Group C

Favourites: ENGLAND

What can I tell you that we don’t know already? They’re ranked No 1 in the world no matter how you look at it. First came successive home wins over New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Then came the long-awaited Six Nations Grand Slam. That was followed by seriously impressive wins in Wellington and, for the first time on Australian soil, Melbourne. The last warm-up saw France comprehensively taken apart at Twickenham. Awesome. But have we peaked too soon?

Captain: Martin Johnson is perhaps the scariest looking leader at this World Cup. He just lacks the bolt through the jaw. Don’t tell him I said that. Started life as a rugby player by impressing everyone in King’s County, New Zealand. Is now the darling of Leicester. He really believes he will be lifting the World Cup on November 22, but he won’t tell anyone.

Coach: Clive Woodward: Let’s say it again. He makes Duncan Fletcher and Sven Goran Eriksson looks like amateurs with his meticulous preparation. His proud boast: ”We’ve given this side every chance to win the World Cup.” Regular visits to the training camp in Bagshot suggest he’s done exactly that.

Prediction: They’ll crush South Africa, beat Wales in the quarters, edge France in the semis… but will fall just short against New Zealand in the final.

Second: SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa will throw everything at England in front of their ex-pat community in Perth. But it won’t be enough, as the 53-3 defeat at Twickenham last November showed. Riven by race-rows and coach Rudi Straueli’s bizarre outbursts, they remain outsiders but can’t possibly slip past New Zealand in the semi. WATCH OUT FOR: Comic captain Corne Krige, the one who tried to punch Matt Dawson at Twickenham but ended up concussing fellow Bok Andre Pretorius.

Third: SAMOA

And they’d be competing with South Africa for a quarter-final spot if they’d had the money to persuade all their players to travel Down Under. Quarter-finalists in 1991 and 1995, they even beat Wales at home in 1999. They’ll give England a reasonable run in Melbourne on October 26, but don’t expect miracles from a side who were beaten 40-14 by Ireland during the warm-ups. WATCH OUT FOR: Brian Lima, the legendary 32-year-old centre heading, like England’s Jason Leonard, for his fourth World Cup.

Fourth: GEORGIA

Georgia won’t win many games but they look likely to grab a couple of headlines. Their final warm-up match against Italy saw two sent off and three sin-binned. They claim to have been playing a form of rugby (‘Lelo Burti’) since the middle ages with the local Priest fulfilling the ref’s role. Now we know why. WATCH OUT FOR: Makho Urjukashvili, Georgia’s Jonny Wilkinson. He started life as a soccer sensation but his bad temper encouraged a shift to rugby.

Fifth: URUGUAY

England drew with them amid awful scenes on the way to World Cup glory in 1966. Shouldn’t have that sort of trouble this time around. Los Teros are hardly terrifying. Rugby was the national sport in Uruguay until they won the football World Cup in 1930. Reached rugby’s World Cup for the first time in 1999 and beat Canada and the US on the way to this one. WATCH OUT FOR: Uruguay’s first overseas pro, Pablo Lemoine, the former Bristol prop now with Stade Francais. At something close to 20st, he’s one of the heaviest in World Rugby. And he’s not even 6ft tall!