"When you go to a Rugby World Cup as the No 1 ranked team, people are looking at you"
Wednesday 28 August 2019 06:12, UK
Former New Zealand scrum-half Justin Marshall believes that slipping off top spot in the global rankings will benefit the All Blacks at this year's Rugby World Cup.
Steve Hansen's side retained the Bledisloe Cup for a 17th consecutive year after delivering a 36-point whitewash of Australia this month, a week after the Wallabies had dished out a 47-26 win against 14 Kiwis in Perth.
The rumours of New Zealand's demise were greatly overstated, with the two-time defending world champions showcasing just what happens when you poke a bear.
But with Wales beating England 13-6 in Cardiff, Warren Gatland's side leapfrogged the World Cup favourites into No 1 spot - ending New Zealand's decade-long stranglehold on the position.
But Marshall told Sky Sports: "It's unusual that they go into the tournament as not the No 1 ranked team.
"They've had that mantra of being the best team in the world heading into recent World Cups, but I don't think it will be catastrophic. They're more than capable of going to Japan and perhaps having a little bit of pressure off them.
"When you go in there as the No 1 team, people are looking at you. So going there with that little bit of pressure off them will do them the world of good.
"It doesn't hurt New Zealand that Wales have gone No 1 in the world, and I think they deserve it. They've been the most consistent side in recent years, and the accolade is testament to just how good they've been.
"A slight bit of pressure off New Zealand might not be harmful."
England overwhelmed Ireland 57-15 at Twickenham on Saturday to issue a statement with one last warm-up Test remaining - against Italy in Newcastle on Friday week, live on Sky Sports.
Eddie Jones has insisted his players must continue scaling their Everest as he reflects on the off-field bonding that has helped propel his team into genuine World Cup contention.
"England's chances of winning the World Cup are as good as any side, " added Marshall, who won 81 caps for New Zealand.
"They've got great balance now they've been able to bring players previously injured back into the side.
"That makes it difficult to select a team, with the omission of [Ben] Te'o and [Danny] Cipriani not ideal from some people's perspective, but they've got depth in that zone anyway.
"I think they've selected the right squad. A lot of players have not been selected in the past because of injury, but there's real competition for starting spots. They're more than capable and they're well-coached.
"They're a team that can get to a final, and then anything can happen."
Justin Marshall was speaking at an event organised by Land Rover, worldwide partner of Rugby World Cup 2019.
A team of rangers and brand ambassadors played rugby in the South African bush to celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of grassroots rugby around the world.
