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Argentina have included seven World Cup debutants in a youthful team to take on the All Blacks in the Pool C opener.

To make an emphatic statement in their Wembley match against an Argentina side powered by a bruising pack, the All Blacks will field a team with an average age of 28 and featuring 1,013 caps in the starting XV and a further 316 caps on the bench.

“Since being successfully selected as a team base over 12 months ago, the club’s off-field staff have worked extensively with Darlington Council, Rugby World Cup and the All Blacks“, said Mowden Park managing director Lee Rust.

England are heavy favourites to beat Fiji in Friday’s opening game of the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham, so simply putting money on the hosts to win may not be the best betting option. We got a good lead but didn’t put the nail in the coffin. “We played into...

Everyone is trying to put their hands up.

There’s something about New Zealand and France where the rugby World Cup is concerned.

Hansen has made just one change to the team that thumped Australia in Auckland last month, with Jerome Kaino replacing Victor Vito at blindside flanker.

It also contains a version of the Flick Rugby game (more on that shortly) which you can easily lose hours of your life to.

Nine Entertainment Co has the free-to-air rights for the World Cup and will telecast 17 matches, including all Wallabies games and big games such as the semi-finals and final.

“They’re not being arrogant, but it’s seven games – you’ve got to think you can win seven games or why are you even going?”

“We are all positive about it”, said WRU officials manager Nigel Whitehouse, who sits on World Rugby’s laws panel. “We know how good they are, but we are going out to play the perfect match and win”, he said.

There’s just two days to go before the Rugby World Cup begins in the UK this week, with Japan playing their first game on Saturday against tough opponents South Africa.

“The All Blacks haven’t won it out of New Zealand and that’s something that, at some stage, someone will do”.

Meyer has overseen only one win over the all-conquering New Zealanders in seven Tests against them in his reign, and he said the Cup holders’ cohesion in the squad was their greatest asset.

Play Dream Team global Rugby Tipping and Fantasy worldwide Rugby and be in to win over $4,000 in cash prizes. Ironically, Fiji boasts some of the most naturally talented players in the game, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they were to upset the host nation in the opener.