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The 2008 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, the Pacific Islanders and Canada tour the northern hemisphere. The tour ended with the traditional 'final challenge' Barbarians match, against Australia, which was the first rugby union Test at the new Wembley Stadium. New Zealand and Australia also contested a Bledisloe Cup match outside of either country for the first time; the match was played in Hong Kong with the hope of raising rugby's profile in China.

The test matches took on added significance, with seedings for the 2011 Rugby World Cup draw to take place on 1 December at stake. For the first time in the history of the Rugby World Cup, the International Rugby Board used the IRB World Rankings to seed teams in the World Cup draw. Teams will be assigned to four-strong seeding pots based on their rankings; each team within a pot will be drawn into a different pool for the World Cup finals.

New Zealand recorded a second straight grand slam tour.

Overview

Team/Tour	Opponents
Argentina in Europe	France (lost) –  Italy (won) –  Ireland (lost)
Australia in Hong Kong and Europe	New Zealand (lost) –  Italy (won) –  England (won) –  France (won) –  Wales (lost)
New Zealand in Hong Kong and Europe	Australia (won) –  Scotland (won) –  Ireland (won) –  Wales (won) –  England (won)
South Africa in Great Britain	Wales (won) –  Scotland (won) –  England (won)
Pacific Islands in Europe	England (lost) –  France (lost) –  Italy (won)
United States in Japan	Japan (2 matches lost)
Canada in Europe	Portugal (won) –  Ireland (lost) –  Wales (lost) –  Scotland (lost)
Georgia in Scotland	Scotland A (lost)

Week 1

Australia	14–19	New Zealand
Try: Mitchell (2) 7' c, 27' c Con: Giteau (2)	(Report)	Try: Sivivatu 42' m McCaw 63' m Pen: Carter (3) 14', 24', 32'

Portugal	13–21	Canada
Try: Silva Con: Leal Pen: Leal (2)		Try: Kleeberger Pritchard Con: Pritchard Pen: Pritchard (3)

Week 2

Italy	20–30	Australia
Try: Mi. Bergamasco 30' m Pen: Marcato (2) 7', 12' Orquera (2) 53', 60' Drop: Marcato 26'	(Report)	Try: Turner 9' m Cooper 73' c Con: Giteau Pen: Mortlock 3' Giteau (5) 18', 39', 48', 51', 78'

England	39–13	Pacific Islanders
Try: Sackey (2) 14' c, 75' m Cipriani 37' c Kennedy 44' c Mears 68' c Con: Cipriani (4) Pen: Cipriani (2) 10', 32'	(Report)	Try: Rabeni 15' c Con: Hola Pen: Hola 40' Bai 56'

Wales	15–20	South Africa
Pen: Halfpenny 29' Hook (4) 57', 59', 63', 73'	(Report)	Try: Jacobs 6' c De Villiers 52' c Con: Pienaar (2) Pen: Pienaar (2) 9', 37'

Ireland	55–0	Canada
Try: Earls 3' c Kearney (2) 13' c, 35' c Heaslip 30' c Bowe (2) 40' c, 80' m D. Wallace 68' c Quinlan 80' m Con: O'Gara (5) P. Wallace Pen: O'Gara 7'	(Report)

Scotland	6–32	New Zealand
Pen: Paterson (2) 2', 22'	(Report)	Try: Tuitavake 8' c Weepu 26' m Kahui 41' c Boric 73' c Con: Donald (2) Carter Pen: Donald (2) 5', 19'

France	12–6	Argentina
Pen: Skrela (2) 29', 79' Baby 32' Drop: Skrela 11'	(Report)	Pen: Contepomi (2) 27', 36'

• Kaplan, who went into the match sharing the record for most Tests as referee (46) with Paul Honiss of New Zealand, took sole possession of the record. He replaced the injured Steve Walsh as referee for this match.

United States	43–9	Uruguay
Try: Clever 3' c Wyles 52' c DeBartolo 56' c Ngwenya 59' c Emerick 76' c Erskine 80+2' m Con: Hercus (4) Malifa Pen: Hercus 50'		Pen: Arocena (3) 10', 17', 21'

Week 3

Scotland A	69–3	Georgia
Try: Vernon (2) Evans McMillan Brown Dewey Webster Walker Henderson (2) Newlands Con: Ross (5) Gregor (2)	ESPN Report Daily Record	Pen: Barkalaia

Wales	34–13	Canada
Try: Stoddart 24' m Halfpenny (2) 39' m, 80' c Penalty try (2) 58' c, 70' c Con: Biggar (3) Pen: Biggar 46'	(Report)	Try: Smith 74' c Con: Van Camp Pen: Pritchard (2) 10', 31'

France	42–17	Pacific Islanders
Try: Tillous-Borde 24' c Szarzewski 27' c Heymans 46' m Picamoles 70' c Médard 75' c Con: Skrela (4) Pen: Skrela (3) 7', 50', 60'	(Report)	Try: Taione 77' m Pen: Bai (4) 2', 9', 34', 40'

Italy	14–22	Argentina
Try: Masi 80' Pen: Marcato (2) 31', 53' Drop: Marcato 44'	(Report)	Try: Carballo 49' c Con: Contepomi Pen: Contepomi (5) 26', 38', 40+1', 43', 74'

