My question is why? How will they improve more than the other three teams? It is highly unlikely</WILL>
Well, we never know how a team will improve, or regress. Much has to do with team
cohesion - how well the players work together. I think NZ is tops in this regard - the team plays so well together that even when they come in with their B or even C game, they still manage to win. And when they come in with their A game, just forget it - they're untouchable. But that cohesion can change in a season - players retire, players get injured - and you can never tell how the new guys will fit in.
But much also has to do with strategy, and - sometimes even more important - kicking. If teams like SA don't get that straightened out by next year, and if Argentina comes in with a few new tricks, I'm guessing they'll take at least a match.
And like I said in my previous post, a lot will have to do with drive. Sometimes great teams take it for granted that they are great, and when they do they often end up on the losing side. I'll give you a for-instance that happened recently in baseball. The [Philadelphia] Phillies were a top team. Practically the best. They seemed unstoppable. A couple years ago they added some of the best pitchers in the league to their bullpen. People were saying that they would waltz away with the World Series. But they didn't, they came up short. Why? Well, while they were strengthening their bullpen, they really didn't put any effort into their bats, and in the end it was the lack of runs that really cost them. Did they learn from it? Obviously not, because this year they didn't even make the playoffs.
Sometimes a team gets 'cocky'. Right now the ones at risk for that are the 'big three', and if that happens then it can very well be to Argentina's advantage. And I suspect if they get one win under their belt, it will not only boost the team AND encourage investors, but it may motivate younger club players to up their game so that they can be called up to play with the big boys.
Of course, I'm only touching on the team's spirit. Coaching, player skill, and strategy of play are also major factors, but sometimes the win (especially in a tight match) often comes down to which side has the determination to succeed.
das