The All Whites must beat the fifth-best Asian side in a home and away playoff for to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell

The All Whites must beat the fifth-best Asian side in a home and away playoff for to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell

Ah, 2008 ... it was a decent vintage, with a full-bodied Olympic campaign and some pleasing rugby notes and a clean league finish. But what does 2009 hold? Let's analyse nine things we'd like to see in '09 to prevent this crop leaving a bad taste.

1. All Whites qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals
In 1982 it was the Impossible Dream. This time around it is the snappily titled More Realistic, Though Still a Longshot, Dream.

The All Whites have their best chance of qualifying for a World Cup since 1982 and now face a home and away playoff against the fifth-best Asian side in November for a place at the Big Show in South Africa in 2010.

Australia's departure to Asia made New Zealand's task of winning the Oceania round infinitely easier and a playoff against Asian opposition rather than a South American side has opened the door even further.

The All Whites' opponents are still unknown but, on present form, they are shaping up to be either Qatar (ranked 84), Bahrain (80) or North Korea (113). If rankings are anything to go by - and they are seriously flawed - New Zealand (86) are in with a good shout.

They will at least get the ideal build-up when they take on South Africa, Iraq and European champions Spain at June's Confederations Cup.

2. A New Zealand team wins in Australia
It could actually happen.

The Breakers are well-placed to go deep into the ANBL playoffs and the Warriors will surely start the season as one of the favourites for the NRL.

Indeed, outside Manly and Melbourne, it is hard to see any team being better placed than the Warriors to make a tilt for a premiership, though you can guarantee the angry little man in charge of Cronulla, Ricky Stuart, will be seeking some kind of redemption.

First things first though, and the Breakers are a well-balanced team in a surprisingly lop-sided league.

While the 2008-09 season will always be accompanied in Australia by an asterisk denoting the season basketball was brought to its knees in the Lucky Country, few this side of the Tassie will give a toss should Kirk Penney and the boys bring a big trophy home.

The Phoenix might even make the playoffs. Might.

3. A full-strength French team travel to New Zealand in June
Understrength teams touring New Zealand in June has been an issue for far too long. The French have been one of the worst sides in that regard, bringing a woefully depleted squad here in 2007 that was pasted twice, with only Sebastien Chabal going on to play at the World Cup later that year.