Richie is back in black and back in favour with the All Blacks

Northland's celebrity rugby forecaster, Richie McCow, chooses the All Blacks to lick Australia and France to tame the Welsh dragon. Photo / Dean Purcell

The All Blacks can breathe easy.

Their captain, Richie McCaw, has been named to start in Sunday's Rugby World Cup semifinal, and his calf-brother Richie McCow has finally picked the All Blacks to win.

In tomorrow's semifinal between Wales and France, McCow has tipped the unpredictable but passionate French to triumph.

McCow's hit-rate as an all-seeing Ayrshire has been patchy at best, with the Northland calf proving only 25 per cent psychic in his predictions for last weekend's quarter-finals.

Richie correctly predicted three of New Zealand's four pool-match results, meaning his overall hit-rate stands at 50 per cent.

The bull's owner, Kyle Underwood, threatened McCow with the meatworks after he opted first for France and then Argentina in their matches against the All Blacks.

Mr Underwood, 22, said he was pleased McCow had finally made a patriotic prediction, but conceded the calf's endorsement could actually be a suckle of death.

"But I'm pretty glad that he's backing black again, because that was sort of the purpose of him in the first place - to be a good omen."

All black, except for a silver fern on his forehead, Richie was the cream of the crop from the day he was born.

The young bull has beefed up considerably since the Herald first introduced him to the world, and has sprouted a small set of horns.

Mr Underwood said he was confident Maungaturoto's most famous celebrity animal had finally got one right in picking the All Blacks, and they would beat the Wallabies on Sunday.

"I'm looking forward to Richie McCaw sending Quade Cooper home with his tail between his legs."