Expectations:
1. Our lineout to improve to at least European standard.
2. Our forwards to improve in getting numbers to the breakdown.
3. Mindgames with the refs from the Saffas and Henry/Cron about illegalities in our scrum ahead of the trinations.
4. Evidence that Deans has given serious thought to countering the Saffa gameplan.
5. JOC (James O'Connor) to get nowhere near the starting 15 for a serious match.
6. Winning all our matches against the Europeans
Hopes:
1. Some solid backup props to appear. At the moment our best backup loosehead prop is probably our tighthead prop. Dunno who our best backup THP is, probably Big Al but I can't see him getting near the side again.
2. An injury-free season from Barnes.
3. Gits to show some consistency, preferably after getting the goal-kicking duties taken off him in favour of a straighter kicker.
4. Mortlock to stay injury-free and inject some straight running into our midfield.
5. No more paying through the nose for doomed league converts.
6. A vital win in NZ to shake that monkey off our back ahead of the WC.