Who'll win the next RWC ?

[UlsterRugby2012]

You're absolutely correct. Never said I disagree with anything.

You guys are going to storm that RWC and show us how it's done.

Leave my trumpet alone

Sour grapes

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I don't agree that Ireland have a poor world cup record. We under-achieved in 07 but apart from that we had **** to average teams, we do need to over-achieve at some stage though like Wales and France have in the past. People forget just how **** Ireland were in the 90's, the team were a bit raw in 03, should have peaked in 07 and were a bit too old with a **** coach in 11.

 

[jonny24]

Pools:

Pool A: 1. England, 2. Wales (torn between Aus and Wales here)
Pool B: 1. South Africa, 2. Scotland
Pool C: 1. New Zealand, 2. Argentina
Pool D: 1. Ireland, 2. France

Quarterfinals

New Zealand vs France - New Zealand-
South Africa vs Wales - South Africa (Even if Aus gets through instead of Wales I think the Boks will take it)
Ireland vs Argentina - Ireland
England vs Scotland - England

Semis:

New Zealand vs South Africa - New Zealand
England vs Ireland - England (tough call here but home field advantage takes it)

Finals:

New Zealand Vs England- England to take the Cup at home.

While we're talking about pools, I have to say Canada's pretty screwed. We should be able to handle Romania, and might get a miracle vs one of the other three. If we go 2-2 it'll be as good as we can realistically hope for. It would almost have been better if we lost the qualifier last August and taken the spot in Pool B. Japan is manageable and we'd have a better shot vs Samoa and Scotland than against Italy and France.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Pool D will be interesting and I just can't call who will top it between Ireland and France. Gut feeling is Ireland, as long as France keeps PSA. Plus part of me wants to see another France v All Blacks in Cardiff QF.

 

[FrenchFan]

yeah and we'll enjoy knocking them out again. Nasty habit of ours.

 

[Big Ewis]

wow this has turned silly...I just hate it when people get on their high horse. Of course Olyy the token English guy comes in and has a little crack at France, didn't expect any less (more) of him when nobody claimed France are awesome or have legitimacy over the next world cup. Any opportunity, whatever the slightest, you can be sure he'll grab it

And my only point is easy on the "X hasn't beaten Y in Z amount of time" and what not, I reiterate that Ireland are the last side in the world to talk about their record against France. The record is a joke, and I hate to rub it in but it was one of those deserved situations. Play with the bull you get the horns.
Ireland draws twice and then beats France once and we're already hearing about fkn "France hasn't beaten Ireland since 2011" lol it's comical. Some don't need much to start bragging, do they.

Aaaaaaanyways: France's route in the upcoming World Cup, BEHOLD !!!
so we get either NZ or Argentina - or shock the world in the pool stages again and stay there - then we get most probably England (if we make it) but possibly Australia or Wales. So our fate will depend on how England do probably. First if we beat Ireland (so we don't have to worry about the AB ), and then if England can just lose one game it would be awesome, I like our chances in a RWC 1/2F against Wales or Australia. Especially with the Welsh, we just have to keep throwing backs at them and some guy is bound to spear-tackle one of them, it's just too tempting.
So then we go to the Final, with lots of controversy and all kinds of irregularities and bumps on the road, and meet NZ or the Boks and play a magnificent game and lose by 1-4.

Oh no wait, that's the script to the last RWC...

 

[nzlizard]

Quarterfinals

New Zealand vs France - New Zealand-
South Africa vs Wales - South Africa (Even if Aus gets through instead of Wales I think the Boks will take it)
Ireland vs Argentina - Ireland
England vs Scotland - England

Semis:

New Zealand vs South Africa - New Zealand
England vs Ireland - England (tough call here but home field advantage takes it)

Finals:

New Zealand Vs England- England to take the Cup at home.

Lol, when you look at this draw the NH nations have got it so easy, except France.

