New Zealand seem to go into every Rugby World Cup as the bookies favourites in the outright betting odds to win it but more often than not they seem to come undone in the when expected to go all the way. This time though the All Blacks are on home soil and will take all the beating, they have proven themselves as the best team in the world over the past couple of years and will need to back that up when it really matters at the Rugby World Cup.

New Zealand will go into the 2011 Rugby World Cup betting as the hot favourites with the bookmakers to end a World Cup drought that has lasted since 1997, time and time again they have flattered to deceive on the world stage and there will be one or two waiting for them to slip up once again.

The New Zealand Rugby World Cup team will be hugely strong with the team being led by the brilliant Dan Carter who has turned himself into the best player in the world over the past five years. Carter barely misses a kick when on form as well as dictating the tempo of the play for the All Blacks; if he arrives at the tournament on top form then New Zealand team will be hugely difficult to beat especially with home support behind them.

As well as Carter the All Blacks will look towards Richie McCaw who as Captain will be leading from the front as he has done for many years now, he has developed into the best back-rower in the World and on his day can destroy any team. McCaw will lead out the All Blacks in Pool A where apart from a tough looking fixture against France they should have no problem making it through to the last eight.

Australia has a great record in the World Cup having won it in 1991 and again in 1999 and only coming out second best to England in 2003. What separates the Wallabies from all the other Rugby nations is that they know how to get the job done when under pressure whether or not they have the best team at their disposal. The Aussies are developing an excellent young team and will make the short journey to New Zealand in good form and hopeful of having a big tournament.

Australia beat England in a tight game in 1991 and put France in their place in 1999 and lost out to England in a fantastic game in the 2003 final. Some of Australia's Rugby World Cup greats are the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, David Campese and Michael Lynagh and it will be hoped that one or two of the 2011 squad will be able to add their names to that illustrious list. Robbie Deans has been quietly developing an exciting young back line and they are more than capable of cutting any defence to shreds if they are on their best form.

Australia have often lived in the shadows of New Zealand over recent years but slowly they have shown they are able to beat the All Blacks with their attacking and exciting brand of rugby. The Aussies are always dangerous in the big games and having been drawn in Pool C they should have every chance of making serene progress through to the knock-out stages of the tournament.

The Aussies will be relying on the likes of James O'Connor and Quade Cooper to spark the attacking play and if they arrive in New Zealand on form they will lead the Australians towards the latter stages of the Rugby World Cup. The Australians have been drawn in Pool C for the tournament where they will face a stiff test from Ireland in particular, outside of that match they should have no problems in qualifying and are likely to head into the last eight in fine fettle.

One of the most memorable images in Rugby World Cup history was South Africa winning their first Rugby World Cup in 1995 and of course it was even more special that it was in South Africa and Nelson Mandela was there in his South Africa Rugby shirt to hand over the trophy to Springbok captain Francois Pienaar. The South Africans then added to that achievment with another World Cup victory in France in 2007, they were simply the best team in the tournament last time and will be hoping to put up a strong defence of their trophy.

South Africa are one of the strongest Rugby nations in the World Cup Betting Odds and the country has a great history of Rugby and they will be very keen to add a third Rugby World Cup in 2011. Whether they will be able to do that is of course another matter as they have slipped from their position as the best team in the world over the past couple of years, they have struggled slightly in the Tri Nations against the All Blacks and they will need to improve if they are to claim a third victory.

The South Africans can still boast a hugely talented team with the likes of Bryan Habana and Victor Matfield still at the peak of their powers, Habana made a name for himself at the last World Cup and he remains one of the most potent wingers in world rugby. Habana will once again be featuring in the Rugby World Cup Top Tryscorer Odds which is a market that he came out on top of at the 2007 tournament.

South Africa have been drawn in Pool D of the World Cup along with Wales who are likely to pose the biggest threat to them, they are the clear favourites in Pool D Betting and will be expected to comfortably qualify for the last eight where they will face the runners-up in Pool C.

England have an illustrious history in Rugby World Cups and will go into the 2011 tournament hoping to write another chapter in their history, their finest hour of course came back in 2003 when they won the Rugby World Cup in Australia. They went through a spell in the build up to that tournament as the top side in the world and they proved they can play well when favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy Down Under. Following that success in 2003, the England team went through a period of transition as they tried to build ont hat success and they have so far struggled to match that great team of 2003.

