New Zealand coach Graham Henry and captain Richie McCaw reflect on their quarter-final exit from RWC'07
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In the latest instalment of their series on the state of rugby in New Zealand, the New Zealand Herald publishes the results of a poll that surveyed opinion on who will win RWC'11.
"Kiwis are confident that, 24 years on from their last World Cup triumph, the All Blacks will win on home turf, according to an nzherald.co.nz poll. Of 600 people questioned, 59 per cent picked the home side to win the final at Eden Park next year.
"The next closest team picked to take top honours was South Africa, a long way behind on 17 per cent. No other team inspires much fear in the New Zealand public it would appear - just 5.3 per cent thought Australia would win, 3.9 per cent England and 3 per cent France.
"Social psychologist Professor Graham Vaughan said the result could be a mixture of patriotism and a belief in the home ground advantage. Prof Vaughan said he recalls similar enthusiasm about an All Black victory in the lead up to the 1995, 1999, and 2003 World Cups, none of which materialised."
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