England	14–28	Australia
Try: Easter 36' m Pen: Cipriani (2) 40', 52' Drop: Armitage 22'	(Report)	Try: Ashley-Cooper 69' c Con: Giteau Pen: Giteau (6) 3', 6', 28', 32', 54', 58' Mortlock 64'

Scotland	10–14	South Africa
Try: Hines 39' c Con: Godman Pen: Godman 28'	(Report)	Try: Fourie 57' m Pen: Pienaar (3) 46', 55', 66'

Ireland	3–22	New Zealand
Pen: O'Gara 38'	(Report)	Try: Penalty try 40+2' c Nonu 47' c Thorn 53' m Con: Carter (2) Pen: Carter 26'

Japan	29–19	United States
Try: Holani 33' c Endo 45' c Con: Nicholas (2) Pen: Nicholas (4) 3', 43', 53', 77' Webb 59'		Try: MacDonald 9' c Ngwenya 39' c Welch 69' m Con: Hercus (2)

Week 4

Going into Week 4, the main storyline was the battle for fourth place in the IRB World Rankings. New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia were entrenched in the top three. The team that stood in fourth place on 1 December would avoid being drawn into the same pool as one of the Tri Nations powers in 2011. Four teams could have ended the week in fourth place: Argentina, England, France, and Wales.

Japan	32–17	United States
Try: Hatakeyama 7' m Tomioka 28' c Webb 31' c Kikutani 63' c Con: Nicholas (3) Pen: Nicholas (2) 48', 68'		Try: Wyles 1' m Ngwenya 40+1' m Van der Giessen 50' c Con: Hercus

Italy	17–25	Pacific Islanders
Try: Ghiraldini 16' c Ma. Bergamasco 65' c Con: Marcato (2) Pen: Marcato 6'		Try: Delasau 3' c, 29' m Ratuvou 40' c Con: Bai (2) Pen: Bai 18', 42'

• The Pacific Islanders defeated a Test team for the first time in nine attempts.

England	6–42	South Africa
Pen: Cipriani (2) 2', 29'	(Report)	Try: Rossouw 15' c Pienaar 19' c Jacobs 51' c Fourie 77' c Habana 80' m Con: Pienaar (3) F. Steyn Pen: Pienaar (3) 6', 25', 63'

Ireland	17–3	Argentina
Try: Bowe 77' m Pen: O'Gara (3) 39', 50' 75' Drop: O'Gara 69'	(Report)	Pen: Fernández 36'

The missed conversion by Ronan O'Gara on Ireland's only try of the match proved decisive for Argentina. With the other results on the day, the Pumas would have dropped to fifth place, behind England, if O'Gara had converted, as it would have given Ireland a win by more than 15 points. As it turned out, Argentina retained fourth by a narrow margin.

Scotland	41–0	Canada
Try: Walker 2' m, 70' c Cairns 37' c Barclay 42' c Strokosch 56' c Lamont 73' m Con: Godman (3) Parks Pen: Godman 34'	(Report)

Wales	9–29	New Zealand
Pen: S. Jones (3) 2', 14', 23'	(Report)	Try: Nonu 55' c Kaino 80+1' c Con: Carter (2) Pen: Carter (5) 17', 40', 42', 64', 74'

France	13–18	Australia
Try: Penalty try 39' c Con: Skrela Pen: Skrela 48' Drop: Medard 51'	(Report)	Try: Moore 31' c Hynes 57' m Con: Giteau Pen: Giteau (2) 28', 74'

Week 5

The battle for fourth place in the IRB World Rankings finished this weekend, with Argentina remaining in fourth place without playing as England lost and Wales failed to achieve the 15-point winning margin required. Argentina therefore took top seeding for the following month's 2011 Rugby World Cup draw along with the three Tri-Nations teams.

The other major news of the week was New Zealand's win over England, completing a successful Grand Slam tour for the All Blacks. This was the All Blacks' third such successful tour, with the previous ones being in 1978 and 2005.

England	6–32	New Zealand
Pen: Flood 17' Armitage 49'	(Report)	Try: Muliaina 58' m, 66' m Nonu 72' c Con: Carter Pen: Carter (5) 15', 27', 36', 39', 62'

Wales	21–18	Australia
Try: Sh. Williams 4' m Byrne 32' c Con: S. Jones Pen: S. Jones (2) 28', 78' Drop: S. Jones 68'	(Report)	Try: Chisholm 14' c Ioane 79' m Con: Giteau Pen: Giteau 46' Drop: Giteau 25'

Barbarians	11–18	Australia
Try: Collins c Pen: Montgomery (2)	(Report)	Try: Tuqiri m Turner c Con: O' Connor Pen: O'Connor (2)

Effect on World Cup seeding

Following the 29 November tests, the 12 teams that qualified automatically for the 2011 Rugby World Cup were seeded thus:

Notes and references

1. "Four still in contention to claim fourth spot". International Rugby Board. 21 November 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
2. "Ireland End Series With Crucial Win Over Pumas". Irish Rugby Football Union. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
3. "Wales climb one place on back of French loss". International Rugby Board. 24 November 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
4. "All Blacks secure Millennium Stadium win". Welsh Rugby Union. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2008.

• End-of-year rugby union internationals
• 2008–09 in European rugby union
• 2008 in Oceanian rugby union
• 2008 in North American rugby union
• 2008 in South American rugby union
• 2008 in South African rugby union