KEY POINTS:
The 2003 World Cup belonged to Jonny Wilkinson but this autumn only injury looks capable of preventing New Zealand sensation Dan Carter from cementing his place as rugby's finest Test fly-half.
Here PA Sport analyses the fly-halves expected to shine in France and selects a pecking order for rugby's glamour position.
DAN CARTER, NEW ZEALAND
The complete fly-half who is head and shoulders above the competition, Carter's stunning displays against the Lions in 2005 really made the rugby world sit up and take notice.
Later that same year, at the age of 23, the Crusaders star was crowned International Rugby Board Player of the Year and he has continued to put
distance between himself and his rivals.
Carter made his debut at inside centre in 2003 and, being deceptively strong with explosive pace, he continues to show his midfield qualities as a playmaker.
But it is as a tactician that he really excels, exuding calm authority under pressure and rarely taking the wrong option. The 25 year old is also a master kicker.
RONAN O'GARA, IRELAND
Carter may be the undoubted number one, but there is plenty of competition vying for second place.
O'Gara just edges the chasing pack, although a slow start to the World Cup and he could easily find his position usurped by the likes of Stephen Larkham or Felipe Contepomi.
The Munster fly-half has become a key player for Ireland - possibly their most irreplaceable given the lack of cover in his position.
O'Gara's prodigious boot has always served him well, but it is his attacking game that has seen the biggest improvement with the 30 year
old the catalyst that sets Ireland's dazzling backline in motion.
Accusations of a suspect temperament have yet to be fully dispelled but with pivotal pool games against France and Argentina coming up, he has the chance to silence his critics once and for all.
FELIPE CONTEPOMI, ARGENTINA
Last year Argentina skipper Agustin Pichot claimed Contepomi was better than Carter and when the Pumas outside-half is firing, he may be right.
Contepomi is unstoppable on his day with a string of man-of-the-match displays sometimes single-handedly winning games for Bristol, Leinster or Argentina.
A star turn in Leinster's seismic 41-35 Heineken Cup quarter-final upset over Toulouse last year underlined his individual brilliance, and he is an ever-reliable goalkicker too.
But critics would point to his no-show against Munster in the European semi at Lansdowne Road that same year - when O'Gara came out on top - as proof he can be flaky.
STEPHEN LARKHAM, AUSTRALIA
Larkham has been campaigning for over a decade at Test level and there are few more dangerous playmakers.
The Brumbies back loves to stand flat and take the ball into the line, using soft handling skills to put his team-mates into gaps or opening holes for himself.
Few possess his vision or threat as an attacking kicker, but the 33-year-old - who is due to retire at the end of the World Cup - is not without his faults.
His slight frame does not serve him well in the rough and tumble of Test rugby and he is worringly injury-prone, forcing the Wallabies to wrap him up in cotton wool whenever possible.
JONNY WILKINSON, ENGLAND
English rugby owes Wilkinson an enormous debt of gratitude for his heroics in 2003 but, haunted by a staggering succession of injuries, it is doubtful whether he will scale those heights again.
Too many big hits may have taken their toll on the courageous Newcastle back whose calm under pressure, vision and kicking excellence placed him at the top of this list four years ago.
But it would be foolish to ever dismiss a competitor as fierce as Wilkinson and the stage is set for him to make a fairytale World Cup return.
JAMES HOOK, WALES
A man-of-the-match display in the first Test against Australia during the summer has convinced many Hook needs to replace Stephen Jones sooner rather than later.
Such a decision would be harsh on Jones, who had been installed as Wales' skipper until the World Cup, but Hook's talent cannot be ignored.
BUTCH JAMES, SOUTH AFRICA
James is an ultra-physical fly-half who relishes colliding with runners wandering down his channel.
The Sharks star also excels as a distributor and kicker, but he has yet to prove he is worth a place at the top table and could even lose the number 10 shirt to Andre Pretorius.
FREDERIC MICHALAK, FRANCE
A knee injury has left Michalak on the sidelines for the last six months, forcing France coach Bernard Laporte to try various alternatives - none of which have truly worked.
If Michalak shows some form in the build-up to the tournament, the lack of world-class alternatives means he is likely to take the number 10 shirt - despite his inconsistency.
- PA SPORT
