I'm going to be a little optimistic.
Firstly the form of the provinces is not always a guarantee of international form, admittedly the Irish squad looks strong but I'm not putting to much weight into it.
Then, we have injuries, but so be it, ideally these enforced rests will do the battered bodies of our international stars a rest after a long season. It's not what I would want but resting legs and bodies while recuperating might work out better in the long run, and hopefully most will be back for the SA tour. I've never played at anything other than local level, but sometimes a knee or arm injury while horrible has gave the rest of my body the rest it desperately wanted. (if that's not optimism, what is)
The backs, all of these are grand slam winning backs, and is the back-line that's been responsible for the success over the last 2 years. Ideally we'd want more ballast somewhere, and more fun at 15 and a 3rd choice 9. But we're only 1 injury away in those positions from seeing that.
Finally, yes we're lacking power in the forwards, but in Simmonds, Mercer, Itoje, Boyce & Underhill (even B Curry if he's in the extended EPS) we have some potential coming through, and 3 of these lads have won U20 world cups. It's great that they are getting in and around the first XV. Ireland are brining in youth, youth that didn't win an U20 World Cup and we're meant to be scared of them. I know its different but why? Our lads have potential.
Anyway, we lose a couple of games we can blame it on injuries, and we have a host of names to bring in. Looking to the SA tour it should be a cracking, well rested squad.
That's it, all bullsh*t of course, but optimism... Yay!