Who'll win the World Cup

[jule]

France off course.

 

[Carlito]

All Blacks.

I was about to say as long as we don't play someone random at center we should win in a canter.

Then I remembered we don't actually have a first choice center. Sounds damn familiar lol

 

[mimic]

Here's the SA line up against Ireland in Nov 06:

South Africa: B Fortuin; J Pretorious, B Habana, J de Villiers, F Steyn; A Pretorious, R Januarie; L Sephaka, J Smit (capt), CJ van der Linde; J Ackerman, A van den Berg, D Rossouw, J Smith, P Spies.
Replacements: C Ralepelle, BJ Botha, J Muller, J Cronje, R Pienaar, W Olivier, JP Pietersen.

Now convince me that is a thirds team - looks like more than 1/2 of the full team lined out. And the scoreboard was made respectable by an amazing try against the run of play, set up by Steyn and finished by Habana.

[/b]

Of that starting XV, you could say a third of them are 1st choice. Only about 5 players would make the 1st XV, with one of them playing out of position. The players they're missing are HUGE players to lose.

Losing Burger, Matfield, and B. Botha would be like losing POC, BOD, and D'Arcy for the Irish.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

Rugby runs in cycles All the top country's have had there fair share of holding the cup. I think its fair to say New Zealands deserve the cup this year :cheers: ...Dont you all reckon??

 

[SPIDER18]

<div class='quotemain'>
<div class='quotemain'> What do you mean France is not a latin team????

anyway i think i'll put some money on australia or south africa. I am pretty sure the Abs are gonna screw it again
[/b]

a "latin" team would be a team from latin america i.e. argentina. no chance of an nh winning this year and to all those talking up ireland, your dreaming. if they want to win the world cup they would have to beat france and that lokks very unlikely. they'll make for great cannon fodder in the quarters though
[/b][/quote]


Technically Latin countries are all those whose language derives from Latin, so Italy, Spain, Romania, Portugal and all Latin America belong to this category.

By the way, I think the Springboks will win the WC

cheers [/b][/quote] thanx, clearly i was wrong.oh well live and learn.

so does this include france the guy i was replying to suggests latin can be used to refer to any country bordering the mediterainean sea? thanx again.

Rugby runs in cycles All the top country's have had there fair share of holding the cup. I think its fair to say New Zealands deserve the cup this year :cheers: ...Dont you all reckon?? [/b]

yea i do but not for your reasons which are flawed. for instance france (second in the rankings) have yet to win it at all. but i digress nz do deserve to win it because the abs are the best team in the world(no.1 rank for over three years).

<div class='quotemain'>


Here's the SA line up against Ireland in Nov 06:

South Africa: B Fortuin; J Pretorious, B Habana, J de Villiers, F Steyn; A Pretorious, R Januarie; L Sephaka, J Smit (capt), CJ van der Linde; J Ackerman, A van den Berg, D Rossouw, J Smith, P Spies.
Replacements: C Ralepelle, BJ Botha, J Muller, J Cronje, R Pienaar, W Olivier, JP Pietersen.

Now convince me that is a thirds team - looks like more than 1/2 of the full team lined out. And the scoreboard was made respectable by an amazing try against the run of play, set up by Steyn and finished by Habana.

[/b]

Of that starting XV, you could say a third of them are 1st choice. Only about 5 players would make the 1st XV, with one of them playing out of position. The players they're missing are HUGE players to lose.

Losing Burger, Matfield, and B. Botha would be like losing POC, BOD, and D'Arcy for the Irish.






[/b][/quote] yeah only sa actually has some depth in their team. sa has repeatitly embarassed itself on nh tours over the last few years, top lineup or not.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

yea i do but not for your reasons which are flawed.
[/b]

My reason's are Flawed??? :huh: can you give an example

 

[mimic]

He did. France is one of the top countries and they have yet to taste World Cup glory. They've been in 2 finals, and lost both times.

The hosts of the RWC make it to the finals, except for Wales, but that's cos they're kak. So France have a good shot of making the finals.

 

[elgringoborracho]

and if we do, it's going to be the match of the century for us !

 

[TRUE LEGND]

He did. France is one of the top countries and they have yet to taste World Cup glory. They've been in 2 finals, and lost both times.

The hosts of the RWC make it to the finals, except for Wales, but that's cos they're kak. So France have a good shot of making the finals.


[/b]

Right on i agree France look good and after watching there warm up games id say there in the money for sure

 

[shtove]

Rugby runs in cycles All the top country's have had there fair share of holding the cup. I think its fair to say New Zealands deserve the cup this year :cheers: ...Dont you all reckon?? [/b]

They should use scratch cards to decide the cup - over time, everyone could be a winner, even Ireland! :cheers: :cheers:

 

[SPIDER18]

He did. France is one of the top countries and they have yet to taste World Cup glory. They've been in 2 finals, and lost both times.