England to make it to the final just through lack of competition

 

[TRF_Olyy]

wow this has turned silly...I just hate it when people get on their high horse. Of course Olyy the token English guy comes in and has a little crack at France, didn't expect any less (more) of him when nobody claimed France are awesome or have legitimacy over the next world cup. Any opportunity, whatever the slightest, you can be sure he'll grab it

It was actually in response to mr exclamation mark going on about how Ireland have a terrible history in the world cup, ignoring that France aren't exactly drowning in winners medals.

 

[UlsterRugby2012]

wow this has turned silly...I just hate it when people get on their high horse. Of course Olyy the token English guy comes in and has a little crack at France, didn't expect any less (more) of him when nobody claimed France are awesome or have legitimacy over the next world cup. Any opportunity, whatever the slightest, you can be sure he'll grab it

And my only point is easy on the "X hasn't beaten Y in Z amount of time" and what not, I reiterate that Ireland are the last side in the world to talk about their record against France. The record is a joke, and I hate to rub it in but it was one of those deserved situations. Play with the bull you get the horns.
Ireland draws twice and then beats France once and we're already hearing about fkn "France hasn't beaten Ireland since 2011" lol it's comical. Some don't need much to start bragging, do they.

Well it's nice reading this to realize you didn't actually even read my reply which addressed why I brought up the recent 3 results vs France, so it would be nice if for once you could think about what you type instead of just spewing rubbish as usual and typing as you think. (if you even think that is)
And frankly if you want to keep bringing up records then recent results are the only ones that matter in any context for a future game.

'I can't really tell if you took my post badly, but I was only poking fun and wasn't being serious when I mentioned the results since 2011'

There's what I said about the comment since you didn't bother reading it.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Lol, when you look at this draw the NH nations have got it so easy, except France.

England to make it to the final just through lack of competition

As in having to beat Australia, Wales (the best team in Europe since '11 and Ireland (the current 6 nations champions), real lack of competition! If the groups go that way it pits Europe's best vs the Southern Hemisphere's best which would be ideal for a RWC in Englanf and would be a great match.

 

[Big Ewis]

Oh no doubt England will be under massive pressure come RWC time. People who think because they're at home and have 'relatively easy' opposition are wrong. If they get out of the pools unbeaten, props to them, at home or not. They need to perform, or else the entire universe will collapse on them.
I just don't see Australia matching England's intensity that match for e.g. For the Aussies, yes it puts them in a bad position for the rest of the way but for England it'll be received like the end of the world; they'll be so intense in those pool games: they'll want to show from the get-go who they are to intimidate the other sides and it's their home, and if they trail in a game they'll play their guts out to get back in.
I know it sounds silly to think Wales or Aus won't play as hard and have less to lose, but I can't see England just cruising through a loss. Wales I think will be the only side in the pool ready for that.

 

[FlukeArtist]

I'm going to go out on the line and say:
1. Australia are my pick to win the Cup. They are heading in the right direction and will probably peak at about the right time.
2. NZ will revert to type and exit at semi-final time again. But I hope not! I guess I won't be as gutted this time if it happens though

 

[Shaggy]

Hmmmn ... not sure, I guess it will come down to injuries/who manages their squad the best again ... how many 1st five eights, centres, and openside flankers can we take again?

Not sure who will get through in pool A, but I guess I'd go with England 1st, due to the home ground advantage in the key games against Australia and Wales, and Wales 2nd, as the key match between Australia and Wales is late in pool play, and I think they'll cope better with injuries to key players.

Pool B should have the Boks winning it (although Scotland have beaten them in the UK in recent years), not sure about second as it depends on the Samoa v Scotland match, which is also late in pool play, so perhaps Samoa as they will have the stronger squad to cope with injuries? (not sure about this)

Pool C should be All Blacks 1, Argentina 2, although I'd expect that Georgia will push all of the teams in this pool (not saying they'll beat either of the top two contenders, but if they field their top side, the games could be closer than many expect)

Pool D I'll go with Ireland 1 and France 2 because the down time between Ireland's games are a little bit more evenly spread than France's ... unfortunately, I'm predicting that Canada will finish 5th in the pool, as the combination of having 3 games in 10 days, and having to contend with Italy's and Romania's scrums (as well as France's and Ireland's), will prove too difficult ... perhaps Italy could catch France out in their first game of the tournament?

