Six to watch

When he isn’t racing cheetahs or making truckloads of cash through endorsement deals, he plays a little rugby.

His eight tries in South Africa’s 2007 Rugby World Cup victory tied Jonah Lomu’s record, won him the International Rugby Board’s world player of the year award and ensured his immortality in rugby circles. However, whether he can do it again is open to debate.

The year after his World Cup glory was a tough one. Peter de Villiers had come in as South Africa’s coach and overhauled the Springboks’ playing system, implementing a more expansive style of rugby.

It is arguable whether Habana’s loss of form that year was because of the system or something more localised, but the bottom line is that he only scored two tries in the entire year, and he was hammered in the press.

The following year, his defensive play for Blue Bulls in the Super 14 drew praise, but many questioned whether he had lost his attacking spark.

He finished the season with a flurry – he was actually the competition’s second top scorer with eight tries – and played his part as Bulls regained their title as champions of the Southern Hemisphere.

The critics, though, were questioning whether Habana had become predictable. Was he still capable of those spell-binding bursts of speed?

Habana’s try in the second clash against the British and Irish Lions in 2009 should have ended those debates, but niggling injuries and fluctuating form over the subsequent two years have led many to ponder that he may be past his best. Even the former Boks coach, Jake White, recently suggested Habana is the weak link in South Africa’s defence of their crown.

Habana therefore will have a point to prove at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which is likely to represent his last opportunity to perform for his country on the world stage.

There are few certainties in rugby except that Chris Ashton will score more often than not. The man has quite simply proven himself to be one of the game’s deadliest finishers – in both codes.

He started out with Wigan Warriors in rugby league, flirting between playing on the wing and full back, and immediately it was obvious that a special talent had arrived.

He offered a glimpse of what was to come with 27 tries in 23 games for the Wigan academy and then, after scoring two tries in two Super League games in 2005, he was top scorer with 15 tries in 29 games in his first full campaign in 2006.

However, it is a measure of Ashton’s impact in rugby union that those figures now look modest. He followed his breakthrough year with 10 tries in 19 games – in all he also scored eight tries in nine for England – before making the cross-code switch in 2007 to take on the union boys as a winger for Northampton Saints. 

To say Ashton has risen to the challenge would be an understatement. Going in to the Rugby World Cup, Ashton had scored 78 tries in 81 matches for Saints, but it is not just in domestic rugby where Ashton has been able to work his magic.

For England, he has notched nine tries in 10 games, including four in one Six Nations match, which tied a record, and six in a single championship, which also equaled a benchmark.

What makes Ashton so special? His brutal pace, acceleration, ability to find space and his support lines are as good as anyone in the game.

If he is on form, and his injury worries do not flare up, expect to see him leap across the try line with his trademark celebratory “swallow dive” on a regular basis in New Zealand.

Statistics are often misleading, but in the case of Dan Carter, the numbers go some way to telling the true story.

He has won the Super 12 three times with Crusaders, picked up the Air New Zealand Cup four times with Canterbury and claimed the Top 14 title with Perpignan.

It is in the colours of New Zealand, though, that Carter has already reached legendary status. He has six Tri Nations titles to his name for the All Blacks and is also the top points scorer in the history of international rugby union. In 2005, Carter won the world player of the year award.

However, the game’s biggest trophy has evaded Carter so far. Will he end New Zealand’s long wait this year? Few are laying credible bets elsewhere and Carter is largely the reason.

Rugby was always in Carter’s blood, with his great uncle Bill Dalley having been part of the “invincible” All Blacks team that toured the UK in 1924 and 1925. But there is no doubting that Carter has raised the family bar – he is widely considered to be one of the game’s greatest ever fly-halves.

Breaking his game down, there are no areas in which he does not excel. His work with the boot is phenomenal and his passing is consistently brilliant, although he perhaps lacks the ingenuity of Australian Quade Cooper.

In terms of tackling, Carter rarely misses one, and his ability to lead is beyond question. Possibly the strongest part of his game is his ability to control the backline and his composure in traffic.

In short, Carter’s place in the rugby pantheon is secure, regardless of what happens in New Zealand. However, having failed to sparkle when it mattered at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he will be determined to pick up the one piece of silverware that has so far eluded him.

