Former England player Andy Goode and Wales legend Sam Warburton answer your questions about the 2023 Rugby World Cup as well as looking back on their careers.
The two ex-internationals take a look at the form of tournament favourites France, New Zealand and South Africa as well as giving their verdicts on whether any of the home nations have a chance of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
The former players also explain which stadium was best to play in and what some of their pre-match superstitions were.
Get the latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news on Independent Sport.
Prime members can get exclusive access to live sport on Prime Video.
The two ex-internationals take a look at the form of tournament favourites France, New Zealand and South Africa as well as giving their verdicts on whether any of the home nations have a chance of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
The former players also explain which stadium was best to play in and what some of their pre-match superstitions were.
Get the latest Rugby World Cup 2023 news on Independent Sport.
Prime members can get exclusive access to live sport on Prime Video.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 So Edward Jenkins has asked, with New Zealand looking
00:13 really strong at the minute, South Africa stuttering,
00:16 out of all the favorites, who is going to win the 2023 World
00:18 Cup?
00:19 Everyone's talking about Ireland, France, New Zealand,
00:22 South Africa.
00:23 I'm English.
00:24 We've got an easy side of the draw.
00:26 Of course, England are going to win the World Cup.
00:27 Put your money on it.
00:28 England for winning the World Cup in October.
00:31 Come on, England.
00:32 I thought it was naive of a lot of people
00:34 to only talk about Ireland and France after the Six Nations.
00:37 It's because it's very much out of sight, out of mind.
00:39 Because New Zealand were playing later on in the year,
00:42 people thought they weren't going to be challengers.
00:44 Anyone who thinks New Zealand aren't going to be challengers
00:46 is foolish.
00:46 Like, it's New Zealand.
00:47 You're never going to get a bad New Zealand team at a World Cup.
00:50 I do think that it's turned into maybe from a potential four
00:54 to a potential three.
00:55 I think it's going to be Ireland, France, and New
00:58 Zealand are going to be the guys competing.
00:59 Won't be surprised with a good surge from South Africa,
01:03 from England even.
01:04 But I do think the World Cup is going to be favorites.
01:06 I'm going to have France.
01:07 And I think Ireland and New Zealand
01:08 have got a phenomenal chance winning as well.
01:10 But if I had to hang my hat on one,
01:11 I'd say France, giving home advantage.
01:13 So Harry Pages has asked, which player
01:15 am I most looking forward to watching at the World Cup?
01:18 Well, for me, the most exciting player
01:19 that's been in the Northern Hemisphere,
01:21 and probably the world over the last couple of years,
01:23 he's French.
01:24 The World Cup's in France.
01:25 He's their skipper.
01:27 Anton Dupont is an absolute world star.
01:29 So I cannot wait to see him lead the French team, hopefully
01:32 not to victory, because that'll be England's.
01:34 But I can't wait to see his impact on the World Cup.
01:36 At home World Cup, he's a global superstar.
01:38 Anton Dupont's the man.
01:40 If I was looking at a player from Wales,
01:41 I'd really like the looks of Mason Grady.
01:44 I think he's a Warren Gatlin type player.
01:45 He's got a bit of X Factor about him.
01:47 Big, physical, fast, I think, sense of wing.
01:50 Really looking forward to seeing Mason Grady.
01:52 If I'm looking at any player in general,
01:54 I think the world's best player last year.
01:56 And I think he's one of the world's best players
01:57 this year as well.
01:58 He's Arnie Savea.
02:00 Shannon Frizzell, who plays six in the back row of New Zealand
02:03 alongside Arnie Savea, has had a stunning championship
02:07 with New Zealand of late as well.
02:08 So some of their back row options are freaky good.
02:10 And I can't wait to see those two in tandem
02:12 at the Rugby World Cup.
02:13 We've got one from Hugh Griffiths, says,
02:16 Simon Castello could be the shortest fly half
02:18 of the Rugby World Cup 2023.
02:20 However, he could be physically similar to a group
02:22 of other fly halves, that includes the likes
02:24 of Marcus Smith, Manny Libon, Nicola Sanchez,
02:26 and George Ford.
02:27 How important is size for a number 10?
02:29 All the size isn't important as a number 10.
02:31 The only thing you need as a number 10
02:33 is parity in defence.
02:34 You don't have to be the best defender,
02:36 but as long as you can defend the starter blade,
02:38 then it doesn't matter what size you are.
02:40 So it's much more about how you can run an attack,
02:43 how you can run a kicking game.
02:45 Have you got that killer pass,
02:47 that cross field attacking kick ability?
02:49 Size you can cover up with a defensive system.
02:52 It's not ideal.
02:52 If you're number 10, cannot make a tackle,
02:55 then you think of international rugby.
02:56 You still have to have some defensive ability,
02:59 but you just have to have parity in defence.
03:00 Don't have to be brilliant.
03:01 That's a great question.
03:03 You're talking to probably the biggest
03:04 international fly half to have ever won a 10 jersey.
03:06 Not in a good way, in a bad way.
03:09 These skillful young fly halves,
03:10 they're small, they're powerful, they're quick.