England have still had their successes since 2003, most notably when they went all the way to the World Cup Final in 2007 when most gave them no chance, Brian Ashton managed to utilise the teams strengths and they showed they relish playing on the big stage. It was not to be back-to-back victories though for England as they went down fighting against South Africa at the Stade De France. Despite reaching the Final, England were criticised for their style of play and that is something that new Coach Martin Johnson has been trying to improve in the build up to the 2011 tournament.

Martin Johnson took over as Head Coach of the England Team in July 2008 and for a long time he struggled in his first Management role, the World Cup winning captain was given the backing of the RFU and finally the fortunes of the team seem to be turning. In recent months there have been some encouraging signs for England with some young players beginning to show their potential as some good results to their name. England beat Australia both home and away in 2010 through expansive running rugby to the delight of their fans.

England are not at the level they were in 2003 and that is reflected in their latest odds for the World Cup but they do look to be building slowly in the right direction, young players like Ben Youngs, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden have had a big impact and could make a real name for themselves in New Zealand. If they do fire then England will go along way in New Zealand and could just prove to be the top team from the Northern Hemisphere heading south for the World Cup. England are the favourites in Pool B to progress top to the last eight of the World Cup, they face Argentina and Scotland but should prove too strong both of those teams if on form.

France have flattered to deceive in previous Rugby World Cup Odds having been runner up on two occasions and reached the semi finals on another three occasions. Many expected them to win last time on home soil but they were dumped out by England in the Semi-Finals, it is a distinct possibility that the two northern hemisphere rivals could meet in the last eight at the 2011 World Cup and that would be a crunch game for the French.

Traditionally the French play the beautiful game however under the guidance of Marc Lièvremont they havet tries to add more discipline to their inevitable flair and if they can they have to be serious contenders in the 2011 Rugby World Cup betting, as they aim to be the second Northern Hemisphere team to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy. They have often flattered to deceive on the big stage and will be hoping to finally realise their potential in New Zealand, they have been given a tough draw through as they join the All Blacks in Pool A

France are perhaps the most easy on the eye team in the world with their brilliant flowing rugby a match for any other team in the World Cup, there problem has been with discipline and managing to win under pressure in the big matches that count. The French were highly impressive in the Six Nations in 2009 as they swept all before them to claim another Grand Slam, they proved then they were the cream of the crop in the northern hemisphere. If they can maintain that form through until the 2011 World Cup they will have every chance of going into the latter stages of the tournament and perhaps even winning the Webb Ellis Trophy for the first time.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be hugely interesting for the Irish Team as they look to finally make it beyond the Quarter-Finals for the first time, on occasion the Irish are a match for any team in the world but they are likely to fall just short in the big matches. They have plenty of talent in their squad and will be the subject of plenty of money from patriotic punters both in the build up to the tournament and right throughout the matches in New Zealand.

Ireland have been drawn alongside the likes of Australia and Italy in Pool C but they will be expected to make it through to the last eight, the match against Australia will be the big one for them as they look to take on and beat one of the favourites for the tournament. The Irish have come up short a number of times against the southern hemisphere teams and that will be something they will need to put that right at the 2011 Tournament.

In Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell, Ireland have two players of the highest quality they will be hoping will lead them to a successful tournament, both players are former Captains of the British and Irish Lions and they will need all of that experience once again in 2011. O'Driscoll has been the talisman for the Irish for many years now and although he may be slightly past his best he still has the ability to turn a game and inspire his team mates

There are no more enthusiastic supporters than the Welsh and if you have never been to the Millennium Stadium to hear the atmosphere and the Welsh sing their way through each game. Wales in recent years have gone back to their adventurous best of the 70's and this has really brought their rugby right back to World Class level and they have done really well in recent seasons and with the likes of Gavin Henson and Shane Williams the Welsh may cause a few surprises in the 2011 Rugby World Cup Betting Odds.

Wales have had good seasons mixed in with average ones over the past few years with Grand Slam triumphs in 2005 and 2008 the high points, if they can regain that fantastic form then they will be a team to follow in New Zealand. However, they have also shown that they can produce some disappointing performances on the big stage; they have failed to reach the Semi-Finals of the Rugby World Cup since 1987 with the Quarter-Finals the stage where they normally fall.

The welsh have plenty of talent in their ranks for the tournament with the likes of James Hook, Ryan Jones and Jamie Roberts three of the star names in the squad, they will all be hoping to be fit and on form when Wales take on South Africa in the crucial game in Pool D. Wales will want to put on a big show for the world when they take on the defending Champions in Wellington, they will believe they can win that game and although they will be underdogs they should not be ignored by punters.

