Nations Championship November Leg to Shape World Cup Picture

November is about to tell us a great deal about the state of world rugby. The inaugural Nations Championship resumes this month with three weekends of Tests between the Six Nations sides and their southern hemisphere rivals, followed by a finals weekend at Twickenham from November 27 to 29, where the first champions will be crowned. Twelve countries are split into northern and southern sections, each having already played three matches in July against opponents from the opposite pool. South Africa narrowly lead New Zealand at the top of the southern section on points difference, while France lead the northern group, and the November results will decide who reaches the finals. With the Rugby World Cup in Australia less than a year away, running from October 1 to November 13 next year, these Tests are far more than friendlies. They are markers: of form, of depth, and of which teams can handle the pressure of knockout-style rugby in quick succession. South Africa's coaches have already described the window as a good representative of World Cup knockout stages, with selection set to be judged week by week. By the end of November, we should have a much clearer picture of who the genuine contenders are.