My beloved All Blacks are favourites (as always) ad are ranked No.1 in the World at the moment. It would be hard to go past them, except for their heart breaking habit of choking on this, the biggest stage of them all.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
A dismal performance will plunge the country into a recession (no joke) but a win will send Kiwis at home and in the diaspora into ecstasies. We have the players, Dan the Man and Richie in particular, but can we fight through to the end?
Then there are the Aussies. They beat us a mere fortnight ago in Fortress-Brisbane but can they do it again? Will Quade and Genia work their magic or will NZ born Coops go AWOL? Will baby-faced James O'Connor wake up in time?
The Boks aren't out of it either. They haven't been at their best recently and have a reputation for not traveling well. However in wet conditions, their booooorrriiinnngggg 10 man style of rugby might just prevail. That is, if John Smit doesn't run out of puff.
I-n-g-e-r-l-a-n-d. Still have the same game plan as when they won the thing all those years ago. Grind the opposition down with their Jurassic-era (size and age) forwards and then let Sir Johnny blast away with his magic boots. The inclusion of some hard running Kiwis and Samoans in their back line isn't fooling anyone. Hopefully, Sir Johnny doesn't snap before the knock out stages.
France. Everyone in NZ forgets about 'Les Bleues' and our unflattering record against them in the RWC until they come out and beat us all over again. A definite Bogey-team for the ABs. That said, they are the team that can beat the ABs one day then a few months later lose to Canada! Which team will show up when the two meet up in their pool game. The Mercurial Magicians? The Cheese-eating-surrender-monkeys?
Scotland? Canada? Japan? USA? No chance this time around. They will all be home before their postcards.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
What do you lot think?