Wales are of course coached by Warren Gatland who will be taking the team back to his native New Zealand, he has proven to be an outstanding coach and will be eager to impress the fans both in Wales and in New Zealand.

The Argentineans have made big improvements in recent seasons and head into the 2011 Rugby World Cup full of optimism and excitement, they shocked the rugby world in 2007 when they went all the way to the Semi-Finals and their fans will be hoping they can repeat the trick in 2011. Los Pumas are the newest team to the top table of rugby and they have proven they are more than a match for any of the big rugby playing nations, they will want to continue that upward curve at the World Cup before they join the Tri Nations in 2012.

The Argentineans were drawn as top seeds in Pool B following their performance four years ago but there is just some feeling that they have actually gone backwards over the past couple of years. They are joined by Group favourites England as well as Scotland who defeated the Pumas both home and away in Pool B with only two teams going through to the last eight. The clash between Argentina and Scotland will be one to savour with both teams likely to know that a defeat could quite easily see them head home early.

One or two of their star names have now retired but there is still plenty of talent in the Argentina Squad at the moment, the key man for the Pumas is of course Felipe Contepomi who will be in at fly-half and charged with leading the side on the pitch.

The best Scotland have managed in the five previous World Cups was in 1991 when they reached the semi finals. In recent years they have been very lack lustre and are likely to struggle once again against the bigger nations. The Scots always play with plenty of passion but in recent years the quality has been lacking from the squad and they face an uphill task if they are to make an impression at this World Cup.

Scotland have had one or two decent wins over recent months under Andy Robinson, the most notable performances were two wins home and away against Argentina, they will need to replicate that success against the Pumas in New Zealand as they both find themselves in Pool B. England also lie in wait for Scotland and with only two teams going through the game between Scotland and Argentina is likely to be absolutely crucial for both teams chances of going into the last eight.

There is no doubt that the Scots have improved under Robinson and they will need to continue that upward curve in the build up to the Rugby World Cup, all of their better players will need to be fit and on form while their usual passion will need to be utilised. The key men for Scotland at the World Cup will be the likes of Captain Mike Blair and fly-half Dan Parks who will of course be under plenty of pressure to dictate the tempo of play for the Scots.

Samoa are one of the three Pacific Island teams along with Tonga and Fiji but they have proven to be as equally as strong as those nations over recent times, they have a hugely powerful team and will head to the 2011 Rugby World Cup with hopes of qualifying for the last eight of the tournament. They will face a very difficult task to achieve that though after being drawn in Pool D, which most believe is the toughest of the four sections.

New Zealand and Samoa have a very close link in rugby with several Samoan born players playing for the All Blacks and a few have gone the other way, Samoa would obviously love to hold onto a couple of those players that understandably jump at the chance to play for New Zealand. They still manage to be competitive though as they showed to qualify for the 2011 tournament with a thumping win over Papua New Guinea back in 2009 over two legs.

Samoa face Australia, Wales, Fiji and Namibia in Pool D in New Zealand with only two spots available for qualification it is hard to see Samoa making any real in roads, the game against Fiji will be a huge one for Samoa as they look to gain bragging rights against their local rivals. That will be one for Samoa to work towards while the games against Australia and Wales will be played in more hope than expectation; they are likely to need to win one of those games if they have designs on qualification.

Fiji tend to be every one's second team in world rugby and they will be out to win over the fans once again at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, they are more known as a force in Sevens Rugby but they are trying their best to be competitive in thr 15 man format as well. They showed in 2007 that they should never be underestimated when they went all the way to the Quarter-Finals after beating Wales in a classic group match. It was a real breakthrough for the Fijian team and they will be hoping to achieve something similar in New Zealand.

The problem for Fiji and the other Pacific Island Teams is the fact that they keep losing players to their bigger rivals in New Zealand and Australia, Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu re just two examples of Fijian born players playing for New Zealand after growing up there. With that in mind it is too much to expect the Fiji team to have too much success at this level, they will however always be competitive with the aim of causing an upset or two along the way.

Fiji find themselves in a tough section with South Africa, Wales and Tonga all joining them in Pool D in New Zealand, they will know that the matches against Tonga and Wales will be the key ones for their chances. The game against Wales will bring back memories from the 2007 World Cup and they will be dreaming of a repeat this time around, in truth though Fiji face an uphill task if they are to move into the last eight of the tournament.

Fiji do have plenty of players that play in Europe as well as New Zealand and Australia with the likes of Deacon Manu and Wame Lewaravu likely to be two of the key men for the team at the World Cup.

