New coaches, new allegiances, new controversial but exciting laws, new players and New Zealand domination are whetting the appetites of excited rugby fans across the globe as they await the start of what is set to be one of the most intriguing Tri-Nation tournaments this side of the millennium.

Three Southern Hemisphere giants of the game – Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – will go head-to-head in what has predictably become fearsome clashes, dominated by hard-hitting tackles and explosive back-line movements – true hyper adrenaline-pumping fare for all rugby lovers.

It all begins tomorrow at the Westpac Trust Stadium in Wellington, where defending champions New Zealand host World Cup winners South Africa. The All Blacks have long since dominated this annual competition and have won the past three Tri-Nations, while the Springboks have, incredibly, not won in New Zealand for nine years.

However, this year things look altogether different.

The Springboks, under new coach Peter de Villiers, are in imperious form coming into the Tri-Nations on the back of a 13-match unbeaten streak, while New Zealand are under immense pressure following a poor showing at the World Cup last year.

Meanwhile Australia, who play their first game on July 19 against South Africa in Perth, also have a new coach at the helm – inspirational New Zealander Robbie Deans. Former Australia player Pat Howard predicts that Deans, who won the Super 14 title last month with the Crusaders, can lead the Wallabies to their third Tri-Nations this year.

"I actually think Australia have a genuine chance this year," says Howard, who is also a selector for the Australian team.

"If Australia can keep their key players on the field then I think they will be a very good team.

"Both New Zealand and South Africa have lost a few players. Mind you, some of these players are going to be allowed to come back, so I think it's going to be very interesting. South Africa and New Zealand had form in their early tests and I think New Zealand played extremely well in the second Test against England [a 44-12 win]. South Africa knocked off the Six Nations champions [Wales, a 2-0 series win] so obviously they are playing well, too.

"On the whole, Robbie Deans taking charge is really positive for Australian rugby. We obviously have a lot off coaches and a lot of experience, but Robbie is right at the top end and he can add a lot to our rugby."

Springbok World Cup-winning coach Jake White, who resigned in December last year, won the Tri-Nations in his debut season in 2004. His surprise successor De Villers, who comes in with no international or Super 14 experience, faces a tough task to emulate the feat, but Howard feels South Africa know what they are doing.

"They did the same thing with Jake White and it worked before," says Howard. "There are some great coaches in South Africa; Heynecke Meyer, Dick Muir and if Peter De Villiers can get the job ahead of guys like that, then he must be exceptional."

New Zealand, on the other hand, have broken their tradition of firing a coach after the World Cup and retained Graham Henry, despite criticism from the fans.

However, former All Black flanker Josh Kronfeld is one of those who has lost faith in Henry despite his impressive three consecutive Tri-Nations titles.

"I think he is very lucky you know," says Kronfeld, who played in the inaugural Tri-Nations in 1996.

"He made a lot of big calls and said 'judge me by my results' – and they weren't very great, so that's how it is. But, the New Zealand Rugby Union did the review and they decided he deserved another go. Whether that was the right decision, I don't know."

The other thing that Kronfeld is quite firmly against is the Experimental Laws Variations (ELV's), which will be further tried in the Tri-Nations.

The laws aimed at making rugby a free-flowing game have come under serious criticism from northern hemisphere countries in particular and the former All Black adds his voice to the growing dissent.

"Pat [Howard] thinks it's a great idea, but I think it's slowly devaluing the forwards' role in a rugby game and for me that's a bit of a travesty and a concern for the good of the game," says Kronfeld.

"The other problem is that when they do change the rules, they don't leave themselves any leeway to change the rules back if they make a mistake. So it is always a concern when they make really strong changes like this, but we'll have to wait and see."

Howard, who also coached English side Leicester Tigers, adds: "The jury is still out, but I think some of them [the rules] are good. I have seen a lot of rugby under them now. You have got the amateur rugby doing all the rules, whereas the Super 14 did some of the rules, so I didn't think the game was significantly different and I don't see it as a big, big change."

In tomorrow's game New Zealand begin their campaign without captain and ball-winning kingpin Richie McCaw, who is out of action for six weeks after suffering a severe ankle injury in the second Test against England.

South Africa coach De Villiers has said the Springboks can only call themselves "world champions" if they win the series in New Zealand, giving his team an extra initiative not to lose their unbeaten record.

Now sit back and enjoy two months of high-class, adrenaline-pumping rugby.