All Blacks Have Desire To Win | Thebigtip

New Zealand have overcome everything thrown at them so far in the Rugby World Cup but the biggest challenge awaits, against their old enemy of Australia.

The All Blacks entered the competition as most people's favourite, especially considering they are backed throughout by a passionate home crowd and they have lived up to that billing so far and the Rugby World Cup latest odds indicate they will continue in this fashion.

After coming through the group unbeaten New Zealand then saw off a strong challenge from Argentina to book their semi-final place, and they have looked assured, though the same cannot be said of Australia.

The Aussies lost to Ireland in the pool stage, and that turned the competition on its head, meaning they then had to come through against South Africa – who controlled the game and will consider themselves unlucky to have lost – to get to the semi-final stage.

New Zealand assistant coach Wayne smith reckons the knockout stages are all about inner desire and the semi-final clash will all be about who has got the most strength of will to make it through – especially as on paper the two teams are virtually equal and the Aussies won the last encounter in the Tri-Nations. The Rugby World Cup betting suggests it will be a close one.

"Tournaments throw up all sorts of things at you - injuries, selection - and you can't control any of that and it's the same for the other team," he said.

"It's not who you've got in the team, it's what you've got inside you that counts at this point and that's what'll win it."

Stephen Donald could face a baptism of fire as he has been called into the World Cup squad despite taking a month off from playing ahead of the competition. He was away fishing when called up as a replacement for Colin Slade and could now end up facing Australia in a World Cup semi-final.