KEY POINTS:
The World Cup is all about money, and at the end of the day, it doesn't mean anything, said former Springbok hardman Ollie le Roux.
"It's the worst thing that could have happened to rugby in the world because it is a one-off test and to be the best in a one-off test doesn't mean anything," le Roux said.
He said a team can win every game but one in a year and still not be called world champions.
"I prefer the old system of playing a five match test series and grinding it out to see who is the best in the world," le Roux said.
He said the whole tournament is a marketing exercise and designed to make money.
"It's disgusting.
"Look at Jake White out there, he's so scared in case anyone gets injured that he's wrapping guys in cotton wool. You only become a legend in rugby circles not by playing test matches but playing for your club and then going higher," le Roux said.
He said the format of the Lions Tour is more indicative of who the winners are.
But on the World Cup, le Roux said the All Blacks have a great scrum with Carl Hayman and the English and French are looking good too.
"The South Africans have the ability to scrum very well but we have a big weakness as well. John Smit at hooker is a bit too big," le Roux said.
The former prop said the scrums don't mean much though, compared to the importance of the line-out.
"If you've got a big scrum, you can dominate but it's not the be all and end all, there are more aspects to the game that are more vital," le Roux said.
He said the one weakness the Springboks have is at fly-half, or first five-eighth.
"You look at any team who has won the World Cup, it was probably the fly-half that won it at the end of the day," le Roux said.
He said the one thing holding the All Blacks back is their flair.
"You'll very rarely see the All Blacks say: Come, we'll kick the ball into your corner, put you under pressure and see what happens," le Roux said.
He said the South Africans and English are more conservative.
"Pretty rugby won't win the World Cup. If you win every test by three points and don't score any tries, no body cares about that, as long as you're world champions," le Roux said.
He said the Currie Cup and the Super 14 has shown that it is the defensive sides that win tournaments.
The World Cup is going to be tight and the French, Australians and Springboks will all be there but the All Blacks look good enough to win, le Roux said.
"The things I saw at Durban when you beat us is Jerry Collins ran the ball up hard and So'oialo was uncompromising. What I saw in those tests, I wouldn't like to play them in the World Cup - just that focus. The physicalness and the focus, they've got a good chance," he said.
Final prediction
New Zealand versus South Africa or France
"It could go either way. If the All Blacks lose the final it will be by about three, if they win it could be by about eight," le Roux said.
Ollie le Roux's Springbok career
Name: Andre-Henri le Roux
Born: May 10, 1973
Position: Prop
Debut: 1994
Caps: 54
Points: 5, one try
YOUR PREDICTIONS
It's only weeks away from the Rugby World Cup and we want to hear your predictions of who will win. Who do you think will be in the final and what do you think the score will be?
We'll run your predictions online and you could be the winner by picking the right score.
The winner gets to the right to call themselves the Rugby Brain of New Zealand... and our sports team at nzherald.co.nz will also rustle up a prize for the most accurate prediction.
