Dan Carter (New Zealand)
Widely-acclaimed as the world's finest No.10 - and pound-for-pound, possibly the best player on planet rugby - Carter is the All Blacks' golden boy who carries a huge weight of responsibility.
His performances during New Zealand's emphatic Test series triumph over the 2005 Lions were extraordinary, and the quiet, unassuming Cantabrian will now relish stepping on to the biggest stage of all.
Carter's gifts though, mean he will be a marked man, but if he emerges unscathed, then expect him to make the biggest single contribution towards ending New Zealand's 20-year wait for World Cup glory.