... So ... England v Samoa ... I'm sure Samoa will go all out, but England should win it
South Africa V Wales, should be a great match, but I'll go with the Boks
All Blacks v France, got to support the AB's, but the matches between these teams are always close at RWC's
Ireland v Argentina ... Ireland look too strong on current form.

Semis All Blacks V South Africa ... I don't think these two sides have played each other at an RWC since the 3rd v 4th play off in 2003, got to go with AB's as I'm a fan, but could go either way.
England v Ireland ... probably England, because they are at home, but I like the way that Ireland are playing, so hopefully it will be a great game.

Final ... All Blacks V England ... hopefully the All Blacks will win (my pick)

... now, let's see how the injuries and controversial refereeing decisions throw a spanner in the works, and stuff up my predictions

 

[FrenchFan]

It was actually in response to mr exclamation mark going on about how Ireland have a terrible history in the world cup, ignoring that France aren't exactly drowning in winners medals.

well not winners medals

but the vice champion do get a medal

and we got 3 of them that's a lot more than most

for a team of clowns in decline

we'll take it any day

 

[TRF_Olyy]

well not winners medals

So you're losers and need to pipe down.
Nobody cares how many times you come close, and how "in decline" you were. You've got the same number of wins as Ireland so have no high horse to stand on and shout at the irish from.

 

[FrenchFan]

Im not standing on anything nor shouting. Just stating facts.So we won't pipe down. Keep writing us off that's all you know.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm slightly surprised there are so few people picking the AB's to win. Obviously it is a World Cup (so anything can happen), but I think we should start as rather firm favourites. It has been years since we have lost a test match

The World Cup will not be played in NZ. Everyone knows NZ can only win the RWC when they are the hosts... 24 more years...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Im not standing on anything nor shouting. Just stating facts.So we won't pipe down. Keep writing us off that's all you know.

I haven't once written France off, in fact the only prediction I've made is that I think SA will win, in which case I've written off every country bar them

My point was you were slagging off the Irish, ignoring that you're in the exact same position as them.

 

[Feicarsinn]

well not winners medals

but the vice champion do get a medal

and we got 3 of them that's a lot more than most

for a team of clowns in decline

we'll take it any day

Assistant to the champion.

 

[Big Ewis]

My point was you were slagging off the Irish, ignoring that you're in the exact same position as them.

We're not in the same position at all, and yes of course it makes a huge difference we've made the final 3 out of 7 times. If we'd lost every single time at pool stage, and then making the 1/2F or final every - single - time but once (1991) are not exactly the same thing, I'm sure even you would concede easily.
That's like saying England have been exactly in the same position as Scotland and Italy in the past 3 6N, but here it's a million times greater because it's the world cup - making the final 3 times means you were the 'second best nation' in the world.
So it's just ridiculous to reduce France, or any other RWC runnerup to being just as bad as Namibia or Poland for that matter because none of the latter have ever won a RWC.
Obviously you've set your mind to it and won't admit the obvious difference between, in this instance, France and Ireland at the RWC but hey, you do whatcha gotta do my man.

And btw there is never, ever a time or situation to keep on your high horse. Even if France won the next 2 RWC's we ought to stay humble and not shove it in everybody's face at every potential corner and keep getting out the equivalent of a picture of Martin Johnson holding the cup up. If you feel the need to brag or display achievements, you better check yourself. The mark of greatness is to win and never taunt about it, and I think the England team have done that. Just look at Wilko, magnificent attitude. It's some of the English fans that have a disgusting demeanor.