Rugby World Cup 2019 predictions

[Kiwi boss]

Ireland to het smashed by either nz or south africa

Also to struggle in the pool

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

France are way better than Argentina.

Are they? France had a **** poor 6n this year bar the Scotland game and regularly drop games to T2 nations. That games a dead heat in my opinion, France at their best will win handy but France at their best is a rare thing.

 

[profitius]

Ireland to het smashed by either nz or south africa

Also to struggle in the pool

Depends which Ireland show up. There's been talk that they've been targeting the world cup so went into the 6 nations far from peak condition. The players looked tired. Might be a different beast after recharging over the summer and bringing in some new tactics.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Are they? France had a **** poor 6n this year bar the Scotland game and regularly drop games to T2 nations. That games a dead heat in my opinion, France at their best will win handy but France at their best is a rare thing.

I think so,
Seen nothing to suggest Argentina are anything other than plucky losers - at least France can turn up every now and then.
I mean there's every chance France don't turn up and get hammered, but I think they win.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I think so,
Seen nothing to suggest Argentina are anything other than plucky losers - at least France can turn up every now and then.
I mean there's every chance France don't turn up and get hammered, but I think they win.

Fair, I think Argentina will play at to a certain level every time and that level is good enough to beat what France showed in Dublin, London and Rome this year, maybe v Wales too. That second "tier" of teams, along with Scotland and Australia, is interesting, they're all capable of beating a few of the "Top 5" but could easily drop a game to the likes of Japan, Fiji or Georgia too, Argentina probably being the least likely to do either.

 

[ncurd]

Still the the old addage it depends which France will show up. Difference now its either the utterly shambolic or the barely competent. Its usually the utterly shambolic.

I have them losing to Argentina who always overperform at world cup which is why I'm more nervous about about them than France within the group.

 

[bushytop]

Don't think England have anything at all to worry about in that group... France vs Argentina will be a good contest though.

 

[ncurd]

Don't think England have anything at all to worry about in that group... France vs Argentina will be a good contest though.

I thought the same in 2015....I may have been wrong but I wiped the entire incident from my mind.

 

[bushytop]

I thought the same in 2015....I may have been wrong but I wiped the entire incident from my mind.

Don't think Wales or Oz were performing quite as bad as France and Arg at that point... but obvs you did have home advantage.

 

[Kiwi boss]

I think so,
Seen nothing to suggest Argentina are anything other than plucky losers - at least France can turn up every now and then.
I mean there's every chance France don't turn up and get hammered, but I think they win.

Just remeber Arg should have won against NZ

Lost to aus by 6

and bar a stupid call on sat should have beaten a Bok C side

World ratings should look more like this

NZ
SA
ENG
Wal
Aus
Ireland
Arg
France
Scotland

Wales cant be nr 1 if they;ve never beaten NZ

 

[Kiwi boss]

3–41

New Zealand 2005 Autumn International BBC
10–45

New Zealand 2006 Autumn International BBC
9–29

New Zealand 2008 Autumn International BBC
12–19

New Zealand 2009 Autumn International BBC
42–9

New Zealand 2010 mid-year rugby test series Stuff
29–10

New Zealand
25–37

New Zealand 2010 Autumn International BBC
10–33

New Zealand 2012 Autumn International
16–34

New Zealand 2014 Autumn International
39–21

New Zealand Welsh tour of New Zealand
36–22

New Zealand
46–6

New Zealand
18–33

Some big scores against nhe nr 1 side haha

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just remeber Arg should have won against NZ

Shoulda woulda coulda
Last year they lost home and away to Scotland and to France.
Whitewashed at home by England Wales B sides.

I'll take notice when they start winning some of these close games.

 

[unrated]

Argentina is going to beat England at the World Cup. The only way England made it to the knockout phase of the last world cup was by hosting it. Argentina smashed the Irish, 40 to 20 something, they actually qualified from their group. Argentina specializes in World Cups. The chemistry of this group will peak at the world cup.
England will realize that only taking two scrum halves to the showpiece event of world rugby is a mistake.

 

[bushytop]

Argentina is going to beat England at the World Cup. The only way England made it to the knockout phase of the last world cup was by hosting it. Argentina smashed the Irish, 40 to 20 something, they actually qualified from their group. Argentina specializes in World Cups. The chemistry of this group will peak at the world cup.
England will realize that only taking two scrum halves to the showpiece event of world rugby is a mistake.

England didn't make it to the knock out phase of the last World Cup

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Argentina is going to beat England at the World Cup. The only way England made it to the knockout phase of the last world cup was by hosting it. Argentina smashed the Irish, 40 to 20 something, they actually qualified from their group. Argentina specializes in World Cups. The chemistry of this group will peak at the world cup.
England will realize that only taking two scrum halves to the showpiece event of world rugby is a mistake.

I don't understand why it's so common to value previous world cups over the recent results. Argentina haven't beaten England for 10 years, and never in the world cup. Trends are only common in rugby due to its hierarchy remaining more or less the same throughout its history and a relatively small sample of competitive teams.

Croatia hadn't played a world cup knock out game for 20 years before last year and they reached the final. Everything from the past 3.5 years of international rugby suggests England will beat Argentina, and probably do so without much trouble.

 

[ncurd]

Yup whilst I'm more worried about Argentina than France because of their past form at world cups. The reality is England should be looking to top the group. I do think historical stuff matters because I do think it enters the psychology of a team, we perform well at world cups so we do, we always lose QFs, so we do. Its also why nobody can really see Wales beating NZ and England winning against Argentina.

Of course once the curse is broken (and it will be one day) it can have the opposite effect see Ireland V NZ

 

[Kiwi boss]

I don't understand why it's so common to value previous world cups over the recent results. Argentina haven't beaten England for 10 years, and never in the world cup. Trends are only common in rugby due to its hierarchy remaining more or less the same throughout its history and a relatively small sample of competitive teams.

Croatia hadn't played a world cup knock out game for 20 years before last year and they reached the final. Everything from the past 3.5 years of international rugby suggests England will beat Argentina, and probably do so without much trouble.

For once I ******* agree with you

 

[Chistera]

That's actually pretty funny. Are things really that dire?

After losing 44-8 to England, or losing to Fidji last November, it's an understandable reaction.

And even though Lopez wasn't at the last WC nobody has to remind him how France exited the competition...

More than the result, what matters for our squad is restoring their sense of pride and self-confidence. Of course, beating Argentina on the way to the a second-round qualification would help.

 

[Brigantine]

I'm surprised they're so hard on themselves about being eliminated by the All Blacks. But I get what you mean.

France are the only NH team that have qualified for 8/8 RWC QF rounds so far.
In the SH it's New Zealand and Australia, and then South Africa are 6/6

 

[profitius]

Just remeber Arg should have won against NZ

Lost to aus by 6

and bar a stupid call on sat should have beaten a Bok C side

World ratings should look more like this

NZ
SA
ENG
Wal
Aus
Ireland
Arg
France
Scotland

Wales cant be nr 1 if they;ve never beaten NZ

Why not go the whole hog and call it the Z team.