Bienvenue à ... Cardiff et Edinburgh?

The rules said it was to be France's World Cup, so why are crucial games being played in Wales and Scotland? Paul Rees uncovers a tale that has left the Wallabies fuming

When tenders were invited for nations wanting to stage this year's World Cup one of the conditions was that it would have to be a stand-alone bid. All the matches had to be staged in one country.

In England the Rugby Football Union duly spent £650,000 in drawing up its bid, only to be undermined in April 2003 when, the evening before the decision was made by the International Rugby Board's council, France successfully argued that they should be allowed to allot matches to the three Celtic unions, securing six votes in the process on the way to a comfortable majority.

And so the stand-alone World Cup will see Cardiff and Edinburgh each stage two of their nation's group matches, with the Millennium Stadium also hosting Fiji v Canada and a quarter-final. Ireland turned down the two games they were offered because of the ongoing redevelopment work at Lansdowne Road. All the RFU received for its proposal for a 16-team tournament to be complemented by a parallel competition involving emerging nations, also staged exclusively in England, was the vote of Canada.

The Australia coach, John Connolly, is less than pleased that his side's key pool match against Wales is being staged in Cardiff. "It gives Wales an advantage they should not have because they are not hosting the event," he said. "It makes a difficult game all the more awkward and only one team should benefit from staging a World Cup by playing games on their own soil."

Connolly's contention is that if Wales and Scotland were to be awarded matches as a reward for supporting France's bid, they should not have been involved in them. The problem for the IRB is that a World Cup is all about maximising profit. The Scots have enough problems filling Murrayfield for a Six Nations match. How many would turn up to watch Portugal take on Romania?

The All Blacks have not kicked up about having to play Scotland at Murrayfield. They have never lost to the Scots and have won four World Cup matches against them but, had they been drawn in Ireland's group, the prospect of playing at Lansdowne Road would surely have been enough to get the New Zealand coach, Graham Henry, sharpening his tongue.

Both the Australian and New Zealand unions supported France's bid, yet the ARU successfully hosted the 2003 tournament on its own, after the NZRFU lost co-hosting rights following a row over money, and New Zealand will be staging the 2011 event unaided. There was a feeling before the 2007 World Cup was awarded that it was France's turn but the process showed the amateurism still prevalent in a sport which had turned professional eight years before.

The Welsh Rugby Union claimed it had a binding agreement with France that not only guaranteed it pool matches but also a quarter-final in return for giving the French matches in the 1999 World Cup. The French Rugby Federation initially considered paying the WRU compensation in lieu of matches but, when its offer was turned down, it felt it had no option but to rip up its stand-alone bid and hawk games in exchange for votes.

"There is no question that we have an advantage by playing Australia at home," said the Wales coach, Gareth Jenkins, "but it is one that will only count if we are united as a nation. A lot of negative things have been said and written about us in recent months, but ever since I took the job since months ago my focus has always been the World Cup. Playing Australia in Cardiff for us is better than it would have been in France but it will still be about our performance. The difference is that we will have, I hope, 70,000 voices roaring us on."

Home advantage has not been of much use to Wales against Australia in previous World Cups. They were thrashed in the 1991 group match at the old National Stadium and eight years later were edged out in a hard-fought quarter-final at the Millennium Stadium when Wales felt they had been the victim of refereeing mistakes. On each occasion, the Wallabies went on to win the trophy, but the current squad is appreciably weaker; ordinarily, Australia would not worry about where they were playing a Wales team that had won only five of its previous 15 matches.

"Wales are a totally different prospect when they play at home," said Connolly. "When they lost by a record score at Twickenham in August, I was asked whether it meant we should win our group comfortably, but there were two reasons why it was the wrong conclusion to draw. First, Wales did not field their strongest side against England; second, they are always lifted by the crowd in Cardiff and they are much harder to beat at home, as England found out in March."

The three World Cups staged in Europe have all involved Australia facing Wales in Cardiff, while the All Blacks played Scotland at Murrayfield in 1999 having beaten them in the 1991 play-off in Cardiff. So far the score is 4-0 to the southern hemisphere and, while the Scotland coach, Frank Hadden, has publicly pondered whether he should field a reserve team against New Zealand, saving his leading players for the potential quarter-final decider against Italy in St Etienne the following week, Wales, who have a win and a draw from their last two meetings with Australia at the Millennium Stadium, are in a group where there is no real third contender and the Wallabies look far more beatable than the All Blacks.

Wales are the only one of the Celtic unions to have beaten a major southern hemisphere union in a World Cup, overcoming 14-man Australia in the 1987 play-off, one solitary victory in 17 attempts. Small wonder the three were so keen to trade with France.

Sparks to light home fires

Scotland: Chris Paterson, 30

How he plays Either at fly-half, wing or full-back. Frank Hadden has him at No10, after three years elsewhere.

Finest hour Add up every minute spent kicking at goal in the last two seasons: has become the best kicker in the world.

Coach says "At the beginning of the Six Nations Chris wasn't ready to start at stand-off. At the end he probably was, so let's look at him"

Frank Hadden

Wales: James Hook, 22

How he plays With pace, flair and a decent boot: pretty much all you can ask for at fly-half or inside-centre. Lucky, too, as his try in a warm-up loss to France showed: should have passed, didn't, still scored. Just.

Finest hour Off the bench last autumn to haul Wales to a 29-29 draw with Australia in Cardiff. Repeating the feat in the World Cup would help.

Coach says "James is a young man and very talented but he has the composure, self-confidence and self-belief you need"

Gareth Jenkins

Legends pick the final

Martin Johnson
New Zealand to beat France

New Zealand are the best team in the world. While history has shown the best squad does not necessarily win the tournament, they will arrive better prepared than anyone else and, after missing out four times, I feel their time has now come. My only concern is the amount of pressure on their shoulders. The whole of New Zealand rugby is geared towards this team winning the World Cup. Their players are paid by the union. In most other countries, like England, the players are paid by their clubs so have had domestic competition to take their minds off the tournament. For the All Blacks every minute of every day is about the World Cup.

Joe Roff
Australia to beat France (aet)

Australia have been building and, just like four years ago when they reached the final despite people doubting their chances, they will come good when it matters. Their success, though, is largely dependent on George Gregan and Steve Larkham remaining fit. The two of them can control a game and create opportunities against what are going to be some very physical defences. They know how to win games and work together seamlessly at nine and 10. For France, playing on home soil has coincided nicely with Bernard Laporte having one of the best ever French squads. Having spent a year in Biarritz I remember how much better we were at home and I think it is similar for the national side. The easy answer would have been to say New Zealand. They were pretty much unbeatable 18 months ago but I don't think they have that aura of invincibility any more.

Jonathan DaviesNew Zealand to beat France

Graham Henry has assembled a squad that is strong in every department and he knows that if his players fulfil their potential they will win the tournament. Even when the All Blacks play below their best they tend to come away with the win and, on the odd occasions they taste defeat, they always come back stronger. This is a team with such a glut of talent and finally I think they will get their reward. But their success will depend largely on how well Dan Carter, at No10, and Richie McCaw, at No7, perform - two key players in two key positions - and also their style of play. In the Tri-Nations they kicked far too much ball away - seeming to panic under pressure - so, if they can stay calm, play to their strengths and combine their attacking flair with their incredible defence, no one should be able to stop them.