Anyone here play rugby...?

Another October, another procession of Welsh crocks. Yet again, Wales will take on "the Best in the World" this autumn without the services of many of the best in Wales. Ryan Jones, Jamie Roberts and Lee Byrne represent the "spine" of the Welsh team in more than a metaphorical sense. With wing Leigh Halfpenny joining the sick list, any semblance of full-strength is gone. For strike runners, Wales will have to look to players such as Chris Czekaj, Will Harries and Aled Brew; fine prospects all, but a sparse handful of caps and a fair few seasons of international neglect between them. They will, quite rightly, see the autumn series as a marvellous opportunity. Unfortunately, Wales' opponents will have reason to feel the same.

Not that the usual suspects were in the finest of fettle before the gremlins came a-calling. Mixed results in the early Heineken Cup rounds were followed by disastrously flat performances in the Magners League by the Ospreys and the Cardiff Blues. Only the Scarlets in the Welsh squad have anything to be proud of... and it's not much.

There has been noticeably less talk from the coaches this year about "finding out where we are", and that's a small mercy. That mantra has rung increasingly hollow as we endure annual confirmation of our perpetual inferiority. We know where we are by now; the trick lies in doing something about it. Whether these "friendlies" really help squad development is a moot point, especially considering the effect on morale of regular home defeats. But they're not going to go away, so perhaps it is better, in the long term, to play them with inexperienced or fringe players? Either to enhance the depth of squad experience or - forgive the cynicism - to spread the pain a little more thinly?