David Norris today backed Great Britain to lift the World Team Cup.

But the Eastbourne Eagles star insists he has no regrets about not being there with them.

Norris and Edward Kennett were omitted when team boss Neil Middleditch, a former Eastbourne rider, trimmed his 12-man party to five for their semi-final in Rybnik, Poland on Sunday.

The Brits will not be expected to win that four-way meeting but Norris believes that will work to their advantage.

He expects them to progress through the race-off at Reading and relieve Poland of their title in the final a week on Sunday.

He sees their main opposition coming from a Denmark team captained by Eagles star Nicki Pedersen.

Eastbourne's Adam Shields was advised he would not be selected the day before he suffered a broken pelvis in Poland last week.

Norris, capped 21 times by England and nine times by Great Britain, said: "Poland will be very hard to beat on Sunday.

"But I can see Great Britain going to Reading for the race-off and having no trouble getting through that.

"In some ways, that's an advantage. It gives you the chance to get your set-up right for the final. "I see no reason why we can't win the whole thing.

"The Danes have got to be feared with Hans Andersen in such great form, although they've got injury concerns.

"Then you've got Australia with Leigh Adams, who's on fire in league racing, and Jason Crump. Those two are almost impossible to beat and the other guys can pick up the pieces.

"Sweden seem to have hit a stumbling block with the availability of Tony Rickardsson and with Mikael Max's injuries.

"So I think it could be between Denmark and Great Britain.

"On home soil for the race-off and the final, we should be the bookies' favourites."

Not that any of the Brits ride for Reading. By contrast, four of the other nations have Bulldogs in their ranks.

Norris does not see that as a factor, saying: "Between five guys you can muster up enough knowledge to get over that."

Poland followed Norris's recipe for success last year by progressing though the race-off and final in Wroclaw after Team GB won their semi-final in Swindon. The Brits came last in the final.

Norris missed the event through injury but featured in the World Cup finals in the two previous seasons.

He reckons the selected quintet of Scott Nicholls, Chris Harris, Simon Stead, Mark Loram and Hastings-based Lee Richardson are the men for the job.

But he points out some fans may have under-rated his own efforts in averaging 7.40 in Elite League racing this summer.

The 33-year-old said: "I think I could have ridden for them but I don't have youth on my side.

"If people are comparing scores they should remember I have been riding at No. 1 so mine maybe have more merit than others.

"But I'm not really disappointed to be missing out and I'm pleased with what I've done at that level in the past.

"I think it's all credit to GB that they have selected riders who are going good."

Brent Werner, who started the season with Eastbourne, is in the American team, who will look to make it to the race-off.

Eagles asset Joonas Kylmakorpi is in the Finnish line-up.