One team will capture everyone's hearts, writes Jamie Pandaram.

Enough about the big guns. What we need is an uplifting tale from this tournament, an underdog team to inspire the masses - everybody's second favourite, if you please.

Sadly, in the qualifying rounds, the Rugby World Cup is one of the most predictable events going. And it appears that in 2007, the only nation with a chance of sneaking into the top two of a group unexpectedly is Argentina, who will probably lose to France but have a strong chance against Ireland.

The Pumas, unfortunately, are like a box of chocolates. As Forrest Gump would say: "You never know what you're gunna get". But they certainly are hopeful, with players even contemplating winning group D - the group of death - so as to avoid the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.

Argentina's fullback Juan Martin Hernandez told newspaper Ole last month: "The Pumas can beat Ireland and France. We are not frightened by the group of death. We have a great team and we have to realise it."

And what about the teams that may be able to spring a real surprise at the tournament? Samoa, Italy and Fiji would be the leading candidates.

The proud Manu Samoans have competed with great spirit at past cups and, under the coaching of All Blacks legend Michael Jones, may be able to match their efforts of 1991 and '95 and make the quarter-finals. To do so, they'd need to defeat either South Africa or England in group A, because the US and Tonga aren't capable of it.

Samoa's inspirational hit man Brian Lima, remarkably taking part in his fifth cup campaign, epitomises the character of a lovable underdog. The veteran centre refuses to give up or give ground to his opponents, and respected New Zealand rugby commentator Keith Quinn recently labelled Lima his "all-time favourite Rugby World Cup player".

Writing in his column about Samoa's famous upset win against Wales in '91, Quinn described the sound of Lima's bone-crunching tackles as "like the impact of a wet tea-towel smacking against the side on a telephone post".

"This year as you watch the World Cup matches unfold, keep an eye on Lima," Quinn wrote last month. "You will note that his challenges are just as aggressive, just as fearsome as they have always been. They are not lessened by the passage of time."

Italy, in group C, have shown rapid improvement in recent years and, while they'll be no match for New Zealand, they should test Scotland. They smashed the Scots 37-17 in February at Murrayfield and finished fourth in the Six Nations this year while Scotland were last.

Fiji will have a tough time trying to qualify for the knockout stages, but they do have the ability to upset Wales in group B. A gallant Fijian side nearly pulled off a major upset the last time they played in Cardiff and with their unpredictable attack, are an extremely dangerous proposition if they get an even share of the ball.

The rest of the field will finish way behind.

The main incentive for Georgia, Namibia, Portugal and Romania is merely to prevent record scores being racked up against them each time they take the field.