LONDON — The next Rugby World Cup is three years away, but the tournament will be preying on the minds of the best of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres when they collide in the autumn internationals. The November tests have some added spice and context this time round as they will determine the world rankings ahead of the pool draw for the 2015 World Cup, which is made in London on Dec. 3. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have arrived in Europe at the end of a long, grueling season as the top three teams in the world. The fight is on among the Six Nations sides to secure the one remaining spot among the four top seeded teams, thereby likely avoiding the Southern superpowers at the World Cup group stage. Precious little separates England, France and Wales in that race and grabbing a rare victory over the Tri-Nations giants across the next month will go a long way to earning that fourth spot. The top-ranked All Blacks, who haven't lost in Europe — outside of a World Cup — since November 2002, play Scotland and Italy before finishing their tour with games against England and Wales. Of all the tourists, the world champions are most at full strength and will look to return to winning ways after a 17-match run of victories was halted by an 18-18 draw against Australia in the Bledisloe Cup on Oct. 20. With successive matches against France and England, injury-hit Australia has the toughest start of all the teams but will be buoyed by the way it kept New Zealand in check last month, consolidating second place in the rankings. The Wallabies also finished second in the Rugby Championship, ahead of South Africa on points difference. After winning three out of four games in their 2010 European Tour, they want to go one better this time. It is the Springboks, who are third in the rankings and within striking distance of the Six Nations big guns, who are most under pressure this month. — AP
