New Zealand emerges from earthquake wreckage to put on greatest show

Tournament hosts, the No1 ranked team, they are revered for their black shirts and intimidating haka.

Who can stop them? The answer to that, ever since the inaugural tournament in 1987, is usually no-one but themselves.

History shows us that the All Blacks tend to peak mid-World Cup cycle, as they have done again this time, allowing England, Australia and South Africa to sweep through and steal the honours.

This time, however, things could be different.

This time, it seems, there is more than just sport at stake. This time, the men who don the all-black strip will have extra incentive to ‘bring home’ the ultimate rugby union prize.

The very fact they are hosting the tournament in their own back yard is bound to ensure chests will be significantly puffed and minds suitably focused.

However, the devastating events of February 22 in Christchurch, when 181 people died as the result of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, will undoubtedly serve as extra incentive to give their country something to cheer.

This proud nation would love nothing more than to succeed on home soil and to do it in memory of those who lost their lives. Ask most neutrals and, if pressed, they would probably agree that a Kiwi victory would offer up the ideal fairytale ending.

The destruction of Christchurch and its removal as a World Cup host city is still fresh in the minds of all living in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Victory would go some way to healing their pain.

However, this year, the hosts do not go into the tournament in their customary scintillating form, having lost the Tri-Nations series to Australia.

It is their close neighbours who are the form team going into the tournament... and very much the ones to beat.

Tri-Nations defeat may yet galvanise the mighty All Blacks, embolden a nation into believing that at long last the omens point to them fulfilling their promise of global domination – that it might be their ferociously-competitive captain Richie McCaw who is last man standing with the Webb Ellis Trophy in his hands in Auckland on October 23.

The flip-side, of course, is that a first Tri-Nations win in a decade will have heartened Australia.

The Wallabies are playing an exciting brand of rugby union. They know no other way than to go gung-ho, and whether they win or lose this seventh World Cup, they will certainly be the team to watch.

Robbie Deans has built a back division considered by many to be the most potent in the world.

Will Genia and Quade Cooper form a magical half-back combination, capable of conjuring an opening from nothing.

The back three of James O’Connor, Kurtley Beal and Digby Ioane are devastating strike runners, a combination of pace, power and audacious skill that can burn any defence.

“When the whistle blows we back them and trust them. We just strap ourselves in and enjoy the ride,” Deans once said. “I think we’re coming into a great era for rugby in Australia.”

For all the Wallabies’ breathtaking attacking promise, they do have an Achilles heel which England and New Zealand have exposed in the last year.

England beat Australia in Sydney and at Twickenham by dominating the scrum battle, limiting the time and space available to the Genia-Cooper axis and by not being afraid to match fire with attacking fire.

Not all challengers for the title arrive in New Zealand on song.

South Africa, the holders, are on their knees, struggling for the defiant form they showed four years ago. Concerns over the state and readiness of the South African team has resulted in a public outcry that has even reached government level.

France, though, travel in bullish mood. Captain Thierry Dusautoir said: “We are going there to get stuck into this competition, not to go sight-seeing. If we give the best of ourselves from beginning to end, we can seriously think about that title of world champion.”

Throw in the Argentines and a possible shock or two from the Welsh, Scottish or Samoan ranks and this promises to be an open tournament, a tournament that no matter what the result, is destined to tug on the emotions.

New Zealand is ready to host rugby union’s greatest show, it has started to rebuild from the agony of six months ago, now it is the team’s turn to play their part in the recovery.