The Teams

Having done the Pool by Pool analysis we will now have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each major team.

There are a number of ingredients that seem to always come together for the sides to win a worlds championship. First you need a super inspirational leader, Eales, Johnson, Pinear, and Farr-Jones for example. All these fellows where hard as nails, best in show in their positions, and coming to the end of their careers. The next key condition is a great first five eigth- Murry Kirwan, Michael Lynagh, Stephen Larkham, and of course Johnny Wilkinson. Going into the big dance they have to be conisdered the best player in the world, have to play the game differently (or is it just better) then their opponents, and have a killer drop goal (evidence: Lynagh could kick drop goals in 91 but had stopped in 95, lost the QF to Rob Andrews DG; 95 Vunder Westheizen; 99 Larkham vs SA, SA vs England; 03 RWC Final). These are the two killer ingredients, the other important ones are Good Second row (Eales (twice) Johnson etc), Speedy outside backs (Campese, Lomu (not a winner but still the best player in 95 cup), Roff and Burke 99, Robinson and Cohen 03), and an out of the box loose forward (Willie O, Pinear, Kefu, Dallagio and Hill).


Australia

Two time, two time Worlds Champions the Wallabies have the raw quality to be able to win the cup, but don't seem to be at quite the same point of the great 91 and 99 teams.

Forwards:
Strengths: The Aussie pack has been much maligned since the 05 decimation at the hands of Andy Sheridan at Twickenham, but thankfully Axel Folley is a supurb forwards coach. The second row is extremely experienced. Vickerman and Sharpe are a combo that can hold their own against any oposition. Also Smith/Waugh are better then most.

Weaknesses: The pack has few actual weaknesses, but when compared to oposition teams they don't look as strong as they could be. Shepardson, Moore, and Holmes just aren't experienced enough to be considered a threat (with Rodzilla it would have been different) and if there are any injuries we're in trouble, Baxter and Dunning??? come on! We are also weak at number 8- Palu is not an 80 minute threat and Lyons is a selection mistake that could one day be compared to Rogers in 03.

Last Word: The pack won't distroy any of their big ticket opponents, but should be able to hold strong in the scrums, steal a few lineouts, and scavenge at the break down enough to really compete at this cup. Elsom or McMenimen could have the sort of career defining cup that Kefu had in 99.

Backs
Strengths: Class, pure and simple. Larkham, Giteau, Mortlock, Tiquri, and Latham can all on their day be best in the world. They will have oposition teams worried and if they can start to really get their lines going right, they will distroy oppositions.

Weaknesses: Under Scott Johnson they haven't really become the mega force that Wales were. Gregan's service hasn't improved, its not in the news anymore, but he is still a weight on the entire team. Mitchel and Gerrard aren't world champions (Mitchell could become that quality) we need real pace out wide- Digby or younger Super Clyde would be ideal but the selectors wouldn't take a gamble.

Overall Last Word: They were no chance at this point in 03, smacked by 50 points by the AB's in the approach to the world cup. This time their a lot stronger, and can compete with anyone on the day. They are once again the leaders in defence- unbelievably strong. The depth is questionable. The Wallabies won't be setting the cup alight but can go all the way. Hard games against Wales in Cardiff, England in a QF, and the AB's in the Semi mean that they will have to do it a number of times to win it, but they can. Remember we've never lost to the AB's at a worlds cup.

AB's.

The favorites and year to year best team in the world, the AB's have traditionally failed at worlds cups. The signs are starting to show that their on the way down of their peak - will it happen to them again?

Forwards:

Strengths: Great front row, and great loose trio- two of the worlds best in Hayman and McCaw. Their front row of Hayman, Oliver, and Yoda are extra specials, they will be able to match anyone, and a couple of times a match will distroy a scrum. Their loose trio is also a strength, McCaw by himself is a tidal force, but add in Soaliolo and Collins and they are extreme. They have the Captain and out of the box loose forward that are very important to a worlds cup win.

Weaknesses: The second row? Jack hasn't been at his best for a couple of years, and Robinson is injury prone. Their line out can sometimes be distroyed, but that's about the only weakness. Also maybe the Collins Soaliolo show is becoming a little bit old- their running with the backs can often be over played to the point of being a weakness.

