Only eight days away from the opening game now - France v Argentina at the Stade de France - and nine from England's first match in Lens against the mighty USA, with the All Blacks and Australia also in action next Saturday. I have tickets for all of England's first round games (USA, South Africa, Samoa and Tonga) which come up each weekend in September and am looking forward to them immensely - especially South Africa at the Stade de France. Is anyone else following this event, or perhaps coming to France for some of the fun?

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Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

I'll certainly be following the event; even if England's chances of retaining the title look slim to none... Still, stranger things have happened, like Jonny Wilkinson playing a full eighty minutes. If the USA pull off a shock in the first match, well... things will be looking bleak.

In terms of my predictions to win; you can't really look beyond the big three of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. I won't make a definite prediction just yet though.

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna

I will: New Zealand to win.

The only N hemisphere team with a chance: Ireland. But I'd check the prices before chancing an each-way bet on them.

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Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

If NZ don't win I can tell you Graham Henry (all blacks coach) will be hung drawn and quatered on his return to the country after three years of resting, rotatiting and reconditioning players to the detriment of all other rugby in NZ.

Atill I only rate them a 60% chance with SA the next most likely side.

I will be watching the NPC instead as I'm pretty sure the quality of rugby on show will be poor. Certainly, international rugby over the past year has been pretty disappointing.

I'll be watching David Smith smash through NPC defences for a few weeks yet, I reckon. Much more exciting. Hopefully, Waikato can retain the Ranfurly Shield against Canterbury as I'm going up to watch the Mooloos take on Wellington in a couple of weeks time.

I'm going to the game on Saturday Andy, I'm hoping Waikato win but I wont be too crushed if they lose because that means Auckland get a shield challenge at the end of the round robin.

There's going to be a lot of WC cups not worth watching but come knockout time the interest (and excitement) levels will pick up.

I thought you'd be supporting Thames Valley, mate

Is David Smith playing for the Blues next year? I'd love another season of him down at the Westpac - he's a real talent that guy. Such acceleration for one so big.

Yeah but Thames Valley are rubbish, any team whose first choice front row is unavailable because of farming commitments is going to struggle.

I've only been in Thames about 10 months as opposed to 21 years in Auckland and having most of my family (includign my parents for the last five years) living in and around Hamilton.

Yeah... I guessed as much; hence the 'winky' smiley. Thames Valley sprung a pretty big surprise a couple of weeks back though... Did they beat Wanganui or something?

Might be visiting Thames when I come up to watch Waikato vs Wellington. What is there to do around the Coromandel/Bay of Plenty for a bunch of 20-something guys on a road trip? Might buy you a pint if we make it as far North as Thames.

No pressure at all on England, they are not expected to do anything - anything can happen in a week.

After all the England cricket side are leading the India cricket side the the current one day series, to keep on that drift - I give the England rugger side more chance in the Rugby World Cup 2007 , than the England cricket side getting anything in Sri Lanka.

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Ern