Australia

Late in August, when Stirling Mortlock whooped with joy after hooking overa injury time penalty which broke South African hearts in their ownbackyard, the Wallabies had collected THE set of silverware - World Cup,Bledisloe Cup and finally the Tri-Nations.

But that dramatic day in Durban also marked the end of a magical era for,just ten weeks later, the squad that left Australia for the currenthit-and-run month long tour, which involves back-to-back Tests againstFrance, Scotland and England, was virtually unrecognisable. Not for a longtime have the Northern Hemisphere teams had the opportunity of gettingtheir own back.

Missing were true greats such as flanker David Wilson and centres Tim Horanand Jason Little who had bowed out at the top of the international game.The match-winning half backs George Gregan and Stephen Larkham wereinjured. World Cup veterans Richard Harry, Owen Finnegan, Tom Bowman andNathan Sharpe had retired.

But Australia has never stood still as a rugby nation and never beenfrightened to give youth its head and they will unveilsome outstandingtalents as coach Rod McQueen lays the foundations for the World Cup defencein 2003.

Straight into the Test side comes the youngest Wallaby, 20-year-old GeorgeSmith, a dynamic open side flanker with the potential to fill Wilson'sboots. Footballer of the Year Chris Latham had such an enterprising summerat full back that the returning Matt Burke has been shunted to the wing.

One of the major challenges for the Wallabies is to gel a new pack togetherand in the Northern Hemisphere there could be no greater examination thanFrance and England. But McQueen, who can still call upon the inspirationalleadership of legendary lock John Eales, has high hopes of the tall andmobile loose head Bill Young and free running hooker Jeremy Paul, who playsmore like a back row man.The young Wallabies could not be given a tougher baptism of fire.