Last Word: The Ab's forwards will be as physical and confrontational as any others at the cup, possibly even stronger then anyone else.

Backs:

Strenghts: Carter is the best in the world. Can do whatever he wants on the Rugby Pitch, definatly the 5/8 most diserving of the best in the world tag. Rocokoko and Sivivatu are also incredible strengths- oppositions fear them for a reason.

Weaknesses: Their three quarter line isn't as settled as it could be- is Mauger and Toeava their best combo? or is McCalister and Nonu, or Mauger and Umanga... none of these combo's are better then Giteau and Mortlock or D'arcy and Bod. They lost the cup last time because they failed to put Umanga on the pitch in the semis- without the best players on the park they can't win it.

Last Word: Good backs, but not outstanding. I wouldn't write of the AB's based on their backline, but few make it into my worlds 15.

Overall Last Word: Deserving their favoritism position, but really is it more that the rest of the world hasn't staked a claim as yet? I believe they are coming down of their peak, but are they far enough down for the opposition to be a real shot? The only way they get beaten is if they run into a Wallabies or Irish team having a perfect day (maybe the boks as well). They look at the moment to have most of the ingredients in place to win the whole thing, but they can find a way to lose it. Imagine an Ireland Ab's QF and them missing out on semi - it would be beautiful.

Spring Boks.

The boks are starting to come together as a real threat at this cup. Jake White is a great coach, and they have some world class players; but the politics might end up hamstringing them.

Forwards:

Strengths: Their Springboks, so of course they have a strong pack. Good scrum. Good leader in John Smit. Great second row in Matfield and Botha. Best player in the world in Schalk Burger, and strong loose forwards. Probably the best pack going around. Their lineout is the envy of the world, when it works, and they can disrupt almost any opposition line. With this strength they can play a simple game of field position making it tough for any opponents to score. The Loosey's also add incredible physicality and great ball running.

Weaknesses: Piere Spies is out, which is a blow. and the whole Watson thing is a political mess that could bring the team down from the inside- I mean he's not that great a player (when you consider that Burger is the alternative). Their size can also be a problem, if a team can run them around enough maybe they become a liability.

Backs:

Stengths: Pretorius if he can get fit can be a world cup winner, he has very solid game controlling skills and has that out of the box ability to turn a match (eg Boks vs Wallabies in Perth when he scored that late try to win the whole thing). De Villiers makes the top division in the world standings. Their outside backs are also incredible- Habana, Steyn, Pieterson etc can score tries from nearly anywhere on the park, evidence Super 14 Final.

Weaknesses: The make up of the back line is questionable, with the politics and depth problems potential problems. Steyn isn't in the starting line up at the moment- his versatility probably the reason, but with his 60 metre boot, pace, and drop goal abilities he should be first one picked. But Politics means that Ndungani and Willimse are there instead- its not a good situation for Jake White. Butch James is also not a world cup winner, so if an injury happens they can be screwed.

Overall Last Word: Genuine chances for the final, but politics can screw them over. They have a potentially easy road through, England in their pool, Wales in a QF, the easier Semi (in that the AB's aren't there). We will know at the QF stage if their genuine or not- if they are on fire, or if they have descended into a political mess like in 03.

France:

NOTE: I know more about the southern hemisphere teams then I don about the Northen Hemisphere teams...

The Frenchies just about have to be second favorites for the title- somehow they won the 6 Nations- and that somehow is how I assess their complete chances- they weren't better then Ireland at Croke Park- but they won, and champions, with home town advantage find ways to win games.

Forwards:
Strengths: Chabal and Hardinqou are the entre story that I want to tell. These guy's are maniac- just look at Chabal, if I could grow that beard... The French aren't the most stylish, or the most well known team in Worlds Rugby- but with guys like Chabal they are all ways threatening. Good second row with Pelous and Ibanez is also good.

Weaknesses: There is something about this pack that doesn't get me going- maybe its the tight shirts they have worn for so long, or maybe its the fact that we all watched them cower in the face of the AB's attack a couple of years ago- but facing up to the Frenchies is not something that I find particullarly worrisome.

Backs:
Strenghts: Can you say Michalak? He is an out of the box superstar, as is juazion- or whatever his name is- they have some solid players, but I just can't see where they are getting their quality from. Castegrandi has retired (he was rubbish anyways) but the experience just isn't there. There was a reason why they got distroyed at Suncorp a couple of years ago- 80 kilo weaklings can not stand up against the might and power that is Mortlock, Tiquri, and Latham- all 100 kilo superpowers.

