SuggestedLeadIn: Former rugby internationals Martin Johnson, Joe Roff and Tom Shanklin look ahead to the start of the Rugby World Cup which starts later this month.

Script: SOUNDBITE (English): Martin Johnson, 2003 World Cup winner, England:

"Fiji, you know, they won't take any prisoners, so I think it's a very, very awkward opening for England, a very tough opening. But it's good, they need to play hard games because they go straight into Wales, and you think whoever loses the Wales game, England (against) Wales, they then know they got to beat Australia to stay in the tournament, and that's going to be a lot of pressure, so it will be tough for either team to bounce back from that. So, the England Wales game will be absolutely massive."

SOUNDBITE (English): Martin Johnson, 2003 World Cup winner, England (on Rugby League convert Sam Burgess who has been selected for England squad):

"I think the England guys will think it isn't a gamble but they have also a guy in Owen Farrell who can play in that position who has gone as a (number) 10. They have two or three players who can play there."

SOUNDBITE (English): Martin Johnson, 2003 World Cup winner, England (on Danny Cipriani, omitted from England squad):

Q. But Cipriani played well against France, that must be a serious consideration?

"That's the coach's decision to make. Do you make the decision based on 20 minutes or do you make a decision based on a longer view, probably a longer view."

SOUNDBITE (English): Joe Roff, 1999 World Cup winner, Australia (on Rugby Championship final on 8th August when Australia beat New Zealand 27-19):

"Beating the All Blacks was a win that Australia needed to have, but on the flip side it is quite reasonable to say it's a loss that New Zealand needed to have to make sure that they don't have complacency going into the World Cup."

SOUNDBITE (English): Joe Roff, 1999 World Cup winner, Australia (on reports that Australia and Wales could face points deductions if they can't field two hookers):

"I'm actually not clear on that rule as to why points get deducted if you don't have a third hooker, but certainly (Michael) Cheika and the coaching staff would have selected their team with all of those considerations in mind. And they have chosen the squad that they want. It would be interesting to see if that eventuates. But I think the chances of it are quite small."

SOUNDBITE (English): Tom Shanklin, former Wales international (on Wales squad):

"They are a team that knows, everyone knows their starting fifteen, (Warren) Gatland (Wales head coach) knows the starting fifteen, they know how to play together. They are tried and tested. We won't see too many surprises, I don't think. It will be the power game, but that's what Wales are good at. Whilst you look at England, possibly they don't know their best combinations yet, because they are a fairly unsettled team. Yes they are good players but they are fairly unsettled in combination, so it's an incredibly tough group, but as I said earlier the team that finish top of that pool (A), I think will make the final".