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Yeah yeah, it's Campo mouthing of again etc etc however, I have been actually quite surprised at just how many Kiwi's over at the mind are genuinely concerned that the AB's are lining up to choke yet again!
The soft Pool matches has been the main concern, but generally the wobbly knees have already started.
We have got Kiwis running scared
Comment by David Campese
September 21, 2007
THE Kiwis are worried about an Australia revival. I know it's true because one of the greatest All Black forwards in recent memory confided his fears to me earlier this week.
Zinzan Brooke, the gifted No.8 who played in some sensational New Zealand teams, has been working with me for South African TV covering the World Cup in France.
We were discussing the Wallabies' two opening wins and the All Blacks' training runs against Italy and Portugal.
Zinzan had this worried look on his face and said, at this stage in the World Cup, he would have to think the Wallabies will beat the Kiwis if, or rather when, the two arch rivals meet in the semi-final.
It is not that Zinny has lost faith in the All Blacks. What worried the hell out of him is the lack of competition they are getting on the way to the knockout stages.
Scotland are ready to send a second string team in against them and the only other match the New Zealanders will play before the quarter-final is another certain one-sided affair against Romania.
It was part of their problem in 1999 and, to a lesser extent, in 2003.
They charge through the pool stage like some invincible rugby force. But when the pressure comes on at the business end, they have not had the tough preparation to cope with the good sides in a sudden death game.
Compare that to what the Wallabies faced at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff against Wales. They were never going to lose that game but they did face some heat in the second half.
The Welsh fought back, Australia lost two guys to the sin bin, and they had to dig deep in defence to prevent the boyos getting more than two tries.
While the Wallabies were a bit annoyed at how they let the Welsh back into the game after leading 25-3 at halftime, it might just do them a power of good to have faced that second-half challenge.
But if Zinzan is worried about the Wallabies, he and his Kiwi mates might also be feeling a little uncomfortable about the prospect of the All Blacks meeting France in the quarter-final.
On their form so far, I can't see the French posing any serious problems for New Zealand. They did a lap of honour after flogging Namibia. But please.
They beat a minnow that was reduced to 14 men midway through the first half and still didn't crack a three-figure score.
The French are still in trouble. That was not a performance to suggest they are going to challenge the three big southern hemisphere sides.
Winning a World Cup is a mental process more than anything. There is nothing more you can do physically once you arrive for the tournament.
What you need to work on is your discipline and being in the right frame of mind when game day arrives.
The Australians are doing that quite nicely at the moment. What they don't need now is any more injuries
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