Who's going to win the World Cup?

[NUFAN]

Im going for a NZ win + Cokanasiga most tournament tries double. Reece is a big chance but thought ill try my luck.

Ive also gone for Ardie Savea as player of the tournament.

 

[Lancashire Nick]

Who's going to win the World Cup?

Don't know, but if it isn't England, then I suspect it will be Sam Burgess' fault.

 

[Tom Flint]

England - it's coming home

 

[Daemon]

Crazy that literally no one predicted the right answer

 

[Magrat Garlick]

spark and a half there

 

[Howe_zat]

If there's anyone who was thinking 'I like rugby world cup predictions, but I want it with more charts', someone over at TRF has you covered.

I love the **** out of this sort of thing, of course.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just read that every Webb Ellis winner has done it with 100% records. Think I was sort of vaguely aware of this if I'd thought about it, but it does mean the Boks, Wobblies and Micks have a lot of history against them.

 

[ripper868]

History was made to be made etc

 

[Howe_zat]

England became the first team to mathematically qualify for the quarters today. Samoa, Georgia and Uruguay join Russia and Nambia as eliminated.

Australia and Japan aren't yet able to confirm a quarter but they are now certain to finish in the top three of their pool and qualify for next time.

I went back and worked out the dates where everyone qualified for a quarter, qualified for 2023 or got knocked out, and (assuming there are no more big upsets) worked out when others will join them.

Everything in italics is a (very likely to occur) prediction, of course. I haven't called the more even games, so have left the progressor out of Scotland and Japan TBC. The other reasonably close matches left (France v England, USA v Tonga and Namibia v Canada) shouldn't affect the list.

Through to the quarter finals:

Saturday 5th: England

Sunday 6th: France
Tuesday 8th: South Africa
Wednesday 9th: Wales, Australia
Saturday 12th: Ireland, New Zealand
Sunday 13th: Japan or Scotland

Qualification for 2023:

Wednesday 2nd: Italy, England
Thursday 3rd: Ireland
Saturday 5th: Australia, Japan

Sunday 6th: New Zealand, France
Tuesday 8th: South Africa
Wednesday 9th: Scotland, Argentina, Wales
Friday 11th: Fiji

Eliminated:

Thursday 3rd: Russia
Friday 4th: Namibia
Saturday 5th: Samoa, Georgia and Uruguay

Sunday 6th: Argentina, Tonga & USA
Tuesday 8th: Canada
Wednesday 9th: Fiji
Saturday 12th: Italy
Sunday 13th: Scotland or Japan

 

[Heboric]

No love for South Africa ?

I think we have a good shot at getting to the final, then its just the bounce of the ball and good awareness not to get your head knocked off when you haven't got the ball...

 

[Flem274*]

well if you want to go down the route of the last line you might also want to continue not getting caught hucking blokes in headlocks.

 

[BoyBrumby]

No love for South Africa ?

I think we have a good shot at getting to the final, then its just the bounce of the ball and good awareness not to get your head knocked off when you haven't got the ball...

Joint second faves with England currently.

Could be the Micks in the QF though. Think they gave the Boks a bit of a touch up last time they played.

That said SA are a team on the upwards curve and this Irish team seems definitely to have peaked a bit, so not sure how much one can make of a result two years ago when Schmidt's chaps were somewhere close to their best and SA, frankly, weren't. Loss to an Italy who themselves lost to Tonga the next week and all that.

Avoiding England and NZ until the final is a massive bonus though. Assuming France don't go all gallic and mercurial and beat us, obvz.

 

[Smudge]

Poll needs another option:

Typhoon Hagibis

 

[marc71178]

Just read that every Webb Ellis winner has done it with 100% records. Think I was sort of vaguely aware of this if I'd thought about it, but it does mean the Boks, Wobblies and Micks have a lot of history against them.

Wales the only side able to do that then?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wales the only side able to do that then?

Japan still for the moment too.

 

[sledger]

I'd love to see Japan make waves in this world cup. I don't really see them getting out of the group unfortunately.

You should listen to me more often, Zat.

 

[Howe_zat]

i'll keep underrating Japan as long as it keeps winning them matches.

 

[sledger]

頑張!!!

 

[Flem274*]

they're not going to get past south africa but they've already tipped over the irish which is plenty ridiculous.

i also think our chances have been severely dented. ireland -> probably ****in england -> probably south africa rematch is a brutal path. ireland are good enough to win the whole thing and we have them first.

 

[hendrix]

they're not going to get past south africa but they've already tipped over the irish which is plenty ridiculous.

i also think our chances have been severely dented. ireland -> probably ****in england -> probably south africa rematch is a brutal path. ireland are good enough to win the whole thing and we have them first.

Japan's whole game plan was basically made with teams like South Africa in mind.
Japan will struggle against teams like Australia and New Zealand and to an extent the Pacific Island teams - teams who can match them in terms of mobility around the park.

Of course, teams who can force their will could outmuscle them but if the likes of Ireland can't do that then...I really think they have a good chance of making the semis. Ireland have a monstrous pack that's comparable to South Africa's.