My predictions:
Group A:
1st: New Zealand, simply the greatest team in the world at the moment. The Boks have a strong scrum, but weak backs, the wallabies have the opposite, and the All Blacks seem to have the perfect balance. Look for a huge performance from the backline, let’s just face it, rugby’s changed, the Southern style has taken over!
2nd: France, always a threat, but just lack the ability to topple NZ, and will be lucky to get to the semis, let alone the final.
3rd: Japan, here’s where the WC gets really weak. Of the bad teams, Japan is the best, but they rate nowhere near teams like the ABs, Aus, SA or the Six Nations guys. 145-19 says it all, and that was before we got world class backs (Except for Lomu of course! haha)
4th: Canada, always getting better, but still not good enough to get near the qualifying spot. Canada won’t be hanging aboot for very long, but they’ll enjoy the ride.
5th: Tonga, I want to put them third, then I want to put them fourth, but I can’t see any wins from them this year. They seem the weakest of the PI nations, and without the eligibility changes, they’ll never live up to the rugby potential they have over there. Tis a shame how rugby is owned by about four teams at a time!
Group B:
England: Always a star at the WCs, lacklustre for much of the tournament and the four years in between, but when the Web Ellis Trophy is on the line, they come out firing, every time. No one picked them in 2007, 2003 was still a surprise, so just wait and see if the Brits can pull it off again, they were the first team to make it to 2 consecutive finals after all!
Argentina: Los Pumas are getting better every year! Still not England ready, but they’ll surprise ya! Argentina could still make the semis like last time, and the four nations will only help them improve their game. Look for a possible upset over the Roses!
Scotland: Ah, the proverbial pool of death. The Scots haven’t looked the same since the 70s when they wrangled out some ties over the mighty ABs, and the Pumas are too good. They’ll be spirited against their Isles rivals, but they’ll come up short in the match and short of the knockouts!
Georgia: I’m picking an upset over Romania. That’ll be cool, the Caucasus nation
hasn’t done much in rugby history, but they’re on the rise. I hope to see them again in 2015, only I hope that they come out better at every WC.
Romania: Last, can’t say much about them, but they just aren’t doing it for me, a heated battle against Georgia is all they’ll get before packing their bags!
Group C:
Australia: Easy group winners, you’d think, but Ireland have done weirder things before. Aussie’s average at best scrum will have to improve to help their awesome backline if they want to add trophy #3 to their name!
Ireland: I can see an upset over Australia. I can see it, but it won’t happen. I love Ireland at the moment, and I reckon they’ll win their pool by 2015, its on the rise again, and they’re playing some good rugby, just wait it out, Aus lost to Samoa, perhaps they’ll lose to the Leprechauns too!
Italy: Italian rugby has always been shoddy at best IMO. Don’t expect much, they’ll probably have to grind out wins over Russia and USA, but get thrashed by Aus and Ireland.
Russia: They’re better than the Eagles, I expect them to win the Cold War clash, and come fourth, nowhere near the quarters but they’ll come out happy by beating the USA.
USA: They’ll play some good rugby, and some nice fluent rugby, but it just isn’t gonna happen. Last place for this nation who likes to pass the ball forward instead of back!
Group D:
South Africa: The Boks are mighty, always some brilliant rugby from them here, they are contenders. Expect them to easily win their pool with some great rugby. But their downfall could come, don’t write off Samoa!
Samoa: Better than the rest, fast rugby, good rugby and they beat Aussie, give them credit, quarterfinal berth to them.
Wales: Sadly, the Welsh won’t make it this year. I love the Welsh, but they just aren’t good enough to make it through at this stage… 
Fiji: Played well against the All Blacks compared to their 90-0 demise last time, but they’re a sevens team. Don’t rate them much at all as a 15s team, early bow out, but they’ll at least beat Namibia.
Namibia: Simply Useless. What can I say. They go home winless and sad. I don’t like it happening to the bad nations, but that’s what happens at World Cups, the superpowers dominate. Their journey was just to get here, congratulations, now pack your bags back to Namibia!
Quarterfinals:
Australia over Samoa. Don’t write off Samoa though, Australia won’t, because it happened just this year, Samoa over Aussie!. But I reckon the Wallabies are too strong here.
England over France. England always pull it off here at this stage. France won’t stand a chance. UNLESS they pull of a 1999 like comeback! Not impossible, just in my eyes, unlikely.
South Africa over Ireland. I want the Irish to win, but it won’t happen, the Boks are just too good and too strong for the Irish. Maybe next time!
New Zealand over Argentina. We’ve never lost to them before, but its always been close. Home crowd will do it for the All Blacks though!
Semifinals:
New Zealand over South Africa. Our backline will just run riot again if the forwards play their cards right. Otherwise, South Africa will make me cry again! I still reckon NZ over SA though.
Australia over England. Payback for 2007. Aussie will win and set up the amazing trans tasman final! Chea! I think England will win, but I want Aussie to! haha
Final:
New Zealand over Australia. Deans’ luck will run out again as NZ become champions once more. I don’t see Aussie beating us if we get to here, it just doesn’t seem right in front of a home crowd and in the final. Last time we lost in Eden Park was in 1994. Last time we had a final at Eden Park, we easily won. Nuff said, history is on our side!
And that’s Michael’s view on the World Cup 2011!
