England and Fiji will kick off the 2015 Rugby World Cup. We look at the contenders mainly, and those with little, or no hope.
The Title Challengers
Australia
Key Strengths: The Wallabies almost always box clever at World Cups because they are almost always intelligently coached. From scrum-half to full-back they are as good as the All Blacks, if not better; in Michael Hooper, David Pocock and the less celebrated Scott Fardy, they have back-row forwards to die for.
Worrying Weakness: There is always a focus on the scrum, largely because it's rarely much good. The days of Richard Harry, Michael Foley and Andrew Blades - superb in the 1999 title-winning side - have long gone, but the new loose-head prop Scott Sio could make a difference.
Main Man: Michael Hooper (flanker).
Minimum Requirement: They're in it to win it.
France
Key Strengths: Les Bleus are a consistent force at World Cups, irrespective of their state of togetherness, and this vintage has size and physicality to burn - not just in the pack, but also at centre and wing. Their front row could be the best in the tournament and they have weapons-grade players in virtually every area of the side.
Worrying Weakness: A wafer-thin crust of confidence, a lack of trust in the waywardly gifted Frédéric Michalak at No 10 and a bad habit of upsetting referees.
Main Man: Wesley Fofana (centre).
Minimum Requirement: Last four. Then, anything can happen.
New Zealand
Key Strengths: Unrivalled depth of knowledge, extraordinary resilience under pressure and a sprinkling of players - Julian Savea, Ma'a Nonu, Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick, Kieran Read, Richie “daddy of them all” McCaw - who are as good as anything in the sport.
Worrying Weakness: The scrum is no great shakes. Er, that's it.
Main Man: Richie McCaw (flanker).
Minimum Requirement: Obvious.
South Africa
Key Strengths: The engine room has always been a Springbok speciality and true to form they have the best quartet of locks in the tournament. They also have some brick-hard back-rowers and a couple of new centres, Damien de Allende and Jesse Kriel, who could shake things up.
Worrying Weakness: Front-row brutes from ages past, from Boy Louw to Os du Randt, must wonder what happened to South African scrummaging, which has lost some of its dark majesty.
Main Man: Eben Etzebeth (lock).
Minimum Requirement: A third title.
The Knockout Contenders
Argentina
Key Strengths: Puma rugby used to be about size and sacrifice and superstrength scrummaging. Those virtues are still there, but they have artistry too in Juan Martin Hernandez, known as the Maradona of the sport, and pose a genuine threat in the wide areas.
Worrying Weakness: Wild inconsistency - they can beat the Boks in South Africa one week and take a hammering from them on home soil the next - and a habit of playing fast and loose when they should keep it slow and tight.
Main Man: Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (flanker).
Minimum Requirement: Knockout qualification.
Fiji
Key Strengths: Broken-field running - not just in the backs, where Nemani Nadolo and Vereniki Goneva scare the pants off opponents, but up front. The lock Leone Nakarawa is jaw-dropping.
Worrying Weakness: All the technical bits. Particularly the scrum.
Main Man: Niko Matawalu (scrum-half).
Minimum Requirement: One major scalp.
Italy
Key Strengths: The Azzurri are basically Fiji in reverse. The slower, more claustrophobic and less exhilarating they can make a game, the happier they are. They also have a genuinely great No 8 in Sergio Parisse.
Worrying Weakness: An inability to stage meaningful attacks from distance. Dodgy kicking prevents them turning possession into points.
Main Man: Sergio Parisse (No 8).
Minimum Requirement: Victory over France or Ireland.
Samoa
Key Strengths: Back-row forwards and centres, as always. A sense of togetherness is crucial to them: on a good day - the kind of day they had against the All Blacks in Apia just recently - they can compete with the very best.
Worrying Weakness: Faulty line-out, fragile kicking game, terrible relations with their lords and masters in the governing body.
Main Man: Kahn Fotuali'i (scrum-half).
Minimum Requirement: Three pool-stage wins.
The Wild Cards
Georgia
Key Strengths: Their scrummagers are like the Slag Brothers from “Wacky Races”: ridiculously strong, wonderfully uncomplicated. Mamuka Gorgodze is a force of nature in the back row.
