Summer Tours - With the World Cup less than 16 weeks away, the leading Test-playing nations face a busy summer schedule preparing for the four-yearly rugby bonanza in France.

There are no fewer than 26 international matches over the next three months as coaches use every available opportunity to nail down their selections for later this year.

World Cup warm-ups effectively start on Saturday with three European nations playing the opening matches of their two-Test southern-hemisphere tours.

The Springboks host World Cup champions England in Bloemfontein, Wales face the Wallabies and Ireland resume battle with long-time rivals Argentina.

England, Wales and Ireland have all left senior players behind, though the Welsh can take heart from an experienced side named for Sydney, an indication of their growing strength-in-depth.

Two South African teams - the Bulls and Sharks - contested the Super 14 final for the first time this season, and Springboks coach Jake White will be disappointed if they fail to deliver a psychological blow against England, their World Cup group rivals in September.

The Irish and Argentina have also been drawn together in the same World Cup group - again. Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has given all of his first-choice players the summer off but will still look to push the Pumas all the way, no mean feat on their home soil.

A week later the same teams face each other again, while France take on New Zealand in Wellington.

The All Blacks are such overwhelming World Cup favourites that anything but a convincing victory over a weakened France outfit will have their doubters once again accusing them of peaking too early.

Much has been made of the All Blacks management withdrawing their players from the opening rounds of the Super 14 and they will be under even greater pressure than usual to justify their much-publicied preconditioning camp.

New Zealand meet France again on June 9, while the Pumas host Italy in Mendoza in what should be a fascinating battle between two forward-orientated teams.

Two of the Pacific Islands will also be action, with Fiji facing Australia in Perth and Samoa taking on the Springboks in Johannesburg. Look out for some bone-crunching hits that weekend

June 16 sees the start of the Tri-Nations Series, which should give a clearer indication of the form of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa - there will be no under-strength teams for this annual tournament.

England play Wales in a World Cup warm-up in August, and then France home and away, while the Welsh also meet Argentina and the French at the Millennium Stadium.

Scotland face Ireland and South Africa in August and the Irish also take on Italy in Belfast as final preparations are made ahead of the long-awaited World Cup.

So plenty of action to look froward to this summer, at the end of which we should have some idea if any team can seriously trouble Graham Henry's All Blacks.

May 26

Australia v Wales (Sydney)

South Africa v England (Bloemfontein)

Argentina v Ireland (Santa Fe)

June 2

New Zealand v France (Auckland)

Australia v Wales (Brisbane)

England v South Africa (Pretoria)

Argentina v Ireland (Buenos Aires)

June 9

New Zealand v France (Wellington)

Australia v Fiji (Perth)

South Africa v Samoa (Johannesburg)

Argentina v Italy (Mendoza)

June 16

New Zealand v Canada (Hamilton)

South Africa v Australia (Cape Town) *

June 23

South Africa v New Zealand (Durban) *

June 30

Australia v New Zealand (Melbourne) *

July 7

Australia v New Zealand (Melbourne) *

July 14

New Zealand v South Africa (Christchurch) *

July 21

New Zealand v Australia (Auckland) *

August 4

England v Wales (Twickenham)

August 11

England v France (Twickenham)

Scotland v Ireland (Murrayfield)

August 18

France v England (Marseilles)

Wales v Argentina (Millennium Stadium)

August 24

Ireland v Italy (Belfast)

August 25

Scotland v South Africa (Murrayfield)

August 26

Wales v France (Millennium Stadium)

September 7 – October 20

2007 Rugby World Cup (France)

* Tri-Nations