By Country / New Zealand

The economy might be as stable as Dawn French walking the tight-rope, but the NZRU board has forecast a $7.5 million surplus for 2008.

Distributed in three bulk sums, the NZRU will immediately inject every union with a one-off bonus payment of at least $150,000 while the governing body will also provide sufficient cover of 75% expenditure for the limited role that All-Black players take part in the Air NZ Cup.

Plus! A $1 million support fund will be set up to assist unions with long-term structural changes.

Everything might’ve changed, what with modern day props able to outpace the amateur winger, but when you’ve scored L'Essai du Siècle (the try of the century) you are an expert when it comes to finishing.

Capped 69 times for France, 34 times as captain, Philippe Saint-Andre led the French to an unprecendented two Test wins over the All Blacks, in New Zealand in 1994.

So we’ve established his record speaks for itself, but who are his all-time top five wingers?

What a result! Get in! Back of the net! Cash-back. Yes all of these apply to Martin Johnson and his immediate reaction to the 2011 Rugby World Cup draw.

Displaced into sixth spot by the Welsh at the weekend, England would've happily handed them a promotion knowing they would be pooled with Argentina, Scotland and Tonga, thus avoiding the southern hemisphere's big three.

It's going to be mightily hard for Argentina to recreate the daydreaming standards from France but as long as Juan Martin Hernandez and the Lobbe brothers hang around, they'll still have plenty of ammunition.

And what of Scotland? 1987 all over again? Needless to say kicking sessions will double leading up to the tasty fixture against the auld enemy.

For beating Australia and saving an embarrassing southern hemisphere whitewash, Wales have been handed South Africa and 2007 demons, Fiji, with Samoa potentially to come. Ouch! Unfortunately my Welsh colleague's actual reaction cannot be printed for legal reasons.

Ireland will fancy their chances of navigating their way past Australia and Italy considering their ever-improving performances in New Zealand and topping the group could herald a World Cup best.

The whole of New Zealand will be rubbing their hands with delight at the prospect of opening the tournament against 2007 conquerors, France. What price Wayne Barnes' name appears on the team-sheet?

The full draw...

Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1
Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, Play-off Winner
Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2
Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1

Phew! Thank God that’s over. The chilly English autumn has passed and it won’t live long in the memory if the huge sighs of relief at Twickenham were anything to go by.

When Martin Johnson was given the keys to the England dressing room, there was a clean bill of fresh air around HQ, but after three punishing defeats against their southern hemisphere foes, the merky cloud hanging over the team and the quality of personnel making the important decisions upstairs shows no sign of shifting.

It would be rude to dwell on England’s autumn failures, especially with rugby royalty present. And the all-conquering All-Blacks justified their status as the sport’s kings with a second Grand Slam in three years whilst remarkably keeping their try-line in tact en route.

This might not be the best All-Black army of recent battles - the 2007 XV would even wage a war for that title – but as Graham Henry worryingly reminded some naïve English quarters, this All-Blacks machine is still developing.

A scary statement considering Martin Johnson and his coaching panel have hammered home the current ‘development’ phase at every given opportunity.

Yes they are young. Correct it has been the most brutal of lessons, but all four of the home nations have found their basic skills, tactical acumen and most importantly their discipline a distant second best.

Had the mesmerising skills of Dan Carter been functioning properly, another Twickenham record would’ve undoubtedly been shredded.

Carter missed five kicks at goal – two absolute sitters – that amounted to 13 points and with a little more precision at the final pass plenty would have followed.

English quartet, Lee Mears, James Haskell, Toby Flood and replacement Tom Rees, were all banished to the sin-bin under the strict stewardship of Allain Rolland.

Deserved? Mears and Rees were both mystified by their decisions while Flood could count himself desperately unlucky that the touchline judge didn’t show some sympathy, especially after dubiously missing a cheap-shot on Steve Borthwick from Brad Thorn in the first of several midfield scuffles.

All great teams are built on a mean defence and it doesn’t take a Woodward or a White to endorse the art. If South Africa showed resilience and guts by the bucket-load last weekend, the All-Blacks were equally as impressive.

Mils Muliana’s tap tackle on Nick Easter merely seconds after both teams had re-entered the fray was a crucial turning point and would’ve reduced the arrears to a single point.

Quickly followed by Flood’s ten-minute break, it summed up England’s autumn baptism, according to Johnson. Every time they barely got close to the try-line or commanding decent field position, petulance and poor decision-making scuppered any momentum.

Whether by fluke or stunning judgement a moment of magic did eventually arrive.

How apt it came via Dan Carter’s below-par boots. As he did for the game’s first try, Muliana was in the right place at the right time, gobbling up the genius’ jaw-dropping chip before Ma’a Nonu’s 50m dash completed the rout.

Even when he’s not at his best Carter can still conjure up a trick or two and that is the worrying benchmark that England must aspire too. Keeping possession would be a good place to start considering the first and third scores came from English chokes.

Martin Johnson claimed that England made New Zealand look average at times and was pleased with his troops all-round effort and strength of character but even a belated show of balls doesn’t win you Test matches let alone supporters.

This isn’t the X-Factor. It isn’t a popularity contest. Johnson might’ve been the fashionable choice as Team Manager but as soon as his employers realise that the Twickenham boos aren’t votes of confidence, we might start seeing some progress.

Widespread calls for England to adopt Martin Johnson's mould - not physically so to speak - hasn't stopped the red rose army soldering on with an ambitious style never seen before on these shores.

The fiercest critics say it's the arrogance of youth whereas softer souls will lean towards the regeneration of a once great rugby nation.

England and New Zealand couldn't be coming into Saturday's clash with more contrasting camps.

Yes a win is paramount, but New Zealand will fancy toppling South Africa's record Twickenham victory while Steve Borthwick and his bunch of merry men would probably take a performance and a try or two.

If New Zealand needed some soul-searching and team-building trips post-France 2007, then England's star-struck graduates will hope their journey out of the wilderness will begin with a passionate morale boosting performance against the world's best tomorrow.

England could learn a thing or two off the All-Blacks, whose path back to rugby riches seemed unlikely given 18 players packed their bags and boarded the money-train to Europe after a crushing world cup exit.

Barely out of second gear - just like the de-motivated Springboks were last weekend - the real fear revolves around Messrs McCaw and Carter sounding the alarm and romp full steam ahead.

England shout about creating a list of opportunities the size of a child's Christmas wish list but without executing these so-called patterns it counts for nowt.

Johnson and his Leicester cohorts, Graham Rowntree and John Wells, were all au-fait rule bending and while advocating such an awful act would be immoral, there's nothing wrong with a bit of gamesmanship.

Let's see Borthwick ranting in the ref's ear and Phil Vickery tugging at the shirts as if to say, 'bring it on!'

To get to New Zealand, you must get under their skin. Not through responding to the Haka or boasting about how they're going to compete for the full 80 minutes - by manning up.

England might be inexperienced but rugby is a simple game, complicated by overloading players with fancy plays, overzealous tactics and false hopes.

This weekend, England must smash into every last tackle as if their last junior years depended on it, keep their concentration and show that the shirt, more than the bling, is their gospel. Almost All-Black like.

England: 15 Delon Armitage, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Ugo Monye, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Michael Lipman, 6 James Haskell, 5 Nick Kennedy, 4 Steve Borthwick (c), 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Lee Mears, 1 Tim Payne.

Replacements: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Tom Croft, 19 Tom Rees, 20 Harry Ellis, 21 Danny Cipriani, 22 Dan Hipkiss.

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.

Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Kieran Read, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.