What to expect from the Rugby World Cup

The seventh Rugby World Cup began on Saturday in New Zealand: akin to the Brazillians and Football, the Kiwis enjoy an intense relationship with the oval ball. Having not won the William Webb Ellis trophy in 24 years and despite being the team to beat at almost every tournament since, the All Blacks have choked more often than an English penalty-taker. For British sports fans this is a chance to sit back and watch someone else struggle under the terrible burden of expectation.

It is often said in New Zealand that if God was a rugby player he’d be an All Black number ten; unfortunately for Him this would entail a lot of bench-warming due to a certain Dan Carter. If the influential Fly-Half stays fit, it will be difficult to see defences stopping their backline. The question of who plays outside of the star stand-off will be the hotly debated topic from Invercargill to Whangarei. The amateur boxer-turned-master of the offload Sonny Bill Williams, appears to have lost out to the deceptively quick and intelligent Centre Conrad Smith. Often seen as the odd one out in the New Zealand backline, Smith’s performances have left his competitors in his wake and it will be the development of his partnership with Carter and the awesome Ma’a Nonu that will ultimately decide the All Blacks fate. Of the home nations, Martin Johnson’s England side look best-placed to pose a challenge to the predicted Southern Hemisphere dominance.

The English have a piece of Southern Hemisphere dominance of their own in Samoan-born Centre Manu Tuilagi. Having just one season’s domestic experience, Tuilagi is somewhat of an enigma. However, his clinical finishing in England’s warm up win against Ireland suggests that should their forwards provide quick ball, England’s backline could match the flair of Australia’s Quade Cooper and the power of South Africa’s Brian Habana. The Scots are desperate to maintain some consistency and continue their impressive record of always making it out of the pool stages. For their English coach Andy Robinson, the first of October will bring the crucial game against the Auld Enemy, where he and all Scots will be hoping the outcome is more Bannockburn 1314 than Wembley 1996. Relying on a good breakdown and the influential 6 foot 9 inch Richie Gray, Scotland could justify their world ranking of Seventh. The Welsh and the Irish should both make it out of the pool stages, though having two of the Pacific Powerhouses in their group could hinder Wales’ prospects. The Journal’s big prediction for the tournament is that the Samoans, Fijians and Tongans cause some surprises. Expect upsets. Expect frightening tattooed men trampling through a midfield near you.