RWC 2023 Predictions

[argie]

No. Only wish this time the Pumas play rugby, not like that times it seemed like they never left the dressing room.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

No. Only wish this time the Pumas play rugby, not like that times it seemed like they never left the dressing room.

I don't think my brain will ever recover if it sees Santiago Carrerras kicking that drop goal and then lifting the World Cup within a space of a few weeks.

 

[OllyM97]

As an England supporter I hope us and Argentina can upset the applecart. However, as a rugby fan an All Blacks/Springboks RWC final would be the absolute pinnacle. It's always been the one final I've really wanted to see. 1995 was just before my time.

 

[Half Pint]

To bring this back to - y'know - *predictions* . . I predict that Harry Avondelle scores two tries for England in the losers' play-off, and ends as the highest try-scorer of the tournament, and people on forums STILL get his name wrong!

 

[Jimbo]

Still on for a SA win, like I predicted

Ditto I never liked them winning but always struggled to see anyone matching them upfront.

 

[Zac_ETNZ]

Surely the Final will be Nz vs SA.

But, if the planets align, my wish is a Final between Argentina (reloaded) vs England.
What a good revenge will be for that bad start!

Argentina did beat us under the current "coach" Foster, but then Foster lost just about all the records the All Blacks held at one time or another - except 2: not losing to Italy or Scotland, and thank good ness we won't be playing Scotland before Foster f$%&s off.

And SA loves to beat England as much as they love beating the All Blacks so the poms will be in for a lot of hurt.

 

[Superalexmarket]

Frankly, the only team that scares me in these semi-finals is South Africa, against NZ and against England I think we have a slight chance of victory, but against the Springboks I don't see any way... they demolish you physically and mentally for 80 minutes.

 

[Dean Cooperfield-West]

Ireland stayed true to form, Wales decided having Dan Biggar shouting at the ref over improving their lineout was more important, the French predictably surrendered, and Scotland were Scotland.

That's left good ole England as the only northern hemisphere hope! England to win the tournament!

 

[mdaclarke]

New Zealand to beat Argentina by about 8
South Africa to beat England by about 8

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Well england is the only unbeaten team left. from here they can only end up with either the first or the second best win loss ratio

 

[Zac_ETNZ]

Interesting QF stat: what all losing QFinalists shared in common:

 

[Gray_Mouser]

the French predictably surrendered

Say what now? If that's what you call "surrender", let's see what you can come up with once SA is done with England.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Having just predicted every single fixture, I've ended up with a SA-NZ final, so will have to go with that.

Wales lose to Arg, France lose to RSA, AUS lose to Eng and Ire lose to NZ in the quaters

Arg lose to the saffas and England lose to NZ in the semis.

Kiwis win the thing because the saffas have an awful group and will be in pieces by the final

Just for the record, I'm looking really f'ing close barring Aus getting through ahead of fiji and getting NZ-Fra and Ire-SA the wrong way round in the groups

 

[Herman the German]

Say what now? If that's what you call "surrender", let's see what you can come up with once SA is done with England.

From minute one there are 15 white flags running around the field, a stronger sign of surrender isn't imaginable.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

For the record, there is one nation that has won more battles than any other nation in recorded human history (inciuding the Romans FFS). Yup, its the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys.

 

[Herman the German]

For the record, there is one nation that has won more battles than any other nation in recorded human history (inciuding the Romans FFS). Yup, its the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys.

But what are they famous for in history? Alesia, Agincourt, Blenheim, Borodino, Leipzig, Waterloo, Sedan, Battle of France, Dien Bien Phu, Algeria...

After all they for sure won a lot of battles against their protestant minority, indigenous peoples in the colonies or royalists that chose not to flee abroad.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

But what are they famous for in history? Alesia, Agincourt, Blenheim, Borodino, Leipzig, Waterloo, Sedan, Battle of France, Dien Bien Phu, Algeria...

After all they for sure won a lot of battles against their protestant minority, indigenous peoples in the colonies or royalists that chose not to flee abroad.

Depends whose history you read. Which was kind of the point of my post. I'm not glorifying France (I am very neutral about France), I just find it funny that people from nations with their own share of military defeats and, by definition, less military successes than France try to poke fun at them on that topic.

 

[IT157]

Depends whose history you read. Which was kind of the point of my post. I'm not glorifying France (I am very neutral about France), I just find it funny that people from nations with their own share of military defeats and, by definition, less military successes than France try to poke fun at them on that topic.

I guess it stems from World War 2 and their quick surrender. But throughout history they do indeed have more success than any other nation.

 

[Which Tyler]

I guess it stems from World War 2 and their quick surrender. But throughout history they do indeed have more success than any other nation.

Pretty sure it stems exclusively from Grounds Keeper Willy; then re-popularised when France didn't support the 2nd invasion of Iraq.

 

[Herman the German]

Depends whose history you read. Which was kind of the point of my post. I'm not glorifying France (I am very neutral about France), I just find it funny that people from nations with their own share of military defeats and, by definition, less military successes than France try to poke fun at them on that topic.

Well as my username suggests, I'm German and we suffered quite a lot of defeats on our own, especially more recently and especially against the French. We didn't establish a colonial empire and on to mid 18th century we were basically a country of infighting

Still imo there's no such thing as a golden age in french history (like with Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese) and that a long time centralist, well organised, dominating nation in continental Europe was always stopped in their expansionism by bitter defeats. That's my association with French military history (and I'm not neglecting their brilliant diplomacy of Talleyrand and Richelieu). Just my two cents.

(Written in a German train riding through the Eastern French landscape where so much bloody and pointless fighting between our nations took place)