It’s going to be a massive autumn for Wales as they attempt to build on worthy back-to-back victories by the country’s young guns over Tonga and Samoa during June’s trip to the southern hemisphere.
Wales finished a lowly and disappointing fifth – their worst since Warren Gatland’s regime began work in January 2008 – in this year’s Six Nations.
Head honcho Gatland was away on Lions duty last season with backs supremo Rob Howley being in charge last autumn and during the Six Nations, with forwards guru Robin McBryde taking the reins during the end of season tour.
Gatland will resume command and, with the World Cup in Japan just two years away, a Wales team bolstered by the return of its Lions stars, needs to make a statement when they face Australia at the Principality Stadium on November 11.
Steve Hansen's back-to-back World Cup holders New Zealand, a resurgent South Africa and seemingly ever improving Georgia are also on the menu.
How will Wales fare? Rugby Correspondent Andy Howell runs the rule over their opponents and gives his verdict.
AUSTRALIA (November 11)
The Wallabies have been in a state of flux since reaching the final of the 2015 World Cup and been surprisingly inconsistent under hard-nosed coach Michael Cheika.
They have won five of their last 10 fixtures, beating Wales, Scotland, France, Fiji and Italy while losing to New Zealand (twice), Scotland, England and Ireland.
They were shocking during the first half of the Bledisloe Cup match with New Zealand in Sydney, being 40-6 behind at half-time.
But they regrouped to ‘win’ the second half and continued that improvement during last Saturday’s clash with the All Blacks on Kiwi soil in Dunedin.
The Wallabies led 17-0 and were back in front with a few minutes to go before succumbing to Beauden Barrett’s second try during a 35-29 thriller.
If goal-kicker Bernard Foley hadn’t throw nine points away with some shocking attempts, they may well have won.
Andy Howell’s verdict: Australia matched New Zealand for tries, scoring five in Dunedin, and ripped the Welsh defence apart last November en-route to a thumping 32-8 victory in Cardiff.
England, Ireland, France, even Scotland, have defeated the Wallabies since Wales last completed the feat nine years ago so it’s about time Gatland’s squad delivered.
Australia are beatable but I suspect it will take a Wales team performing at its best if it is to break the stranglehold the Wallabies has had over it.
GEORGIA (November 18)
Remember the problems Wales had in overcoming Japan last autumn with substitute Sam Davies putting over a late drop-goal to secure a nail-biting 33-30 win?
It was the running of Japan, who produced the biggest shock in union history when they beat South Africa in the 2015 World Cup, which caused Wales such problems but the threat from Georgia is more likely to come up front.
Georgia also performed strongly at the World Cup and have been powerhouses in the Tier Two European Championship, attracting massive crowds and stating a case for there to be a promotion play-off system for entry to the Six Nations.
They went down 45-29 to a strong Argentina team in San Salvador de Juruy a couple of months ago but have won six of their last eight fixtures and nine of their last 14 with one draw.
Georgia beat the United States and Canada before facing the Pumas and other scalps include Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.
Andy Howell’s verdict: Wales should be too good for Georgia but the supposed weaker fixture of the autumn internationals has a habit of causing problems.
Samoa have beaten Wales in Cardiff three times, Fiji have had a draw, as well as knocking them out of the 2007 World Cup, and pushed them close on other occasions.
But this should be Wales’ banker win this autumn, assuming minds are on the job.
NEW ZEALAND (November 25)
The World Cup holders have lost just twice since beating Australia in the 2015 final, against Gatland’s Lions two months ago and Ireland in Chicago last November.
That was the first time the Irish have beaten them. Wales have completed the feat on three occasions but the last was a 13-8 triumph a staggering 64 years ago.
They have lost 29 in a row, suffering some horrible hidings, since that famous day in December 1953.
Wales have faced the All Blacks 33 times in history and scored just 356 points and 31 tries, while conceding a mega 1,037 points.
They went down 3-0 in New Zealand last year, 39-21, 36-22 and 46-6 in the final Test with their defence unable to cope with the speed, skill, vision, timing and power of Hansen’s charges.
Andy Howell’s verdict: Will Wales ever beat the All Blacks?
Such is the psychological hold the New Zealanders seemingly have over them it would need the men in red to play as well as they did to pummel England during the 2013 Six Nations decider in Cardiff and impose a vice-like grip on the Kiwis.
And, more worryingly, the All Blacks will be fired up to prove a point after drawing the series with Gatland’s best of British and Irish rugby.
I hope I’m wrong but I can only see one winner and they will be wearing black.
SOUTH AFRICA (December 2)
Wales have beaten the Springboks twice in their last three meetings to break down the mental barrier which used to exist when they met.
However, they lost the big one, 23-19 in the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup at Twickenham.
South Africa have been the weakest of rugby’s southern hemisphere big three in recent years on autumn tours and were an utter shambles on and off the field when Wales beat them 27-13 last November.
But coach Allister Coetzee survived and has been quietly and impressively rebuilding one of the planet’s great rugby nations.
They whitewashed France 3-0 with 37-14, 37-15 and 35-12 wins two months ago and have done the double over Argentina in the Rugby Championship, 37-15 and 41-23, the latter away in Salta at the weekend.
Andy Howell’s verdict: South Africa are work in progress but the likeable Coetzee is assembling a squad largely of young, hungry and determined home-based players.
The big difference between now and last year is there’s a real bond between the players and the Springbok jersey means much to them, plus the possess size, power and some skill.
On the evidence of this year, they are a coming force and won’t fail for the want of trying.
But it’s a Test Wales, if they are firing and confident, can win.
