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New Zealand's last "warm-up" game is against Romania

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Betting experts Chicken Dinner preview the All Black's clash with Romania

New Zealand vs Romania, Rugby World Cup, Saturday September 29, Pool C, Toulouse
Romania +85.5 points
Current IRB world rankings, as of September 24: New Zealand 1, Romania 15

At last the World Cup is about to begin for New Zealand. There's just insignificant little Romania to step over and then they can bring to an end the longest run of warm up games ever completed in preparation for a major tournament, stretching back to the moment they were eliminated from the last event four years ago. Their three games so far can't have made much of a dent in their stash of deodorant, and this game should be no different. Just a gentle stroll should do it, brushing up on their placement of the ball behind the try line techniques (a distinctly more understated style compared to the Australians' more showy dive), and doing their best not to get their kit too dirty, thus minimizing their ecological impact by using less washing powder.

Romania's only choice lies in deciding how much good grace they are going to show in letting New Zealand maraud through. After collecting their only win against Portugal on Tuesday (just), they are likely to be knackered for this one, so maybe we'll see a surly Romania rather than a magnanimous one. Romania's dream scenario would be a repeat of the only time they've played each other before, when New Zealand won 14-6 in 1981. New Zealand's ideal conclusion would be for them to mark the occasion with some sort of record. And if not the all-time points (145) or winning margin (142), then how about total points scored at the pool stage, which currently stands at 282, and is held by, oh yes, New Zealand. The All Blacks need 59 points to break their own record.

So little resistance are Romania expected to offer, the handicap for this one is a towering 85.5 points. Only for New Zealand/ Portugal was the bar set higher. Such a win would be the ninth biggest margin of victory ever in a World Cup match, and the third highest in this one. (You can get Romania +85.5 points on betfair at 1.88, New Zealand -85.5 points on betfair at 2.0)

Romania have always managed to avoid meeting New Zealand in the World Cup and generally have not done too horribly badly against the biggest team in the group, with the exception of 2003, when they were chopped up 90-8 by Australia. Also, with one exception - 1999, when they beat Italy 101-3 - New Zealand have not bullied anyone too brutally in their last pool game (53-37 vs Wales in 2003; 34-9 vs Wales in1995; 31-21 vs Italy in 1991 and 46-15 vs Argentina in 1987.)

Romania's heaviest ever defeat was 134-0 against England in 2001, the only time they have conceded more than 100 points. On only one other occasion, against Australia (90-8 in the last World Cup), have they conceded more than 85.5 points.

New Zealand don't make a huge habit of scoring more than 85.5 points too often, but they have done it on five occasions since 1999, against Italy (101-3), Tonga (91-3 and 102-0), Fiji (91-0 2005) and Portugal last week. Who knows how New Zealand really feel about these pointless encounters: bored to death with yet another uncompetitive charade, or excited by the chance to rev their engines and really hammer someone in preparation for the work to come? Whichever way it goes, Romania will be more than ready to get off the field come the final whistle.