North is so good the Welsh are willing to overlook the fact that he was born in England.

He is unlike many of the stars heading into the Rugby World Cup as he does not have reams of records to his name, a mammoth list of titles and game-winning tries that mark him out as one of the greats.

But he does have bundles of promise, and the 2011 RWC could mark his transition to global superstar.

It seems incredible that a year ago the biggest concern facing North was his A-Level exams. He had, after all, only played six games for Scarlets at that point.

Then he was called up for Wales to play in the autumn match against South Africa. He scored twice and in doing so became the youngest debutant to score for Wales, the youngest player from any country to score twice on his debut and the only debutant to score twice against South Africa. It was a stunning introduction to the international stage.  

And the pace has not relented. He has gone to score a further three tries in six matches – including two in a Rugby World Cup warm-up game against England at Twickenham – and appears to be hitting top form at just the right time.  

Experts are expecting big things of him. Despite being only 19 years old, he is 6’4, weighs in excess of 15 stone and has the speed of Shane Williams, Wales’ pocket rocket on the other flank.

When he gets up to speed it takes a strong, brave man to stop him. With Wales’ emphasis on the running game, North is likely to shoulder some serious responsibility in New Zealand.

However, given his nerveless performances to date, North is ready to show the world why the Wales hierarchy believe they have unearthed a gem.

He may have been born and raised for 13 years in New Zealand, but make no mistake about it, Quade Cooper is the great Australian hope.

Despite the occasional controversial headline off the pitch, he is a serious talent on the field. Indeed, some fans argue that he has the skills to match and perhaps even surpass New Zealand counterpart Dan Carter.

There are already some departments where the 23-year-old Cooper is a superior player, for while Carter is the definition of a great all-rounder, Cooper is a better athlete.

His footwork and pace are the envy of every other fly-half in the world, enabling him to be such an awesome off-the-cuff player with ball in hand.

Cooper also has the edge on Carter when it comes to the “wow” factor, with his ability to throw wonder passes, finding flight paths and options that occurred to no-one else. He is also a reliable goal kicker, and can shoulder points-scoring responsibilities if necessary.

It is true that he lacks passing consistency, but he is more than capable of delivering special moments. He just has that innate ability to see what others players do not. 

Encouragingly, there are plenty of areas in which Cooper can improve. His tackling and defensive play is relatively poor in comparison with the rest of his game, and he has often been accused of being selfish on the ball. Former Australia coach Bob Dwyer believes Cooper must concentrate on the basics if the team is going to end its 12-year wait for the RWC.

However, current Australia coach Robbie Deans will be wary of trying to impose playing guidelines on a star who relies on impulse.

His unpredictable streak is exhilarating to watch, and if Deans is looking to harness the best out of his 23-year-old prodigy, he will have to give Cooper the freedom to follow his instincts.

Sean O’Brien is relatively new to the international game, having made his debut just two years ago.

However, the powerhouse back row forward has already carved out a formidable reputation in the game.

The Leinster star is every bit as important to the Ireland side as the bigger names such as Brian O’Driscoll and there are plenty of reasons to believe he will be a household name by the end of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. 

He was part of the famed Ireland Under-20 team of 2007, a side that stormed to the Grand Slam, but no-one expected him to develop into quite the player he was last season.

Playing in his first full Heineken Cup campaign, O’Brien scored four tries as Leinster won five of their six pool games.  

O’Brien did not score in the remaining rounds but such was his impact that upon Leinster being crowned champions of Europe, he was one of five players from the 24 Heineken Cup and 20 Amlin Challenge Cup teams shortlisted for the player of the tournament award.

Incredibly, despite his lack of experience, O’Brien won the award. He was a winner again shortly afterwards when the Guinness/Rugby Writers of Ireland player of the year gong was handed out.

What makes O’Brien so good? His work-rate is fantastic but it is his ability to bludgeon his way through defences with ball in hand that truly sets him apart.

Once he has possession and gets up to speed, it is hard to take him down – a fact noted by the free-spending French clubs who are keeping an eye on the 24-year-old.

To force his way into the Ireland back row was impressive in its own right. And with O’Brien ready to carry the hopes of Ireland on his broad shoulders, no-one should expect him to relinquish his place in the side any time soon.