KEY POINTS:
We ask legends of the game for their tips on who will win the Rugby World Cup.
Former Wallaby great Tim Horan says the All Blacks have what it takes to win the World Cup.
"It will come down to a semi-final and that's when they'll hit
their straps," Horan said.
He said the All Blacks are not chokers and with fresh blood in the team, their past World Cup losses will not count for much.
"They should win the tournament by running away but their dominance has slowed a little bit in the last six months in world rugby," Horan said.
The All Blacks will need something more than just pure skill, he said.
"You do need luck and something to go your way, whether it's no injuries or the bounce of the ball," Horan said.
He said momentum and confidence is important and has been a factor in Australia's past victories.
Horan said South Africa's strength is yet to be seen but the Bulls winning the Super 14 and a good performance in the Tri-nations proves them a contender.
"For the French team playing at home, they're going to be very hard to beat. But you just don't know which team is going to turn up," Horan said.
Horan is cautious about picking a winning team but said the semis will be made up of South Africa, France, Australia and New Zealand.
"New Zealand are number one and there's a few more sitting on the second tier with Australia, South Africa and France," Horan said.
He said the winners of those games will depend on the momentum of the various teams and it will be very close.
"But Australia is going to be shaking the tin," Horan said.
He said Australia have the strength, ability and a "team belief".
Tim Horan's Wallaby career
(Source: www.sporting-heroes.net)
Born: May 18, 1970
Position: Centre
Total caps: 80
YOUR PREDICTIONS
It's only weeks away from the Rugby World Cup and we want to hear your predictions of who will win. Who do you think will be in the final and what do you think the score will be?
We'll run your predictions online and you could be the winner by picking the right score.
The winner gets to the right to call themselves the Rugby Brain of New Zealand... and our sports team at nzherald.co.nz will also rustle up a prize for the most accurate prediction.