Springboks on the charge against the All Blacks. Photo: AFP / Adrian Dennis
The Rugby World Cup kicks off in just over a week, so who are the title contenders, the pretenders and the dark horses?
Are the All Blacks still frontrunners following their record defeat to the Springboks? Are South Africa now the team to beat? Will hosts France be able to claim their first title? Will Ireland, the world's top ranked side, finally make it past the quarter-finals?
The Springboks are the defending World Cup champions and PlanetRugby journalist, South African Jared Wright, believes their historic win over the All Blacks at Twickenham last weekend has catapulted them to the top of the list of favourites.
"After the win over Wales and then backing that up with the win over the All Blacks like that, their fiercest enemy and biggest rivalry. So yeah I think the Springboks are definitely front and centre as as the favourite."
And despite the psychological damage inflicted by a record defeat, Wright is adamant New Zealand will still be one of South Africa's biggest threats.
"Definitely still has to be the All Blacks, despite that loss at Twickenham. I thought there were a lot of issues in their game that can be quickly sorted. If they can knock over France in the opening game, that sets them up nicely."
France are many pundits favourites. Photo: Joe Allison
RugbyPass analyst, New Zealander Ben Smith, doesn't think South Africa are as good as others might suggest.
"They've got that super tough pool with Ireland, Scotland and Tonga. So by the time the Boks get to the quarters, they're going to have played a number of hard tests.
"Then they're going to have to go through a hard quarter-final, a soft semi-final and then a hard final. That's six tough games and the Boks are on a four game winning streak right now, so they're going to have to win 10 in a row to win the World Cup and their longest winning streak over the past four years has been four games."
The All Blacks aren't Smith's favourites either.
"The frontrunners are still France.
"The biggest reason why is the home field advantage factor. Looking at their record, they've lost once in four years at home."
Photo: Photosport
However, Karim Ben Ismail, a rugby writer for French sports newspaper L'Equipe, believes home advantage, and the fortress that is Stade de France, could prove a double edged sword for the hosts.
"The atmosphere in the stadium is incredible, incredible. It gives you goosebumps and it gives France a supplement of energy. But I don't know how the French team is going to deal with the pressure of delivery.
"It's like if your partner asks you to make them happy or make them laugh, it can be quite inhibiting."
Ben Ismail believes the loss of star first-five Romain Ntamack will hurt the hosts and will put more pressure on who many regard as best player in the world, French halfback Antoine Dupont.
"Antoine Dupont was the fire and Romain Ntamack was a little bit like the water. But Matthieu Jalibert, who has replaced Ntamack, is another kind of fire. So if you put fire with fire, how is that going to work out?"
2023 Guinness Six Nations Championship Round 1, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 5/2/2023 Italy vs France France’s Mathieu Jalibert celebrates scoring his side’s fourth try of the game with Reda Wardi Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Matteo Ciambelli Photo: ©INPHO/Matteo Ciambelli, ©INPHO/Matteo Ciambelli
Ben Ismail has Samoa as his "dark horse" but Jared Wright and Ben Smith both reckon Los Pumas, who have a history of strong performances at World Cups, could go deep into the tournament.
New Zealand's Josh Lord and Argentina's Tomás Lavanini struggle during the Rugby Championship 2023 first round match between the Pumas and the All Blacks at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza, Argentina. Photo: Andres Larrovere / AFP)
"It's got to be Argentina. On that other side of the draw from the All Blacks, France and South Africa, the favourable side, Argentina could be the best.
"They beat England last year at Twickenham, they beat the All Blacks last year in New Zealand. Argentina are the strongest side on that side of the draw in my opinion. Wales aren't in the best of form, England are terrible, Australia terrible."
The Wallabies have lost five games in a row under Eddie Jones. Photo: Photosport
France are also the favourites for Australian writer and The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, but he believes the Wallabies shouldn't be written off.
"I actually think they (Wallabies) are the dark horse. Everyone's talking about Fiji and I think that they can very much make the quarter-finals and even the semi-finals if everything goes to plan.
"But the Wallabies are a side that are going to employ a game plan which is a bit different to what everyone else is doing. They have young, fearless players and that's a dangerous combination. They're going to be playing off the cuff a lot. Going to be playing a lot of heads up rugby and that could go one of two ways. They might be left with egg on their face, or it might just turn to riches.
If the Wallabies were to win the World Cup it really would be a rags to riches story, with Australia set to start the tournament on the back of five straight defeats.