03:12 Everything that I wasn't, but you do need a bit of size.
03:15 You need a bit of bulk, maybe not down the midriff,
03:17 but maybe shoulders.
03:18 So these boys can tackle.
03:19 They're bigger than they look,
03:20 and they punch a lot harder than they hit.
03:22 So size isn't everything, but it was for me,
03:25 and the wrong size.
03:26 - Thomas Booth asks, are Wales and England
03:29 going to be able to get out of their group?
03:31 I back both teams get out of their group.
03:33 England will certainly get out of their group, I feel.
03:35 Wales have definitely got the trickier task.
03:38 Georgia and Fiji are two enormous games for Wales.
03:43 They got Fiji first up.
03:44 If Wales lose that first game to Fiji,
03:46 which is a possibility, and if Wales lose today,
03:48 Fiji could go above them in the rankings,
03:50 which psychologically for the Fijians,
03:51 I think would be great for their confidence.
03:53 That becomes a really sticky match,
03:55 and that's not beyond the realms of possibility, of course.
03:57 Fiji pushed Wales hard here,
03:59 going back one or two years ago, last year.
04:01 Arguably could have won.
04:02 So Fiji would be a real challenge for Wales.
04:04 It'll be the toughest bull stage
04:06 I think they would have experienced
04:07 in a Rugby World Cup.
04:08 - Well, England will.
04:09 We've got Argentina and Japan.
04:10 I'm confident we'll beat at least one of those.
04:12 We'll beat both of them, to be fair.
04:13 We're gonna win it.
04:14 Wales. - Wow.
04:16 - Australia looked a lot better
04:17 against New Zealand, second time round.
04:19 Fiji, they've lost to Fiji in France
04:22 before at a World Cup, haven't they?
04:23 Portugal, they're gonna back themselves.
04:25 And Georgia, the big unknown.
04:27 Well, they are known, 'cause they can scrummage.
04:29 They're big, they're powerful,
04:30 and they beat them here at the Principality
04:32 last November as well.
04:33 So, Wales, I don't think you're getting out of the group,
04:36 I'm afraid.
04:37 - Kate Gill asks,
04:38 "Which season was the best atmosphere to play in?"
04:40 - Well, I'm here at the Principality.
04:43 I should say Twickenham,
04:44 but we know the Twickenham atmosphere
04:45 isn't always that great.
04:48 The Prince party here with the roof closed.
04:49 I've played here a few times for England,
04:51 never won here.
04:52 But the noise that reverberates around the stadium,
04:54 this is the best stadium atmosphere in the world, I think.
04:57 Wales have got something right.
04:58 Question from Steve Mitchell.
05:00 "Did I have any pre-match superstitions or rituals?"
05:04 Yes, I did, I had too many.
05:05 The Red Titans shorts, the gloves,
05:07 they all had to go on,
05:08 but it started with my pre-match meal
05:10 before every game,
05:12 no matter whether it was a morning kickoff,
05:13 a lunchtime kickoff, an evening kickoff,
05:15 my pre-match meal was always a bacon sandwich.
05:18 How healthy.
05:19 Sorry for the boring answer, I don't.
05:21 I walk across three drains on purpose
05:23 'cause I want to prove that the universe
05:24 doesn't dictate my actions.
05:27 You're in charge of your own destiny, I find,
05:29 so I've never had any superstitions.
05:31 None of this, like players taking a shower before,
05:34 left boot on first, right boot.
05:35 I was all about the preparation.
05:38 You prepare well, you play well, so no superstitions.
05:40 - Well, Martin Corrie was my England captain for years,
05:43 my Leicester captain for years.
05:44 He had an obsession with turning the light switch
05:46 on and off as he walked out the changing room,
05:48 leading out the team.
05:49 He had to do it four times, on, off, on, off,
05:51 on, off, on, off, and we were all like that.
05:54 What's going on here?
05:55 - Hey, so Tom Scharf asks,
05:57 who was the player you looked up to at growing up and why?
05:59 - Well, I was a young English fly half
06:01 wanting to play for England,
06:03 and at the time, Rob Andrew was the England fly half,
06:05 so I looked up to him as the incumbent England fly half
06:08 in that 10 shirt, a fantastic player,
06:11 but then as we got older,
06:13 I started playing professional rugby,
06:14 then I met him.
06:15 Never meet your heroes.
06:17 Never meet your heroes.
06:18 Easy one for me, playing number seven in Wales,
06:20 Martin Williams.
06:22 I found it very strange watching myself back on TV
06:25 running around in the red number seven shirt,
06:27 'cause I was so used to watching that ginger head
06:29 running around with it.
06:30 He made that shirt his own.
06:31 Wasn't many games he played
06:32 without getting a man on the mat,
06:33 so he inspired me to play opposite flanker.
06:34 So Martin Williams was my hero growing up,
06:37 and he was the first player to come and shake my hand
06:39 when I turned pro, and I joined up with Cardiff,
06:41 and it was one of my best experiences playing with him
06:43 for a season or two,
06:44 we were six and seven together as a childhood hero.
06:46 So Martin Williams, great question.
06:49 (upbeat music)
06:51 (upbeat music)
06:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]