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The un-Growden-like Gerry Collins ( not to be confused with Jerry Collins).
Finally we're ready for the World Cup
By Grandstand's Gerry Collins
It's almost with a sense of relief that we can now look forward to the Rugby World Cup.
After some farcical rugby internationals and controversial policies affecting major competitions like the Super 14, the moment has arrived.
There'll be no more playing ducks and drakes (although there will certainly still be some tinkering in the pool matches).
The event for which so much has been done and so many words have been spoken is finally ready to take centre stage.
Despite the extraordinary criticism in Australia of the weekend's Bledisloe Cup match, the Wallabies showed enough to their supporters to indicate that they are not without a chance of winning a third World Cup.
Did the many people who complained about there being only one try in the match happen to see what weather it was played in? We were told that Eden Park was a good draining ground and it obviously is but still we saw water splashing up as the players ran.
At times they were playing in pouring rain. You just don't expect to see many tries in such a situation. You can also expect that the All Blacks would be more used to such conditions than those from the sunburnt country.
Sure a World Cup semi-final in Paris in October might be played in rain and if both teams advance that far, New Zealand would have an advantage. Yet their dominance was not so convincing that you would expect them to win every match between the two nations.
Given different conditions, the Wallabies may have been closer still.
If we think back to 12 months ago, we were considering the All Blacks were in a different league from the Australians.
The Wallabies have come a long way in that time.
While you could argue that the New Zealanders have come back to the field somewhat, it may be more of a case of the field finally catching up with the tear-away leader.
Australia and South Africa have a big advantage over the northern hemisphere teams, in that they have been able to compare themselves in full Test conditions against the trend-setters.
Both have done enough to suggest that they could win on any given day against the All Blacks. But what of the host nation, France? What about Ireland, or the defending champions England?
They have the advantage of the World Cup being played in their territory.
Of course it is only early in their season but because it is very late in our rugby year, will that tell against the Southern hemisphere sides?
Will Graham Henry's decision to rest his players from Super 14 prove to be a master stroke?
And what happens to Australia if they lose any of Gregan, Larkham, Giteau or Mortlock? Have they had to rely too much on their veterans?
From September 7 these and many other questions will be answered. Some of the theories and plans are going to be seen as total failures. One head coach will be seen as very astute. That is the coach of the World Cup-winning team.
But which coach will that be?