Italy are still an emerging rugby nation but they will want to put on a decent performance in New Zealand in 2011, the Italians have been in the Six Nations for ten years now so are used to top class competition on a regular basis. However, the team have failed to really make an imprint against the bigger nations and once again will find it hard to qualify for the last eight of the Rugby World Cup.

When Italy were first allowed into the Six Nations tournament it was hoped they would evolve into a world class side, that has failed to materialise and they have only managed the odd win here and there against their Northern Hemisphere rivals. That will be a worry for their fans at the World Cup as they have been drawn in a tough looking Pool C, they will face the might of Australia and Ireland among others as they look to record an upset or two.

The Italians do have one or two nice players in their ranks with a good blend of experience and youth hoping to impress, the Bergamasco brothers are a main stay of the team and Coach Nick Mallett will be hoping they are fit for the tournament. Sergio Parisse will be the Captain for the team fitness depending and he is without doubt a world class number 8 for both club and country.

Tonga are another of the powerful Pacific Nations and they will once again head to a Rugby World Cup full of hope and aiming to upset a couple of the bigger nations, they are not one of the top teams in rugby but on their day can run even the best nations close. They have been drawn in Pool A alongside New Zealand and France so do face an uphill task to qualify for the knock-out stages of the tournament, they will be more than competitive though and the two group favourites will need to be wary of a potential banana skin.

Tonga face the same problems as all the other small Pacific Islands and that is that they tend to lose their best players to New Zealand, often players are born in Tonga but after growing up in New Zealand they end up plying their trade for the mighty All Blacks. The most famous of these players is of course Jonah Lomu is a legend of the game and from Tongan descent.

Tonga do have one or two notable players in their ranks and they will be hoping to play a big part for the Island in New Zealand, the key for the side is to get as many players as possible playing in New Zealand or in Europe as they look to bolster the quality of the National team. Joshua Afu is one that plays in England with the Newcastle Falcons while in France we see Manu Ahotaeiloa take to the field for top side Toulouse. They amongst others will be key to their chances of being competitive as they simply do not have the strength in depth needed to compete at the very highest level.

Tonga will fancy their chances of beating both Canada and Japan in Pool A at the World Cup but if they are to qualify for the last eight they will need to somehow win a match against either New Zealand or France. That is likely to prove too much for them but they deserve their place in the tournament and will be hoping to cause a big stir once again on the International stage.

Canada are one of the minnows of World Rugby and will head to New Zealand in 2011 with very little chance of qualifying for the last eight, they are regulars at the World Cup now but they lack the strength in depth of the bigger and more traditional rugby playing nations. The Canadians have been drawn in Pool A alongside the likes of New Zealand, France and Tonga in games they will be looking to be competitive in while their game against Japan will be the one they have targeted to win.

the greatest moment in the history of Canadian Rugby was their appearance in the Quarter-Finals of the Rugby World Cup in 1991, they will however struggle to repeat that anytime soon with the other nations so much stronger. They have proven to be the best team in North America as they showed when defeating the United States in a play-off to reach the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The Canadians do have one or two players who ply their trade in the big leagues with Matt Evans playing for the Newport Gwent Dragons and Kevin Tkachuk who plays for the Glasgow Warriors. They will need to rely on their experienced players if they are to have any chance at all but as the latest betting suggests they have very little chance of making an impression on the tournament.

As we know Rugby is not a major sport in the United States but it does retain a certain amount of popularity which ensures as a nation they nearly always qualify for the Rugby World Cup. The same can be said of 2011 with the Eagles set to head to New Zealand with hopes of making their mark in a tough Pool C alongside Australia, Ireland, Italy and Russia.

In truth, the Americans will have a major task on their hands if they are to have any chance at all of qualifying for the last eight with the game against Russia likely to be the target for the team. They will believe that they can beat the Russians while putting up a decent performance against the Italians, if they manage to do that they will be considered to have had a successful tournament in New Zealand.

The United States team are coached by Eddie O'Sullivan who is more famous for coaching his native Ireland team between 2001 and 2008, he had mixed success in that role but the Eagles of America will be hoping his cast experience will help them in New Zealand. As well as the Coach the United States does have a number of players who play in Europe who will be key to their chances of success. In particular, the USA will be looking towards the likes of Mike Petri and Hayden Smith among others who both ply their trades in the Guinness Premiership in England.

The bookmakers make the United States as one of the rank outsiders in the outright World Cup market and that is about right as they face a mammoth task to even win one game in Pool C.

