Rugby World Cup 2015: Power Ranking All 20 Teams

Lacking serious punch in their backline is offset by their pack who are equal of most in the world, or better. That time, just to spite me, they fell over in the quarterfinals against a once-more rampaging France!

The New Zealanders put a full stop to the promotional activities that were a focal part of the first four days after their arrival in London and turned their attention exclusively on their opening game against Argentina on Sunday. “I think the Rugby World Cup will be an extremely successful tournament, but I don’t see it as a predator”.

Charlie Faumuina of the New Zealand All Blacks looks on during a team training session on Tuesday in London ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

New Zealand’s victory in the final in Auckland came after France had an upset 30-24 win over Australia in Sydney in the semifinals, and the Kiwis overwhelmed Wales 49-6 in Brisbane.

“The last time I performed the haka was in a red jersey of Munster against the All-Blacks in 2008″.

Former New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu believes England will have to deal with more expectation than the All Blacks during the World Cup.

The World Cup has a different format to the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship, four pool games followed by three knockout rounds of must-win contests. They have a tough route to the final but, the French being the French, they could even knock out New Zealand but then fall at the next hurdle.

“Many opinions have been aired over recent weeks and I have listened to them with growing frustration”, he said. Their intimidation tactics are probably a reason why they win so many games. It’s like nothing else and you shouldn’t miss out on the occasion. The mix of sport, culture and spiritualism extends to the enacting of the haka, the traditional pre-match Maori war dance that ends with a throat-slitting gesture.

Hansen’s All Blacks have a family culture, where the players respect each other and enjoy each other’s company and anyone not buying into the “all together” philosophy is quickly shown the door.

In football, there are stoppages in play during the game which result in something called set-pieces such as corners, free-kicks, penalty kicks and the like.

“I guess what they won’t know is what he does within our team and our structure and neither do we”, Foster said.

That spirit made Lomu play on through his illness.

The Springboks are in wretched form heading into the tournament, having lost five of their nine games since a brilliant 27-25 triumph against New Zealand last October broke the All Blacks’ 22 match winning streak.

Jayaditya Gupta is the executive editor of Espncricinfo.