Dylan Cleaver dissects 11 of the World Cup contenders, assessing their past form and their present chances of success as they look ahead to the big showdown next year.
ARGENTINA
Key clash: v Scotland, September 25, Christchurch
This will be the last tournament Los Pumas enter as homeless rugby troubadours. In 2012 they are set to join the three Southern Hemisphere giants in an expanded Four Nations. Mind you, they've done pretty well given the difficulty in assembling
their best players from predominantly the French and Italian leagues.
In France in 2007, they finished third, beating the hosts twice, once in pool play and in the bronze play-off, but have since lost influential skipper Agustin Pichot.
Still, with Felipe Contepomi, Juan Martin Hernandez, Juan Martin Lobbe and a gruesome pair of props in Martin Scelzo and Rodrigo Roncero, those that take Argentina lightly will look foolish.
With England and Scotland also in Pool B, one good team is going home early.
CANADA
Key clash: v Tonga, September 14, Whangarei
Canada always give the impression they should actually be a bit better than they are. They are usually well organised, if tended towards the dull.
After making the quarter-finals at the 1991 tournament, where they lost to New Zealand, Canada have not advanced out of pool play and 2007 was their worst effort yet, finishing last with a 12-12 draw against Japan the highlight.
They have a sprinkling of players performing in the lower leagues of Europe, but mainly they are a homegrown bunch, picked from teams such as BC Bears, Ontario Blues and the Prairie Wolf Pack.
Grrrrrrrrr.
FIJI
Key clash: v Samoa, September 25, Auckland
In the national depression that rolled over New Zealand like fog after a certain match in Cardiff three years ago, it is easy to forget that a day later, in Sunny Marseille, Fiji appeared on the verge of tipping the world off its axis.
Down 20-6 to South Africa and reduced to 14 men, Vilimoni Delesau and Sireli Bobo scored two outstanding tries to tie the game up with a quarter of the match remaining. They nearly scored again and you can only guess as to what might have happened if they had, but South Africa eventually pulled away to a 37-20 win.
Much of Fiji's success or otherwise will hinge on their ability to unearth more gamebreakers in the mould of Bobo, Delesau or Rupeni Caucaunibuca.
GEORGIA
Key clash: v Scotland, September 14, Dunedin
In 2007 the Lelos, down 10-14, spent the last five minutes of their match against Ireland camped on the opposition line. It would have been an epic victory for a team from the former USSR who, as legend has it, built their scrum machines out of old Soviet tractors (hence, you will often hear them referred to as the Tractor Pullers).
Georgia are coached by Scot Richard Dixon and there is an even split of those playing in the French leagues (mostly division two) or locally, with a few playing in Romania as well.
JAPAN
Key clash: v Canada, September 27, Napier
God loves a trier and for a while there in the'80s John Kirwan, Japan's coach, had divine talents that put him up there in the omnipotent one's league.
Japan have been to every World Cup and have secured one draw, with pool opponents Canada in 2007, and a solitary win against Zimbabwe in 1991.
With a well-established domestic competition that attracts reasonable New Zealand and Pacific Island talent, you could - with some justification - say that Japan's glacial progress at international level has been disappointing for rugby.
A couple of win's for Kirwan's men in New Zealand would do wonders.
NAMIBIA
Key clash: v South Africa, September 22, Auckland
Nobody is expecting Namibia to win a game in a tough Pool B, but they at least might have a bit of fun taking on neighbours South Africa.
Namibia have the worst record of any World Cup nation, having never won a match in three trips. They own the heaviest defeat, too, losing 142-0 to Australia in 2003.
It might look big on the map, but with a population a little more than two million, it is the second least-densely populated country on Earth (Mongolia wins, but will not be at the World Cup).
RUSSIA
Key clash: v USA, September 15, New Plymouth
Wait for all the Cold War references to start flying off keyboards ahead of their Pool C clash with the USA.
Russia caused a minor shock by claiming the second European qualifying place ahead of Romania, but it's not as if there is no rugby pedigree on the steppe. Russia's most famous player played a pivotal role in the downfall of the All Blacks, but Prince Obolensky's two tries were scored for England at Twickenham, not the country of his birth.
This will be their first World Cup.
SAMOA
Key clash: v Fiji, September 25, Auckland
At the last World Cup Samoa were paired in a pool with their Polynesian brothers Tonga, this time they're drawn in Pool D with their Melanesian rivals Fiji.
If you're not looking forward to that September 25 clash at Eden Park, you don't really like rugby.
Samoa disappointed in France and have undergone some changes since then. The legendary Michael Jones resigned as coach and was replaced by Niko Palamo who has since been replaced by former sevens coach Titimaea 'Dicky' Tafua.
There is enough talent in this team - the likes of Paul Williams, George Pisi, George Stowers and Mahonri Schwalger to name a few - to cause an upset, but whether they can repeat the feats of 1991 and'95 in making the quarter-finals remains to be seen.
TONGA
Key clash: v France, October 1, Wellington
They meet the All Blacks in the opening match and there's two things you can guarantee: it will be a sell-out and there will be some very big hits.
The Tongans were the darlings of the 2007 World Cup with Finau Maka and his big, big hair one of the more impressive sights. They beat Samoa, beat USA and came frighteningly close to tipping over eventual champions South Africa - they lost 25-20 - and finished an unlucky third behind England in the pool.
With a smattering of players in England and France, like captain and hooker Aleki Lutui (Worcester) and Toulouse wing Manu Ahotaeiloa, they will make life difficult for their Pool A opponents.
USA
Key clash: v Russia, September 15, New Plymouth
The most successful rugby team in Olympic history (two gold medals, 1920, 1924) have not been able to translate that success to the professional game.
The IRB would love nothing dearer than the US to emerge as a tier-one nation in the next decade or so, but with American Football being all-pervasive, it is difficult to see it ever gaining traction.
The USA went winless in 2007 but with Russia in their pool, should get off the mark in 2011.
They are coached by former Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan.
URUGUAY and ROMANIA
To meet in a two-leg playoff in November to determine the final place at the World Cup. The winner will take their place in Pool B alongside Argentina, England, Scotland and Georgia.
