KEY POINTS:
Self-identified Springbok patriot De Wet Barry says South Africa will win the World Cup but they will need to gain momentum in the pool games.
South Africa, who have England, Samoa, Tonga and the USA in their pool, will need to start strong, Barry said.
He said scoring a few tries and building on combinations will be important in the early pool games, particularly against England and Samoa.
"It will make life easier for us if we can play well in those two games," Barry said.
He said during the last World Cup there was "a bit of a camp that not everyone was happy with and a lot of politics" but he would not elaborate on that.
Barry said now the feeling in the camp is more positive.
"South Africa is one of those teams that can beat New Zealand," Barry said.
He said South Africa will have taken some positives out of their loss to the All Blacks at home in the Tri-nations.
And sending the b-side to New Zealand and Australia cannot be questioned, Barry said.
"After the World Cup, if we win it, everyone will say that was a great decision. They were competitive, it showed that we have depth," Barry said.
He said it was only the inexperience in the team that stopped them beating Australia.
"For me it's a great positive to be able to look to the future and see a team that was able to step up and fit into a game plan," Barry said.
He said the depth in the team will help South Africa in the World Cup and the competition for positions is healthy.
Barry said South Africa will be looking at their traditional foes from the Southern Hemisphere - the All Blacks and Australia - but France and England will be tough to beat too.
"What I like about this World Cup is it's more open for me than the previous one," Barry said.
He said there could be a few surprises and the home-ground advantage is a big one for France.
"But maybe the pressure, there's more pressure there for the home-side so it goes both ways," Barry said.
Final prediction
New Zealand versus South Africa
South Africa by "I wont put my neck out but it's going to be tight".
De Wet Barry's Springbok career
(Source: www.sarugby.co.za)
Name: De Wet Barry
Born: June 24, 1978
Position: Centre
Springbok debut: 2000.
Caps: 39
points: 15, 3 tries