Weaknesses- so that strengths section desended into a weaknesses rant- there is no way I can see at the moment of a home town win- secretly I am going for an Argentinian up rising in the pool games- but on the score board the French are extremely good, that win at Croke Park was incredible.

Overall- so this was more a discucssion the whole time, no different hats here- but seriously the French are a proud, strong rugby nation, with a very hard pool, but a very good chance of dominating a home town dance that could get to the Southern Hemisphere powers in a big way.

Ireland:

My favorite non Australian team- I got the full experience in Donny Broke in Janurary and have been a fan ever since. O'Gara, Darcy, and Bod deserve to be world champions- can the fact that they come from a second rate, two Melbournes cups winning country, be replaced by their sheer brilliance?

Forwards:

Stregnths: The hooker (can't remember his name), the second row, and the loosey's are all top quality players, O'Callaghn, or some other name, is world class- I like them alot.

Weaknesses: A pack that could never, on any day, blow an opponent off the park, that is the problem with the Irish. They are a bit like the Wallabies of a few years ago- solid but no killer instinct type of thing. I worry that given a full blown attack from the likes of Botha/Matfield or Collins/McCaw they will wilt like the hurling throwing monkeys they really are.

Backs

Strengths: it starts with a B and ends with OD- the best back in the world, bar none. Evidence- AB's vs Ireland last year, surely they got smashed, but BOD showed how great he was in a second rate side against true brilliance. Then this year he was unavailable at Croke Park and the bottle it- if he was on the pitch they blow that game away. Add the fact that Ogara is argueably the form 5/8 of world rugby (maybe behind Jimmy Hook) and D'arcy is probably the form player in the world a few months ago and you have three of the best players going around standing shoulder to shoulder- only the best teams could possibly beat them.

Weaknesses: I see a great side, but is it just three names clouding that judgement? the rest of the backs are solid- but they are not AB's class. Is there level of ability a weakness compared to the depths of the AB's- I think we will find out come this worlds cup- all the great teams have solid outside backs- Campese, Lomu, Roff, Tune, Robinson- is Horgan of this class?

Overall Last Comment- I like them, and that is probably a downfall- I can't see enough weaknesses to really talk them down. 16 years ago a bit of Uni Rugby super stardom buried them, 4 years ago we just snuck past them- this time they have had the prepration, but can the difficultly of their pool bring them down? I hope not, they play a brand of rugby that deserves to be seen at the semi final level as a minimum- Kieth Wood retired never having won anything- BOD deserves so much more.

The Rest: England, Wales, Argentina

England:

At 6 nations time I dind't have 5 minutes for England- they sucked. But add one name (or two) that being Sheridan and all of a sudden they can distroy opponents up front. Furious D in their loose forwards, and super Johnny and all of a sudden we are talking about genuine contenders, not favorites like last time, but contenders. Anyways, don't write them off, but after they take a beating from the boks in the pool games can Johnny channel Rob Andrews enough to sink the Wallabies in the QF's? I think not. PS- Jimmy Hook beat them last time out as well. No real chances.

Wales:

Its a short song but a hell of a story. J Hook- the new JPR Williams. He is the business unlike anyone we have seen in a long time. Unfortunatly, Stephen Jones is still first choice, and Henson is injured- this makes the Welsh effectivly lame ducks. However, anyone who was at the Paddo for the QF four years ago will knwo that the ultimate battle in Cardiff on the 15th will be an epic. If they win that, then get the Poms in the QF's- all of a sudden a semi against the blacks and Hook can turn a game by himself- its a long, long shot but they could do it.

Argentina:

Deserve to be in the final eight but once again Dav Rossi's friends at the IRB have screwed over the Argies. Fucking Scotland will get a free ride (or hopefully the Itai's) into the QF's and the argies have to fight against the French and Irish in the pool games. I love their pack and I love Contempari (who I say live at Donny Brook earlier this year). Unfortunatly the French have a way of beating sides, so I can't see it happening. They have nothing to loose, but can't win it either, kind of like the socceroo's at the german dance of last year- the quality but no chance in reality. A pity.