Or actually 10 reasons – but is anyone surprised that BartMan from TheSilverFern.com would “play the laws to their limits”?
10 reasons New Zealand will win The World Cup:
1. Dan Carter. Best rugby player on the planet.
2. Richie McCaw. Second best rugby player on the planet.
3. We lost to Australia in the Tri Nations decider. That hurt, I don’t think we’ll see an All Black pack humbled like they were in that first spell again in a long time. If there was any complacency, it’s gone now! Thank you Australia!
4. Eden Park. Fortress Eden Park, last loss there what, 1994? Sure history means nothing to the here and now, but at the same time you can learn from history, and one thing to learn here is to not bet against the All Blacks when they play on Eden Park.
5. It’s being played in New Zealand. We don’t lose in New Zealand. Not often anyway, and even less than we do normally offshore.
6. We lose on average over the last ten or so years 1.8 test matches a year. We’ve lost 2 already this season, we won’t lose again, so quid pro quo, we win the Cup.
7. Experience. I think keeping the coaching team from the last RWC a smart move. The Poms did it with Clive Woodenhead, and they took home the cup second time around, I think we’ll see that again. And then again in 2015 when Robbie Deans takes it home for the All Blacks after failing with the Aussies this time out…
8. Experience (OK, same reason as above, but players this time). You can’t beat experience, but at the same time, you have to cut it lose at some time. The All Blacks seem to have done that well this year. I mean, who’d have thought 18 months ago we’d go into the 2011 Rugby World Cup with no Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu? The South Africans have got it wrong, dragging dead weight like John Smit around the field. At some stage you have to let them go, I think we’ve kept the right ones and let the right ones go.
9. Competition. Not rotation, but competition. Dagg v Mills for the 15 jersey. Hore v Mealamu; Weepu v Cowan; Nonu v Sonny Bill; Williams v Thorn v Whitelock v Boric; Jane v Toeava v Kahui v Dagg… Pretty much most positions are super competitive for the starting spot. Except of course reasons 1 and 2 above.
10. It’s time for another All Black win!! They are the best team, and consistently so, in the world. But not winning the RWC every 4 years is a good thing I reckon for World Rugby, as it would then be boring as batshit! The constant failure to win at the Cup, but still being the best team in the world is good for World Rugby. but in saying that, time for another win! The goal now is to be the best team in the world for a six week period, not all the time.
