It’s not just because they are the hosts that France are one of the favourites for World Cup 2007. They always are regarded as a team capable of doing well in the competition, and if they hit their flamboyant best, they can beat anybody.

But they are in Pool D with two other teams from the world’s top six, and something has to give. Home advantage should help the hosts and it would be a major shock as well as a blow for the competition if they were not to make the quarter-finals.

They have lost twice in the final and have knocked out both Ireland and Argentina in the quarter-finals in the last three tournaments.

Coach Bernard Laporte is hoping to end his international career on a high, and if he can get his talented team to play to their potential he might just do it.

With their two most difficult Pool D games against Ireland and Argentina scheduled for the Stade de France, France will be difficult to beat in any game.

POOL MATCHES

Argentina in Paris, Sept 7

Namibia in Toulouse, Sept 16

Ireland in Paris, Sept 21

Georgia in Marseilles, Sept 30

Ireland probably have a better chance of doing well in the World Cup than any of the other home nations. Brian O’Driscoll leads a side packed with experience and talent which could go a long way in the competition.

The big game for them will possibly be against Argentina, who beat then 28-24 in a quarter-final play-off in 1999, but Ireland then won 16-15 in Adelaide in 2003. The match is the last in Pool D.

Ireland’s first two are against Namibia and Georgia, so they should have racked up two pretty easy wins without too many traumas before they take on France and then the Pumas.

Ireland lost their series in Argentina in June, but both sides were shorn of many of their top players for a variety of reasons and those results can’t be taken as any sort of reliable guide.

POOL MATCHES

Namibia in Bordeaux, Sept 9

Georgia in Bordeaux, Sept 15

France in Paris, Sept 21

Argentina in Paris, Sept 30

They are calling Pool D the pool of death, but it seems a bit over-dramatic because the chances of anybody needing a wooden box after any of the games are very remote.

However, with France and Ireland in it, life won’t be easy for Argentina and the other two teams in the group, Georgia and Namibia.

Like Ireland and France, the Pumas go into the competition as one of the top six sides in the IRB world rankings, so clearly something has got to give in Pool D

Utility back Juan Martin Hernández who wants to quit Stade Francais to play in the Guinness Premiership, feels the Pumas can reach the last four.

"Our World Cup will end with the last whistle of our last match, hopefully that will be as late in the tournament as possible. Every time people ask me how far we could go in the competition, I say ‘to the semi final’," Hernández said.
POOL MATCHES

France in Paris, Sept 7

Georgia in Lyon, Sept 11

Namibia in Marseilles, Sept 22

Ireland in Paris, Sept 30

Georgia were one of many teams who took part in the long drawn out qualifying process in Europe as they tried to improve their rating as one of the best teams outside the Six Nations.

After making their World Cup debuts in Australia in 2003, Georgia did it again by beating Spain 37-23 in finish second behind Romania in their qualifying group. They then beat Portugal 17-3 in Tbilisi and drew 11-11 in Lisbon to book their place in France.

They were also drawn in the same pool as Ireland Argentina in 2003, but it’s their match against Namibia they’ll be looking at to give them their first ever World Cup finals win.

They have met Namibia before, beating them 26-18 in the IRB Nations Cup in Romania in June, and they’ll be hoping to repeat that result now.

POOL MATCHES

Argentina in Lyon, Sept 11

Ireland in Bordeaux, Sept 15

Namibia in Lens, Sept 26

France in Marseilles, Sept 30

Namibia started their African qualifying campaign with an 82-12 win over Kenya, but then managed to lose for the first time ever to Kenya in the return match, the scoreline 30-26 in Nairobi.

Tunisia had meanwhile won twice before they played Namibia in the last match. Namibia were at home and they won 23-15 to go through to the African play-off final against Morocco. Namibia won the first leg 25-7 at home and did even better in Casablanca with a 27-8 result.

They’ll be looking at their final Pool D game, against Georgia, as the one that could give them a prized victory, but of course Georgia will be going into the game with exactly the same outlook, and even though there’s likely to be nothing at stake as far as the competition is concerned, it could be a cracker.

POOL MATCHES

Ireland in Bordeaux, Sept 9

France in Toulouse, Sept 16

Argentina in Marseilles, Sept 22

Georgia in Lens, Sept 26