The No Excuses Tour.

That's what they should call the Wallabies' current trek to Europe via Hong Kong.

No more talk about rebuilding. No more lamenting the loss of key players through injury, no more carry-on about getting combinations right, no more jibber-jabber about the main focus being on next year's World Cup.

The amendments to the interpretation at the breakdown have been up and running for long enough for everyone to be comfortable with them and speculation has died down that underachieving coach Robbie Deans might be shown the door.

Yes, it's time "this group" as guru Deans and his disciples repeatedly, annoying refer to themselves, to bloody well perform.

The Wallabies have displayed an uncanny ability to self destruct in recent years and a major goal, as outlined by captain Rocky Elsom and Deans, will be to ensure they put teams away when they have the chance. Trouble is, they may not get many opportunities to be ruthless frontrunners -- this is shaping as one of the most demanding tours in recent memory.

With that in mind, let's take a quick look at the specific opposition the Wallabies will face, before speculating on the strengths and weaknesses of the squad and who stands to gain and lose the most over the coming month or so.

To be sure, last year's dreadful showings against the Home Nations, bar the flogging the Wallabies gave to the tackle-challenged Welsh, cannot be repeated, and despite the devaluing of the Bledisloe Cup by playing this weekend's test in a largely disinterested Hong Kong, the game is of great importance for Australia.

The All Blacks will be working hard to maintain their stranglehold on the Wallabies by extending their winning streak to 11 but a New Zealand loss won't mean as much as it should, given the usual intensity of the trans-Tasman rivalry. The Australians on the other hand, cannot afford to emerge as gallant losers AGAIN. Nothing less than a deserved if not comprehensive victory is required.

Rest assured this tour will be far more demanding than the equivalent journey last November when the Wallabies lost to the All Blacks, scraped by an awful England side, played like dills in a draw with Ireland, were beaten by Scotland (kill me now!), before winning the slap and tickle with the Welsh.

Wales, in fact, might be the surprise packet this time around. Unlucky to lose quality fullback Lee Byrnes to injury, the Welsh still look far more formidable than they were during a disappointing 2009/10 season.

On club form, they have some the biggest attacking threats in Europe and boast a nice mix of experience and new blood. Defence may still be an issue, but with coach Warren Gatland targeting the Australia test on November 6 as their best chance for a win over the Big Three from the southern hemisphere, the Welsh, roared on by the unmatched crowd at Millennium Stadium, will put body and soul on the line.

The following week, the Wallabies trot out against England and the Poms will be fired up. Remember, Martin Johnson's side took one of two tests against the Wallabies in Australia this domestic season and promise to be a far more cohesive team at Twickenham.

Consider too, the week before the English face Australia on November 13 they will have played and likely lost to the All Blacks, upping the pressure on the side and Johnson. A rare win over the New Zealanders wouldn't be good news either as it would provide the kind of momentum and self belief English sides rarely muster.

Squeezed in before and after the England test will be the equally demanding mid-week clashes with ace club sides Leicester and Munster, both of whom have amongst the best home records in Europe.

The Aussie dirt trackers will be swamped by the ferocity of the home crowd support for their English and Irish opposition and the Wallaby squad's thin tight five depth will be stretched by two extremely large and technically-astute forward packs.

The soft game should be against Italy in Firenze, but the Wallabies have a tendency to play down to their opponents level (Exhibit A: the last Scotland test). They only got home by 30-20 points they meet Italy in Padova in 2008, but this time round nothing less than a 20-point flogging will satisfy.

By the time the game against the sometimes awesome/awful French is played on November 27, the Wallabies will be either flying high or trying to dig their way out of the biggest hole the Australian game has faced for years. Arguably a loss against the French is about the only tolerable defeat, if there is such a thing, for this squad. However, if it comes at the conclusion of a losing tour, the consequences could be horrendous.

The positives for the Wallabies, at least at the start of the adventure, include the fitness of key players such as Will Genia and Benn Robinson and the fine late-season form of potential game changers, Lachie Turner, James O'Connor and Luke Burgess.

It's clear Genia was playing injured in the last few Tri-Nations games and Australia suffered markedly because of it, but with the inspiring Papua New Guinea-born Queenslander back to his best, Quade Cooper will have the time and space to create the kind of mayhem he manufactured for much of the 2010 domestic season.

As playmaker Cooper's performance is obviously pivotal, but as importantly, the rest of the Australian tribe must buy into his game if this team is to reach its potential.

If Australia goes into its shell, Cooper won't have a chance to impose himself. Playing the percentages is not his game, yet it's so often the approach taken to seeking victory in Europe.

As they demonstrated late in the Tri Nations, the Wallabies benefit from keeping the ball in play and in hand, from wherever they find themselves on the field.

European club rugby and the Heineken Cup have been more expansive this year, but most teams still lack foresight in counter-attack, especially from the back. The heavier conditions in the north make it more difficult to run your way out of trouble, but that should encourage the Aussies rather than curtail their willingness to be audacious.

The up-and-under remains a primary weapon in the north. South Africa found out late in the southern season that was the wrong tactic to the Wallabies and the All Blacks, the Australians will be hoping the Euro opposition has yet to learn that lesson.

Despite having squads oozing with more running talent than in recent memory, the northerners will still rely heavily on the bash ‘n' barge and up front muscle. At their best, the Wallabies will have little to worry about in the set pieces, but the loss of a few (more) players to injury could be devastating.

Nevertheless, the absence of injured players such as Wycliff Palu, Tatafu Polata-Nau, Digby Ioane, Will Chambers, James Horwill and Rob Horne should be viewed more as a positive, because they will provide depth in 2011. The squad, as it stands, does have the potential to enjoy a winning, even undefeated tour.

Individually, Cooper will have a chance to brand himself a first choice World XV player if he isn't already, while Matt Giteau can restore the sheen to his glossy reputation if he does what he does best -- challenge the line and be on call for attacking kicks.

Some of the back up front row staff can cement their spots with solid performances against very good opposition and guys like Turner and Drew Mitchell can reassert their right to a test spot by putting in full 80 minute performances.

The second row, as always, is a worry. Should veteran Nathan Sharpe go down, the options are very few, indeed. Of the 12 uncapped players in the squad, the angry old guy, Van Humphries, 34, possibly has the most to gain. He won't slot alongside Sharpe in the first XV, unless someone is injured or misses the plane but he's a workhorse and wouldn't let anybody down.

A few of Deans' favourites, such as Mark Chisholm and Dave Dennis, really have to make the most of this opportunity if they are to kick on.

The coach's penchant for picking speedy players will be put to the test. Debutant Rod Davies and fellow Queenslander Luke Morahan are awfully quick, but certainly don't compensate for the loss of Ioane's impact at the attacking line.

Two much-needed, straight-running attacking threats, are Scott Higginbotham and Pat McCabe, although their chances to shine may be limited.

The test side looks reasonably settled, but the competition for places has gone up a level since mid year.

Deans has done Australia a great service by building depth. Now it's up to the players to repay him by constructing a winning record of note.