The countdown clock has lost a column.

Come 8 September, Paris will pulsate to the prospect of hosts France taking on three-time champions New Zealand in the tournament's opening match.

In theory, this autumn should be time for tinkering; the minor tweak rather than the major rethink.

In practice, it is never that simple.

Eddie Jones, Wayne Pivac, Andy Farrell and Gregor Townsend come into these southern-hemisphere skirmishes with combinations to unlock and cracks to conceal.

England

Waiting for Manu is English rugby's ongoing psycho-drama.

A midfield meteor of power and pace, a 20-year-old Tuilagi burst onto the Test scene in the run-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Injures have restricted him to only 33 Test starts in more than a decade since.

This autumn should, niggles permitting, see him run in harness with Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell.

On paper, it is a 10-12-13 combination with brains, brawn, guts and guile. On the pitch, it is yet to be tested.

Eddie Jones will hope his game of patience finally pays off. The amount of backline shuffling, particularly on the wing, over the past three years suggests little in the way of a Plan B.

Up front, things are more settled. Mako and Billy Vunipola will want to make their comebacks stick after being frozen out and then phased back in. Northampton's South African-born lock David Ribbans could put the squeeze on the more established second rows.

Wales

Wales have flitted between feast and famine under coach Pivac. Their 2021 Six Nations title win benefited from some luck, but also showed plenty of pluck.

Remember, they were an injury-time Brice Dulin try away from a win away to France and a Grand Slam.

But 2022 started with a miserable Six Nations defence, capped by a defeat by Italy, before they went toe-to-toe with the Springboks in South Africa, coming away with a historic win in Bloemfontein and a narrow series defeat.

What next then?

There is a vacancy at 10 after captain Dan Biggar was ruled out with a knee injury.

Gareth Anscombe is the preferred option and starts against New Zealand on Saturday. But could old stager Rhys Priestland, who has been in fine touch for Cardiff, play his way into Pivac's plans? Or is it instead time to blood Scarlets' bright young thing Sam Costelow?

The return of Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric and Leigh Halfpenny provides the experience lost through Biggar's absence, while English-based flankers Tommy Reffell and Christ Tshiunza are part of an intriguing back-row conundrum.

Watch out too for the uncapped Rio Dyer, whose electric feet have been handed a first chance on the Test dancefloor against the All Blacks.

The challenge for Pivac is to mix new talent with an ageing golden generation, all while keeping the wins coming in. It is necessary, but difficult, alchemy.

Scotland

After pulling the strings expertly in Racing 92's win over Top 14 champions Montpellier last month, Finn Russell, unwanted by Scotland, played it cool.

"Going back and forward can be tough so it's good for me to be here and enjoying my rugby," he told French television.

Whether Scotland's fans are as sanguine about his exclusion from the international scene by the end of this autumn is another thing.

Russell's absence heaps pressure on Adam Hastings and Blair Kinghorn, who will attempt to fill his boots.

Whoever plays 10, there are some exciting options outside to test out. Cameron Redpath is back in the fold after an injury-plagued 18 months while Sione Tuipulotu ploughed over the gainline regularly in the defeat by Australia last weekend.

The biggest change though is of philosophy, rather than personnel.

With Jamie Ritchie taking on the captaincy from a "disappointed" Stuart Hogg and Russell exiled, Townsend has made big calls.

He and we wait to see if his team rally behind them.

Ireland

Ireland's main test this autumn will be whether they can stand up to the close-combat skills of the Springboks.

Overwhelming forward power has proved the way to overturn Leinster, from whom Farrell draws the majority of his pack, on several previous occasions.

It will be another chance for hooker Dan Sheehan, who has seized his chance in the wake of Ronan Kelleher's injury, to prove himself on the big stage against the biggest of front rows.

With James Lowe, Keith Earls and Andrew Conway out injured, there is also a chance for Ulster's Rob Baloucoune to add to his two caps and stake a claim for France 2023.

After the physical challenge comes the psychological one though. Ireland are top of the world rankings.

But then they were also named World Rugby's Team of the Year in 2018 after 11 wins from 12 Tests, a run that incorporated a Six Nations' Grand Slam, a series win in Australia and an autumn victory over New Zealand.

Less than a year later, they stumbled out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals.

Farrell and 37-year-old captain Johnny Sexton, a veteran of three previous last-eight exits, will be determined that this time round the momentum isn't wasted.