The world's No.1 team heads to the 2007 Rugby World Cup as favourites again but, according to some doom mongers, with their ‘invincibility’ tag diminished. Former Australian World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer is one of those with doubts about this All Blacks side.

But Graham Henry’s New Zealanders go to France with an imposing record and having done everything possible to ensure that they are as well prepared as possible following the disappointments of the last tournament in Australia.

Since Rugby World Cup 2003 ...

‘In the last four years the All Blacks have lost only five matches and won 38. No team in history has compiled such a magnificent record.’


The All Blacks sensationally dumped coach John Mitchell after they were defeated by Eddie Jones' Wallabies in the semi-final. Chokers again? Not really, as the Australians produced arguably their greatest performance while the All Blacks appeared rudderless when put under pressure, and the selection of Leon Macdonald in the the No.13 position was a tactical disaster.

In the last four years the All Blacks have lost only five matches and won 38 (an 88 per cent winning streak). No team in history has compiled such a magnificent record and only Martin Johnson's and Clive Woodward's 2003 England have come close to achieving something similar over a comparable period.

In this time the All Blacks have only lost to two teams, the Springboks and the Wallabies, and even against the latter were unbeaten in 2005 and 2006.

They inflicted the heaviest defeat ever on the British and Irish Lions with an impressive 3-0 series whitewash, completed a rare home unions Grand Slam, have not relinquished the Bledisloe Cup in this period and, with their recent Tri-nations victory, won the Southern Hemisphere's premier trophy for the third year in a row and for the eighth time overall (after 12 years of competition).

They have also conquered Europe – marching through the Northern Hemisphere to remain unbeaten against all of their nations, with their last defeat coming at the hands of World Champions elect England in early 2003. They have inflicted on England and France their heaviest home defeats in history, with their performance in late 2005 against Les Bleus regarded by many purists as the most complete rugby football massacre of all time. In fact, host nation France have had their three worst defeats in history inflicted upon them by this All Blacks team in the last three years, twice in their own backyard.

As their record has become all the more impressive, so has expectation, both at home and worldwide. In 2007 the All Blacks have been labelled a declining force, yet to hit their straps. Two heavy defeats against a depleted French outfit seemed to impress no one, and the All Blacks most recent nemesis, the Wallabies, came out of nowhere to stun the so-called world's best team 20-15 in Melbourne. Closing wins against a weakened Springbok team and a solid shut-out of the Wallabies in Auckland have silenced some critics, but not all.

The X factor

Graham Henry and others have spoken often of not repeating the mistakes of previous World Cups and in 2003 the All Blacks were brilliant in notching up 50 points against both the Springboks and the Wallabies in their own backyards. Yet in the return games in New Zealand, the margins were traditionally tight. Many said that the All Blacks showed all of their aces before the World Cup even started, and this was sensationally proven by Eddie Jones.

Has this lesson been learned? Have the 2007 All Blacks planned one of rugby history's great feints and been underplaying their hand, saving the big artillery for the World Cup. Time will tell.

The other X factor is the world's premier openside flanker, the All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. He has been instrumental in his team's success, and while other nations bemoan his ‘cheating,’ the reality is that is their only answer to his brilliance. But what happens if McCaw is injured? Even Dan Carter can, in theory, afford to be injured as they have Nick Evans, a world-class 10 in their ranks. But there is no one to replace their mercurial captain. Another worry – McCaw leads from the front, but he does not seem the inspirational leader that Tana Umaga was and, despite that phenomenal record of victories, is not yet an international captain in the same league as Johnson, Eales, Piennar and others. Can he inspire his team to win if they are 10 points behind with 10 minutes to go in a World Cup semi-final? This remains to be seen.

The reality is if the All Blacks play to potential, execute a game plan with a contingency, don't defeat themselves in their heads and don't select a full-back or prop in the outside-centre position, they should win this 2007 World Cup.