New Zealand are raging favorites going into tomorrow's Rugby World Cup in France, but the host's home-soil advantage and a trio of imposing Australian players guarantee a compelling six-week spectacle at the sixth quadrennial tournament.

Perennial tournament favorite New Zealand boasts a squad of 30 players who would all arguably make the 22-man Test line-ups of other nations.

Since upset by trans-Tasman rivals Australia in the 2003 semifinal, New Zealand administrators and coaching personnel have crossed every 't' and dotted every 'i' to insulate the country from further disappointment by cultivating unprecedented depth.

Justifiably favorites among bookkeepers, New Zealand has won 38 matches from 43 Tests since current Australian captain Stirling Mortlock was instrumental in the 22-10 defeat that bundled the kiwis out of international rugby's fifth showpiece.

As one of the great winning streaks in world rugby, 2003 champions England enjoyed a similar purple patch following the 1999 World Cup, when Australia beat France in the final to win its second title.

This time around, freakishly talented New Zealand flyhalf Daniel Carter will be desperate to etch his name into rugby's pantheon after being the dominant No 10 for the past several years.

Surrounding him are punishing Samoan-born backrower Jerry Collins, a former Wellington garbageman, and blistering world-class speed in the legs of wingers Sitiveni Sivivatu and Joe Rokocoko.

But its line-up and success the past four year comes enormous pressure for players representing the sparsely populated land of the "long white cloud".

There, rugby fans have held great - perhaps unrealistic - expectations of their national side ever since captain David Kirk held aloft the William Webb Ellis trophy during the sport's amateur era at the inaugural tournament in 1987.

Before their opening encounter against Italy tomorrow, the All Blacks are determined to shake off the stigma of perennial chokers, which only grows with each failure to live up to Kirk's home-soil feat.

Defending champion England's chances took a dive this week when star flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson, who booted a field goal in the final seconds to beat hosts Australia in the 2003 final, was injured at training.

In the biggest story to emerge from the tournament thus far, Wilkinson sustained a right-ankle ligament strain - after an injury-prone four years - during a defensive training session on Tuesday.

England's chances depend heavily on Wilkinson's finesse with the ball in hand and off his foot, not to mention his courageous tackling in defense.

He will miss his team's opening match against USA tomorrow before being assessed for the match against South Africa next Friday.

The imminent retirement of 134-Test veteran George Gregan and his 101-Test halves partner Stephen Larkham will do much to inspire the Australian squad to clinch its third world championship.

"I've only worked with George Gregan for the past two years," Wallabies coach John Conolly recently wrote of his former captain, who debuted for the Wallabies back in 1993.

"But I'll say this: there hasn't been a more professional player I've coached in 25 years."

The 2007 titles also marks the last hurrah for Stephen Larkham, a warrior of the game who famously booted his first field goal in senior football from 40m out to help Australia advance from a semifinal against South Africa to its victory in the 1999 final.

But if the departure of these two mainstays can't inspire the Wallabies, than powerhouse captain Stirling Mortlock just might.

The robust center broke New Zealand's heart with a near length-of-the-filed intercept try in the 2003 semi and, after being handed the captaincy this year, cuts the steely figure of a man at the peak of his powers.

But tournament host France is, at longer odds, by far the best bet for punters enthusiastic about the "game they play in heaven".

Despite being in one of the trickier pools with Ireland and the uncompromising Argentina, France is a nation that will thrive on the passion the six-week tournament is sure to generate among home fans.

France's soccer side won homegrown glory in 1998 and the entire nation will be rooting for the tri-colors.

(China Daily 09/07/2007 page23)