As the World Cup approaches, Paul Rees reports on why the All Blacks need to hit the ground running

For the first time in 28 years, the World Cup will open with a clash of contenders. The first match used to be, briefly, the highlight of the group stage, hosts against holders, but before it could become a tradition it ended in 1999 when Wales staged the event and were given Argentina rather than South Africa.
The Pumas faced the hosts on the opening night in the next two World Cups, defeating France in 2007 and causing the organisers to go into meltdown, and since then the first matches ha...