Worrying Weakness: Away from the grunt-and-groan stuff, they are ordinary at best. While most of their forwards play in the big European leagues, most of their backs play at home.
Main Man: Mamuka Gorgodze (flanker).
Minimum Requirement: Making a proper nuisance of themselves.
Japan
Key Strengths: Well resourced, well coached - Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick are nobody's fools - and fit enough to sustain a high tempo. They have imported know-how from their New Zealand contingent, led by the captain, Michael Leitch, and some super-fast backs.
Worrying Weakness: Set-piece security is not their strong suit. Oh for some top-drawer locks.
Main Man: Fumiaki Tunaka (scrum-half).
Minimum Requirement: Two victories.
Tonga
Key Strengths: Alone among the South Seas brigade, these boys know how to scrummage. In Steve Mafi, once of Leicester, they have a back-five forward of quality.
Worrying Weakness: Fitness (lack of it), age (too much of it) and pace (nowhere near enough of it).
Main Man: Steve Mafi (lock).
Minimum Requirement: A meaningful tilt at Argentina.
United States
Key Strengths: High-grade athleticism, passion aplenty and growing levels of firepower, thanks to their improving fortunes on the international Sevens circuit.
Worrying Weakness: The creativity gap remains unclosed. Too naïve when it comes to the nuts and bolts.
Main Man: Chris Wyles (full-back).
Minimum Requirement: One victory in a tough group.
The Cannon Fodder
Canada
Key Strengths: Off-the-scale enthusiasm, implacable commitment.
Worrying Weakness: A desperate shortage of personnel playing serious professional rugby.
Main Man: Jamie Cudmore (lock).
Minimum Requirement: Leaving with their honour intact.
Namibia
Key Strengths: Jacques Burger. The flanker as superhero.
Worrying Weakness: Too many to mention.
Main Man: You guessed it.
Minimum Requirement: Not to roll over and die. Which they won't.
Romania
Key Strengths: They are all to be found up front, but the decline of the Mighty Oaks remains one of rugby's saddest stories.
Worrying Weakness: No attacking threat, for starters.
Main Man: Paulica Ion (prop).
Minimum Requirement: Victory over Canada.
Uruguay
Key Strengths: Nothing springs to mind.
Worrying Weakness: Everything springs to mind.
Main Man: Agustin Ormaechea (scrum-half).
Minimum Requirement: Get home in one piece.
Rugby World Cup:
The key stats:
Previous winners
1987 - New Zealand
1991 - Australia
1995 - South Africa
1999 - Australia
2003 - England
2007 - South Africa
2011 - New Zealand
Top try-scorer
Jonah Lomu, New Zealand (1995-99) - 15
Top points scorer
Jonny Wilkinson, England (1999-2011) - 277
Most tries in one World Cup
Jonah Lomu, New Zealand (1999) - 8
Bryan Habana, South Africa (2007) - 8
Most points in one World Cup
Grant Fox, New Zealand (1987) - 126
Biggest winning margin
Australia 142 Namibia 0 (2003)
Most team tries in a match
Australia v Namibia 2003 - 22
Most team points in a match
New Zealand 145 Japan 17 (1995)
Most tries in a match
Marc Ellis, New Zealand (1995) - 6 v Japan
Most points in a match
Simon Culhane, New Zealand (1995) - 45 v Japan
Most conversions in a match
Simon Culhane, New Zealand (1995) - 20 v Japan
Most drop goals in a match
Jannie de Beer, South Africa (1999) - 5 v England
Most appearances
Jason Leonard, England (1991-2003) - 22
Most World Cups
Brian Lima, Samoa (1991-2007) - 5
Six players have won the World Cup twice
John Eales, Dan Crowley, Phil Kearns, Jason Little, Tim Horan (Australia in 1991 and 1999) and Os du Randt (South Africa in 1995 and 2007).
Jonny Wilkinson remains the only man to have scored in two World Cup finals 2003 and 2007
Only one World Cup final has gone to extra time England v Australia in 2003.
Most draws Japan and Canada have drawn twice - with each other.
The Independent