Japan are traditionally the strongest Rugby team in Asia and will once again head to the World Cup full of hope of achieving one or two upsets, they find themselves in a very tough group and will need to be at their very best to have any chance of claiming a win in New Zealand. The Japanese find themselves in Pool A alongside the likes of France, Tonga, Canada and the hosts New Zealand, they will specifically be targeting the game against Canada as the one they want to win while they are likely to struggle elsewhere.

Japan have struggle at past Rugby World Cups although they did pick up a famous win against Scotland at the 1989 World Cup, while they managed a hard fought draw with the Canadians at the at the 2007 tournament. The vast majority of the Japanese squad play their domestic Rugby on home soil which does mean that they struggle on the big stage such as the World Cup.

Japan are under pressure as a nation to improve as soon as possible with Japan hosting the 2019 world cup on their own soil, they will need to show that they are competitive and that process starts at the 2011 tournament in New Zealand. The bookmakers though are giving Japan next to no chance and that is reflected in the latest betting, Japan will want to prove them wrong though and will be hoping to make a big impression down under.

The Russian Team is not known as a rugby super power and they will find it tough to compete at the World Cup, this is the first time ever that the Russians have played in a Rugby World Cup and they will surely be using it as a learning experience. They are an improving side as they have shown by qualifying for the tournament but they will do well to register a win in New Zealand having been drawn in a tough looking Pool C.

Russian Rugby is at an all time high at the moment having sealed qualification for the tournament with a play-off match against Romania, they are now ranked in the top 20 in the world by the IRB and will be hoping to continue that upward curve. In truth though, they are a long way off of being competitive in this company and the game against the United States offers them their only realistic chance of a win in Pool C. The other three games against Italy, Ireland and Australia will be tough for a squad that only plays domestic rugby in Russia, that lack of experience will mean they will struggle for the foreseeable future despite their obvious improvements over the past couple of years.

The latest betting for the World Cup shows that Russia have no chance of going all the way and punters are well advised to steer clear of them, they lack the strength-in-depth of the bigger nations and are more than likely to head back home after the tournament with no points to their name.

Georgia are of course one of the smaller rugby playing nations but they have managed to qualify for the last two World Cups as well as securing their passage through to the 2011 tournament in New Zealand. Their biggest success was a 30-0 victory over Namibia in 2007 and they will be hoping to get another win on the board in 2011, they will struggle beyond that but they will be aiming to make themselves tough to beat in Pool B as they play Argentina, England and Scotland.

The general feeling is that Georgia are the seventh best team in Europe after the main Six Nations teams and that is an impressive achievement for a nation as small as Georgia. They have backed that up by qualifying for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in some style, which proves they are improving gradually but it is hard to see them ever joining the Six Nations teams each year.

Georgia benefit from the majority of their squad playing in France for some of the top teams in the country, Davit Zirakashvili plays for Clermont while Davit Khinchagishvili plys his trade for Brive and both of them will need to be at their best for Georgia in New Zealand. The bookmakers believe that Georgia have next to no hope of qualifying and it is impossible to argue with based on their squad, they will be hoping to register a victory down under whilst knowing that being in the top two is beyond them at this stage.

Romania have played in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. Romania has been confirmed as the 20th and final team to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) after defeating Uruguay in the second leg of the last qualifying round in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. Romania won 39-12 in a winner take all final match at Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf. This followed the exciting drawn first leg encounter in Montevideo on November 13 when the home team came from behind to snatch a draw. Romania has now qualified for all seven Tournaments. As Play-off Winner they will compete in Pool B against England, Argentina, Scotland and Georgia.

Namibia are an emerging Rugby nation in Africa having qualified for every Rugby World Cup since 1999, they have once again booked their place for the 2011 tournament and will be hoping to make their mark on the game. They do face a tough task though having been drawn in Pool D alongside Wales, Fiji, South Africa and Samoa, they will find it tough to register a victory against that kind of opposition with the top two going through to the last eight.

The problem that Namibia will have is that they lack the experience needed to compete at this level with almost all of their squad playing in the domestic league in Namibia, their only real name of note is Jacques Burger who currently plays for Saracens in the Guinness Premiership. Burger will need to lead the team from the front in New Zealand if they are to have any chance of even being competitive during the tournament.

The bookmakers are giving Namibia next no chance of having a good tournament and it is impossible to argue with that assessment, they lack the quality to compete at this level and will struggle to avoid heavy defeats. They are the team that holds the record for the biggest defeat in World Cup history after they lost 142-0 to Australia at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.