KEY POINTS:
The competition for starting positions in the All Blacks is healthy, said former All Black Bernie McCahill.
He said the All Black team is well balanced with youth and experience.
"I was a bit surprised with the Piri Weepu thing," McCahill said.
But it's a wake-up call for
the rest of the team and they look good on paper, he said.
He said the All Blacks are a happy camp and competition is a good thing.
"It works well if you've got the right combination of people. If guys aren't happy together with each other, it becomes a problem. But if they understand where it's going and work well together then it's not an issue," McCahill said.
And reading between the lines, he said, the All Blacks are the latter.
"If someone like Reuben Thorne is in that group as a good leader of some of the guys that wont get many games, if that's his place, then that's a great role for him," he said.
McCahill said that the All Blacks have to remember that the finals stage is a knock-out tournament.
"Complacency is the issue. Confidence and over-confidence are fine but it's getting complacent... if you're going into business, you do your contingencies, you dot all your i's and cross all your t's and this team has done that," McCahill said.
It doesn't matter if it's Italy or Portugal, the All Blacks have to finish them off, McCahill said.
As for the final, McCahill said it will be the All Blacks and France.
"You've got to go with the home team don't you? But their biggest challenge will be topping their pool. Ireland will be a real challenge.
"We'll say All Blacks and France and hope we kick their backsides," McCahill said.
But it will be tight and won on kicks. "Dan's the man," McCahill said.
Final Prediction
New Zealand versus France
New Zealand to win 18-12
Bernie McCahill's All Black career
(Source: www.allblacks.com)
Full Name: Bernard Joseph McCahill
Born: June 28, 1964
Position: Second five-eighth and centre
All Black Debut: June 1, 1987
Matches: 32
All Black points: 16, 4 tries
YOUR PREDICTIONS
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