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1999 World Cup:
The ITV Commentary Team - Commentators
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JOHN TAYLOR Commentary team leader
Former British Lion John Taylor returns to lead ITV's commentary team - a role he received critical acclaim for in the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cups.
John says: "The World Cup is an event which has grown enormously in every way and ITV's commitment to it has grown just as quickly.
"Our panel of experts is second to none - in Michael Lynagh, Sean Fitzpatrick, Will Carling, Gavin Hastings and Francois Pienaar, who lifted the trophy in 1995, you have five key captains from the last World Cup."
John won his first cap for Wales at the age of 21 and went on to win 26 caps for his country during the golden era of Welsh rugby alongside the likes of Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Gerald Davies and JPR Williams.
He made two Lions tours, in 1968 and 1971, when he played in all four Tests as they beat the All Blacks 2-1 (with one drawn) to record the only Lions series victory ever in New Zealand.
He is best remembered for the touchline kick (dubbed "the greatest conversion since St Paul") in 1971 in the final minute which beat Scotland 19-18 and set up the Grand Slam. He was also one of the very few players to refuse to play against South Africa as a protest against apartheid.
John finished playing in 1978 and began his journalistic career - joining the Mail On Sunday as rugby correspondent when it was launched in 1982, remaining with them for 16 years until he stepped down in 1998.
He also became a reporter for Thames Sport and went on to work for ITV at three Olympic Games in 1980, 1984 and 1988 as their gymnastics commentator. He has also commentated on volleyball and athletics.
John adds: "I can remember commentating on a gymnastics event in the middle of China, with a television director who spoke no English and 36 gymnasts out on the floor - a mixture of Japanese, Chinese, Bulgarian, Russian and Romanian competitors on six different pieces of apparatus - not knowing where the director was going next. Surviving that prepares you for anything and although I enjoyed the whole gymnastics experience, it was a great relief when ITV gained the rights to the Rugby World Cup."
In 1991 the chance finally arrived to concentrate on his first love and he immediately became ITV's chief rugby commentator. Since then he has commentated from all the major rugby playing countries and a few outposts as well - carrying out commentary duties in Hong Kong for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1997 - the last major sporting contest in the colony before it was handed back to China.
He has also written and presented various sporting documentaries and coaching programmes. His independently-produced award-winning video, 'Living With Lions', a profile of the 1997 Lions victory in South Africa, has sold 150,000 copies. His next project as a film maker will be covering Ian Botham's final charity walk this autumn, from John O'Groats to Land's End.
John believes this Rugby World Cup will see a dramatic increase in standards - with group minnows more capable of pulling off shock results.
"A major aspect of these finals will be that a lot of the 'lesser' teams will be much stronger than ever before. In previous World Cups, apart from Western Samoa beating Wales it has all been far too predictable."
John adds: "Now, with professionalism and corresponding changes in attitude, teams like Japan, Argentina and Western Samoa are going to be real handfuls.
"The whole standard this year will be higher. The first tournament, only 12 years ago, was invitational and quite experimental. Things have developed so much that this tournament will be the third biggest sports event in the world - it will certainly be the biggest and best Rugby World Cup yet."
John will naturally be hoping for a victory by the host country in Cardiff on November 6 but believes the all-round strength of New Zealand should take the All Blacks to victory in the Millennium Stadium.
"The recent comeback by Wales has been fantastic, and they will cause other teams enormous problems, but I cannot see them winning the cup.
"Home advantage will though count hugely in their favour. I went to see the first match (a historic victory over South Africa) in the new stadium, and with the ground only one-third full, the noise was sensational, absolutely breath-taking.
"When I used to play, Cardiff Arms Park was regarded as something of a 'fortress' and you genuinely felt that the foreign teams were intimidated. When the Welsh crowd find something to shout or sing about, they do so with unbelievable enthusiasm.
"Wales should reach the semi-finals stage, but their biggest problem is a lack of strength-in-depth and they will be relying on key players like Scott Gibbs and Robert Howley avoiding injuries."
John says: "The British weather may also be a major factor this year, especially if this October is like the wet and blustery October of last year. Some of the southern hemisphere sides might find it difficult to play their high-risk, handling-at-speed game if conditions are bad. You always have to rate England if that is the case - they have a pack to match anyone in the world and could excel in those sort of conditions."
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PRESENTERSJim Rosenthal
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COMMENTARYJohn Taylor
Steve Smith
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REPORTERSDamien Hopley
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EXPERTSFrançois Pienaar
Will Carling
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Take a look into our crystal ball - do you agree with us?
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