WORLD CUP POWER RANKINGS

01 NEW ZEALAND

WORLD RANKING: 1

Strangely, the All Blacks haven’tplayed since November but have firmed as World Cup favourites in the last seven months as the Six Nations highlighted major weaknesses among the leading Northern Hemisphere sides.

If there was a bit of doubt creeping in about the All Blacks at the end of last year some of that has been removed, partly by the regression of the Six Nations sides, and partly by the convincing return to action of several key players such as Aaron Smith, Sam Whitelock, and Kieran Read.

Oh and then there is Rieko Ioane of course…have you seen how this guy has been playing?

STRENGTHS: Have been the world’S most dominant team since the last World Cup winning 88 per cent of their tests.

Have a rock solid set piece and a pack that has a difficult to contain intensity when Brodie Retallick and Whitelock are at the heart of it.

If the backs are able to play on the front foot and run against a broken defence, they are just about unstoppable. Remember ho w good they were against the Wallabies last year..?

On the firm, dry grounds they will encounter in Japan…could be sayonara.

Have struggled to spark their attack in the face of a rush defence and look like they could become a relatively easy target to frustrate at the World Cup