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The weekend`s internationals

Saturday 01st November 2008

Australia v New Zealand is the focus of Asia, but there are several matches taking place around Europe this weekend, most of them World Cup qualifiers as well as European Nations Cup matches.

Denmark host Slovenia in Odense, Holland face Croatia in Amsterdam, Sweden host Malta in Vanersborg, and Belgium face the Ukraine in Brussels on Saturday.

Both Denmark and Slovenia can probably kiss any hope of progress in the qualification goodbye if they lose, as they have already suffered a loss to Hungary in a five-nation division - Europe's 3B - from which only one team progresses.

Slovenia on the other hand, have beaten Hungary, and a win against Denmark would put them in pole position. Slovenia's match against Norway next April is shaping up as a decider for the competition. Austria lost their opening match to Norway and aren't looking strong.

The winner of that division earns the right to play the winner of the 3C division comprising Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, and Luxembourg.

The winners of that play-off (yes, it is confusing, but we didn't decide it) plays the winner of the Europe 3A pool, comprising Serbia, Armenia, Switzerland, Lithuania, and Andorra, of which Armenia currently have convincing control.

The winners of that play-off play the winners of europe's 2B pool, in which there are two matches on Saturday when Holland open their campaign against Croatia and Sweden host Malta. Sweden are expected to win, but the match between the Dutch and the Croatians is set to be a close one.

Belgium's match against the Ukraine is the second in Europe's 2A pool, whose winners play the winners of the previous play-off. The Ukraine have won the only match so far, against Poland.

Meanwhile, Portugal host Canada in the opening Test match of the Canucks' tour at the University of Lisbon, with Canada looking for a contact hit-up ahead of their Tests against Ireland and Wales over the coming weeks.