zealand, June 14, Auckland. Australia: Australia, June 21, Christchurch
Incoming head coach Martin Johnson will be in England as his new side play the All Blacks (his wife is due to give birth to their second child and he doesn't officially take charge until July 1), but every player will be well aware of the standards he will be looking for.
It's a shame Danny Cipriani won't be among the them. The new golden boy No.10 suffered a shocking injury that left his foot dangling from his leg earlier this month, which means it will be many months before we can fulfil his potential.
His absence gives England a more stodgy look, with his replacement likely to be Charlie Hodgson. The 27-year-old has struggled with his confidence at times during his Test career, but was one of the few players to emerge with credit during the disastrous 2005 British and Irish Lions tour, when he guided the "midweekers" to an unbeaten record against NZ provincial sides. Hodgson's role is likely to be simply - put it in front of his monstrous forwards.
New captain and second-rower Steve Borthwick leads a pack that can put the set-piece squeeze on any side. Only the Springboks can match the bulk of the England side. Blindside James Haskell a mere slip of a lad at 193cm and 110kg beside some of his colleagues. The Tests will not be played under the ELVs, alleviating some concerns about the pack's mobility, and if they can disrupt the flow of quality ball to the All Blacks' explosive backs, they can sneak a win.
Why they can win: Desire to expose the Super 14 and its ELVs as a smoke and mirrors competition that does little to produce players suited to the grind of Test rugby, especially under the "old" laws. And a fear of Johnson.
Why they can't win: Find the "old" laws confusing enough, especially the ones that dictate you have to occasionally involve the backs to beat men and earn a five-point reward called a "try".
Key man: Andrew Sheridan. The 122kg Sale loose-head frequently appears in the nightmares of small children and Wallabies props.
Squad: Backs: M Brown (Harlequins), T Varndell (Leicester), D Strettle (Harlequins), T Ojo (London Irish), M Tait (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), J Noon (Newcastle), T Flood (Newcastle), O Barkley (Bath), D Waldouck (Wasps), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), P Richards (London Irish), D Care (Harlequins).
Forwards: A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), T Payne (Wasps), M Stevens (Bath), J Hobson (Bristol), L Mears (Bath), D Hartley (Northampton), D Paice (London Irish), S Borthwick (Bath, capt), B Kay (Leicester), N Kennedy (London Irish), T Palmer (Wasps), T Croft (Leicester), J Haskell (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), M Lipman (Bath), T Rees (Wasps), N Easter (Harlequins), L Narraway (Gloucester).
WALES
Fixtures: South Africa, June 7, Bloemfontein. South Africa, June 14, Pretoria
Coach Warren Gatland's stocks could barely be higher after he turned the Welsh from World Cup chumps to Six Nations champs.
But the Kiwi isn't just the messiah, he is also a very clever boy, and he has already been doing his best to talk down any chances of a Welsh win against the world champions.
He knows Wales have been here before. Graham Henry was the first "Great Redeemer", after a stunning start to his Welsh coaching career, but that ended in tears. More importantly, he also knows he goes to South Africa without Martyn Williams, his openside, and without proven back-up. Gavin Henson and Mike Phillips are also missing from that Six Nations team. Gatland and assistant Shaun Edwards have their work cut out, but they have a captain in Ryan Jones who can match the Springboks' physicality at No.6 or No.8.
The incentive for Jones is massive. The Lions need a captain for the 2009 tour to South Africa, and he will remember how his countryman Scott Gibbs went down in Lions folklore for his performance in 1997, when he frequently mowed down the Boks with his brutal tackling on that triumphant tour.
The Welsh scrum, more street-smart than powerful, will have to call upon all its wiles to give Jones and ball-carrying big unit Gareth Delve the chance to create some momentum for playmakers James Hook and Stephen Jones. Winger Shane Williams, Wales' record try scorer, can lose a marker in a telephone box given the chance but if the visitors go into their shells in world rugby's most intimidating environment, they will get thrashed.
Why they can win: There are rumours in Wales that Gatland made the trip to South Africa by walking on the Atlantic Ocean.
Why they can't win: The script says Kiwis who take charge of the Welsh team are doomed. Key man: Ryan Jones. A Lions captain in waiting.
Squad: Backs: M Stoddart, A Bishop, J Roberts, S Williams, T James, M Jones, S Parker, T Shanklin, S Jones, J Hook, A Williams, W Fury, G Cooper
Forwards: R Jones (Captain), D Jones, J Thomas, G Delve, B Davies, I Evans, A-W Jones, I Gough, D Jones, G Jenkins, R Thomas, A Jones, M Rees, H Bennett.
FRANCE
Fixtures: Australia, June 28, Sydney. Australia, July 5, Brisbane
The club v country scheduling debacle means that coach Marc Lievremont won't have access to some of his best players, but he showed during the Six Nations he wasn't afraid to look away from Stade Francais, Perpignan and Toulouse to unearth new talent.
His constant "rotating" during that tournament, when he made five or six changes a game, looked more madness than method as the French spluttered along, but he will hope the strategy bears fruit now.
The old adage of not knowing which French team will turn up is particularly true for this tour, as the Top 14 final, being played on June 28, could mean graceful centre Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse) or workaholic hooker Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), among others, are missing. Such class is sure to be missed.
Why they can win: La Marseillaise. The stirring anthem alone is worth about 15 points.
Why they can't win: Imagine picking the Wallabies without Waratahs and Force players.
Squad: TBA
