Former All Blacks captain Zinzan Brooke is already talking up a New Zealand and England Rugby World Cup semi-final before the quarter-finals take place this weekend.
Speaking to Rugby Paper the former All Black seems to have skipped past New Zealand’s clash with Ireland and England’s game with Australia.
“I do fear the England semifinal. If the two teams do meet, which I expect them to, it could come down to a toss of the coin on the day. Top sport is about close margins and I can’t see much between them. I’d like to say ‘yes, New Zealand are going to win’ but I don’t confidently see it that way,” he said.
Although he doesn’t seem to see much between his former side and England it seems as though he thinks so little of Ireland and the Wallabies that he doesn’t have to talk about their chances.
Ireland have had a mixed tournament so far but considering they have won two of the three previous meetings against New Zealand it would be foolish to write them off.
While the Wallabies and England have faced one another six times in World Cup history with both winning three tests each meaning it could be a closer game than he expects.
England take on the Wallabies early on Saturday morning with the All Blacks facing Ireland following that game and although England and New Zealand are the favourites for their respective matches it seems a big assumption to throw their opponents chances under the bus before they have even kicked off.
