Gareth Thomas: I think people fear playing Ireland

Gareth Thomas has hailed the current Rugby World Cup as the best since the tournament’s inception but admits to being at a loss to predict an eventual winner.

Indeed the former Wales and Lions skipper (he took over the job in 2005 after Brian O’Driscoll was unceremoniously dumped by the Kevin Mealamu-Tana Umaga axis) believes that this is the most open tournament ever, with a real chance of a northern hemisphere team prevailing.

He includes Irelandalthough they have yet to hit the heights of their last two Six Nations campaigns.