Gloomy for Wasps pals, says Ibanez

Raphael Ibanez, France's captain, today predicted that South Africa will win the World Cup, leaving his England team-mates at Wasps as crestfallen as him.

Ibanez reckons it will be difficult to face his six club-mates in the England squad - Lawrence Dallaglio, Simon Shaw, Paul Sackey, Joe Worsley, Phil Vickery and injured Josh Lewsey - when he gets back to join them for Premiership action.

Yet the hooker, who is set to retire from the international game after Friday's third-place play off against Argentina at Parc des Princes, thinks the Springboks will also send his colleagues' hopes packing on Saturday.

"The South African centres can turn the match in a second and we lost against the English, so that also comes into it a bit," he said.

"I'll be going back to Wasps soon, and it will be hard to see my teammates. But I'll have to deal with it."