Mitchell says All Blacks will travel to World Cup with some self-belief

THE New Zealand All Blacks have come out of an unbeaten Tri-Nations series with Australia and South Africa as favourites for the World Cup later this year on the back of a highly-disciplined game plan.

The All Blacks confirmed themselves the best southern hemisphere team with a committed 21-17 victory over the Wallabies in Auckland on Saturday to retrieve the Bledisloe Cup after five frustrating years. New Zealand, who smashed the Springboks 52-16 in South Africa and the Wallabies by a record 50-21 in Sydney, won their four games to finish 12 points ahead of the Wallabies on the standings.

The World Cup may be two months away, but the All Blacks shape as the logical favourites to land their first Webb Ellis Cup since winning the inaugural one in 1987. Skipper George Gregan, whose Wallabies redeemed themselves after the nightmare of their seven-try pounding on July 26, came away from Eden Park encouraged that they pushed New Zealand to the wire.