Colin Meads: Wales can make the final meaning Stan owes me a jug

Colin Meads thinks Wales will win. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

While we'll all be looking for an All Blacks win against Argentina, there are some interesting quarter-final games this weekend, particularly Wales versus Ireland.

I was with my brother Stan yesterday and we have a jug of beer riding on the result: I think Wales will win, and he's backing Ireland.

Wales are very interesting. They've been playing pretty good rugby and were unlucky against South Africa when they lost 17-16 in Wellington. They won the rest of their pool games and had a huge game against Samoa, which they came out of pretty well.

If they can get through against Ireland, I think they can go right through to the final.

Australia versus South Africa is going to be a big contest and you wouldn't like to pick it. South Africa are still the dominant team - they've got better each game as they've gone on. But Australia have a lot of their stars coming back, such as Digby Ioane. I think we'll be playing South Africa next on present form, but obviously there's going to be a lot of interest in that game because whoever wins, we've got in the semis.

We're all presuming England will beat France, but the Tricolores are a team that always surprise and they are good enough to beat England. Having said that, on present form England should win that contest.

The whole country is going to be watching how the All Blacks selectors go about picking their XV. This game is a trial for first five-eighths. In the 22, they should pick Piri Weepu to start at halfback. While all the talk is now about Colin Slade, he hasn't produced the form that he did a year ago. Aaron Cruden at the end of the NPC was playing tremendously well for Manawatu, so the options are there.

Jimmy Cowan hasn't been playing up to his usual form and he had a rough time in the last game against Canada. If the selectors pick Weepu at halfback (with Ellis as the back-up) and have Slade start at first five-eighths (with Cruden as a back-up) they could try out all three at first five-eighths.

If Slade plays well against the Argentines, I think he'll keep his place for the rest of the tournament. For this weekend's game, I'd say to Slade "you're just playing at first five" and let Piri have the kicking duties, so he doesn't have to worry about that role and can just get on and play the game.

It was good to see Kieran Read have 50 minutes against Canada, even though he was feeling his way a little bit. He'll get better with each game, but it was good to see him back.

The battle against Argentina is going to be up front - they're going to take to us in the scrums and lineouts. We've got to use any ball we've got, keep it, and not just kick too much away because our backs are far superior to theirs. The big thing with the All Blacks is to get points early to make it easy for themselves. If they let Argentina stay within reach, or even in front, they could be in trouble.

Many are talking about bringing Mils Muliaina back to fullback because of his experience. But Israel Dagg has played so well they've got to keep him there. He's just in brilliant form at fullback, so he's got to be in the starting line-up in that position.