Europe's autumn series of Test matches kicks off tonight in the unlikely setting of Wrexham FC's Racecourse ground, with two national teams whose past glories are now fading memories. But whereas Wales are warming up for their encounter with the All Blacks, for the visitors Romania it will be the end of an era. In future, they and the rest of the "developing nations" are to be denied the chance to compete with the sport's elite countries on a regular basis.
The International Rugby Board will this month consider a new tour schedule, with major nations such as England and Australia looking to take advantage of the power vacuum left by the illness of the board's chairman Vernon Pugh. They want to create a two-tier system which would see the developing countries reduced to playing among themselves - Fiji and Canada as well as Romania are touring Europe this month - while the better-off compete in lucrative six-monthly series.
The Welsh game itself is hardly in rude health and the Welsh Rugby Union last night appointed David Moffett, the former chief executive of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, the National Rugby League of Australia and Sport England, as its £125,000-a-year group chief executive.
It is hoped Moffett can begin work in the new year, but right now it is up to the national team to show that Wales are worthy of keeping some sort of place at the top table.
"Players have had problems on the club front in the last few months," admitted the captain Colin Charvis, whose club Swansea have made a wretched start to the season. "It has been tough playing for Swansea but as a squad we have to put any concerns to the back of our minds for the next month because Wales have four Test matches in as many weeks and it is up to us to put pride back into the Welsh jersey. We have to show massive enthusiasm for our country."
And he warned: "Everyone is focusing on the World Cup but we have got to focus on the next four internationals."
The paying public is not showing much enthusiasm for the internationals against Canada and Fiji later this month, with ticket sales still to reach 20,000 for either. The November 23 meeting with New Zealand should be a sell-out, but contact with the major southern hemisphere nations could become infrequent for countries such as Wales - and Scotland and Ireland - if the powerful get their way at the IRB meeting.
Ironically, the Wales coach Steve Hansen is a New Zealander who left Canterbury Crusaders last year because he was concerned at the gap opening up between the world's top five countries and the rest. He is less of a political animal than his predecessor Graham Henry, but he makes his views known in committee rooms and he has succeeded in having his players for national training sessions on a far more regular basis than Henry enjoyed.
Hansen maintains that though Wales's leading clubs have failed collectively, individuals have been in form. For his part Charvis has called on the players to show some devil this month. "The great Wales teams of the past had that about them, as do New Zealand and England now," he said. "They play at the top of their game every time, they take no prisoners and do everything with a physical edge. We need to be dynamic, hard-nosed and unforgiving every time we take the pitch.
"We showed in our two Tests in South Africa last summer that we are able to compete with the best. Our task is to build on the progress we made then."
On the whole for Wales, though, it has been a case of red faces rather than red devils in recent years, and though Romania should not provide much in the way of opposition tonight, only 13 months after they conceded 81 points in Cardiff, the challenges ahead for the home side will be every bit as great off the field as they will be on it.
Moffett's brief is to end the Welsh union's financial worries and so create the platform for the national side to enjoy success. The 55-year-old was a pivotal figure in the creation of the Super 12 series seven years ago, but he faces arguably his greatest test here.
Wales: R Williams (Cardiff); M Jones (Llanelli), Shanklin (Saracens), Parker (Pontypridd), G Thomas (Bridgend); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), Peel (Llanelli); G Jenkins (Pontypridd), Davies (Pontypridd), Madden (Llanelli), Sidoli (Pontypridd), S Williams (Northampton), Owen (Pontypridd), Charvis (Swansea, capt), S Quinnell (Llanelli). Replacements: McBryde (Llanelli) or Lewis (Cardiff), Evans (Swansea), Llewellyn (Neath), G Thomas (Bath), Powell (Cardiff), Jones (Llanelli), Morgan (Cardiff).
Romania: Dumbrava (Steaua Bucharest); Ghioc (Dinamo Bucharest), Brezoianu (Bègles-Bordeaux), Gontineac (Aurillac, capt), Picoiu (Lavelanet); Tofan (RCF Metro), Mitu (Grenoble); Toderasc (Farul Constanta), Mavrodin (Tarbes), Florea (Chambéry), Socol (Brive), Petre (RCF Metro), Corodeanu (Grenoble), Tonita (Biarritz), Petrache (Toulon). Replacements: Dima (Toulouse), Constantin (Petrosani), Socaciu (Rovigo), Chiriac (Farul Constanta), Podea (U Cluj), Lungu (Périgueux), Coltuneac (U Cluj).
