Woodward: ABs prospects will plummet if they meet England

The All Blacks are certainties to make the World Cup final, but their prospects will plummet should they meet England in the decider at Twickenham.

So says England's 2003 World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward, who claimed last week that referee Craig Joubert was the main reason the All Blacks won the 2011 final at Eden Park.

Woodward, writing in the Daily Mail, said: "England (won't) be playing New Zealand until the final. The experienced All Blacks team under Steve Hansen are as close to bankers for the final as you can have in the World Cup but they are not unbeatable and the perfect time for England to meet them would be in the final when they could be at the most vulnerable."

Woodward rates Ireland's Johnny Sexton as the world's best No. 10, saying Dan Carter's peak had long gone.

Woodward said: "Dan Carter produced the best display I've ever seen from a 10 against the Lions in 2005, and one of the worst I've seen from a New Zealand player in 2012. Fit and determined, I fancy we'll see an older, slightly slower, but wiser version of Carter circa 2005."