One of the best back-rowers of his generation, the former Brumby says Australia will be joined by Fiji in emerging from Pool A’s “Group of Death”.
This means he believes England and Wales will both miss out on the knock out stages of the tournament.
With two sides to advance from the five team pool, the smart money suggests Australia, England and Wales will fight out for the top spots, with Fiji and Uruguay mere bystanders.
Australia are ranked third on the IRB World Rankings after winning the Rugby Championship, with England in fifth and Wales in sixth spot.
Fiji are ranked ninth behind Argentina and France.
But rankings mean little to Smith, who told Wales Online, that he thought the Fijians would get through.
“It’s going to be extremely competitive in, as they say, the ‘pool of death,’” he said.
“The English and Welsh, from what I’m led to believe, have been training extremely well while Australia have won the Rugby Championship.
“But I think Fiji are going to go through with Australia.
“I played against a number of their players in the French Top 14 last season while I was with Lyon and they are very good.”
The idea that Fiji could knock off Wales isn’t that far-fetched. The Welsh only barely edged a 17-13 win last year and were knocked out of the 2007 RWC in the quarter-final stages by the Fijians.
“Apart from in 2011 (where Wales thrashed Fiji 66-0 at the RWC), Fiji seem to perform well in World Cup tournaments,” Smith continued.
“They put the Welsh out in 2007 and nearly beat the eventual champions South Africa in the quarter-finals.
“Anybody who underestimates Fiji will be in trouble.
‘I have known their coach John McKee for a number of years and have been impressed in how he brings players together and manages them.
“With Fiji that is the key because when they are happy they perform. John is very good at that, as you can see from the results because they have performed well and improved in the last couple of years.”