The hosts of the RWC make it to the finals, except for Wales, but that's cos they're kak. So France have a good shot of making the finals.


[/b]

thanx for explaining my point. i'm glad someone can read. France do have a good chance of making the final but they have to get out of their pool in first and upset sa so it won't be easy.

 

[seb]

Hi all, first post for me. I'm a Frenchman, and as such I'm hoping France will go all the way, but it's too close for me to call. I mostly wanted to react to this debate:

<div class='quotemain'> What do you mean France is not a latin team????

Technically Latin countries are all those whose language derives from Latin, so Italy, Spain, Romania, Portugal and all Latin America belong to this category.

By the way, I think the Springboks will win the WC

cheers
[/b]

Latin is also usually used to refer to European countries that board the mediterranean sea. Furthermore, these countries share many common points in terms of behaviours and mentality, as opposed to the northern European countries. By extension, the south americans are also called latin, because of their mediterranean roots.[/b][/quote]

French derives from Latin

 

[shtove]

France do have a good chance of making the final but they have to get out of their pool in first and upset sa so it won't be easy. [/b]

France will expect to beat SA - no upset there.

 

[knuble]

I think South Africa will win this year

 

[KZNSharksFan]

There must be some kind of southern hemisphere syndrome that affects everyone below that equatorial. An effect that makes them believe that no NH team has a chance of taking that trophy.
IMO Ireland and France have just as much a chance as Oz and SA do. NZ have a slightly better chance of lifting the trophy.
[/b]

There's no prejudice against NH teams where I come from, it's merely that certain teams get talked up and have their reputations blown out of proportion. YES Ireland are an oustanding team in most aspects of the game. But, their lack of real forward dominance will always hold them back. All RWC winning teams have had bloodthirsty and brutal forwards which provide a platform for the backs to work from. Ireland and England simply don't have this.

 

[KZNSharksFan]

<div class='quotemain'>


Here's the SA line up against Ireland in Nov 06:

South Africa: B Fortuin; J Pretorious, B Habana, J de Villiers, F Steyn; A Pretorious, R Januarie; L Sephaka, J Smit (capt), CJ van der Linde; J Ackerman, A van den Berg, D Rossouw, J Smith, P Spies.
Replacements: C Ralepelle, BJ Botha, J Muller, J Cronje, R Pienaar, W Olivier, JP Pietersen.

Now convince me that is a thirds team - looks like more than 1/2 of the full team lined out. And the scoreboard was made respectable by an amazing try against the run of play, set up by Steyn and finished by Habana.

[/b]

Of that starting XV, you could say a third of them are 1st choice. Only about 5 players would make the 1st XV, with one of them playing out of position. The players they're missing are HUGE players to lose.

Losing Burger, Matfield, and B. Botha would be like losing POC, BOD, and D'Arcy for the Irish.
[/b][/quote]


Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

As my esteemed neighbour (I live in Hamilton) has stated, the springboks that Ireland beat are a totally different team to the Springboks that will play in France. Five out of the 22 were playing in a test for the first time, Habana was playing at outside centre and players such as Fortuin and Sephaka (dare i say it) were there only to please politicians and their quotas.

Anyway, what business did Ireland have nearly losing to Italy anyway? Surely this should be a worry for you guys?

I would love Ireland to win the World cup if South Africa and New Zealand fail.

 

[SPIDER18]

<div class='quotemain'> France do have a good chance of making the final but they have to get out of their pool in first and upset sa so it won't be easy. [/b]

France will expect to beat SA - no upset there.

[/b][/quote] france can expect to win all they want but that won't matter when sa show how overated they are.

 

[predictionrugby]

Lets stop kidding ourselves, we all know England will successfully defend the championship

 

[P0IS0N]

<div class='quotemain'> What do you mean France is not a latin team????

anyway i think i'll put some money on australia or south africa. I am pretty sure the Abs are gonna screw it again
[/b]

a "latin" team would be a team from latin america i.e. argentina. no chance of an nh winning this year and to all those talking up ireland, your dreaming. if they want to win the world cup they would have to beat france and that lokks very unlikely. they'll make for great cannon fodder in the quarters though [/b][/quote]
Damn, and I thought all the retarded people went to the united states. (no hard feelings boys, you just need to check out the chaser's war on everything for proof), but DAAAAAMN. Where do you think the word "Latin" came from, ffs. I bet you imagined the roman empire used the "roman language", eh?
Oh as for argentina and brasil and others, they are about as latin as you are british.

 

[mimic]

<div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotemain'> France do have a good chance of making the final but they have to get out of their pool in first and upset sa so it won't be easy. [/b]

France will expect to beat SA - no upset there.

[/b][/quote] france can expect to win all they want but that won't matter when sa show how overated they are. [/b][/quote]

French over rated? If anything I think you're underestimating them.

The French are 3rd in the IRB rankings. Springboks are 4th.
The last time these two teams met (June2006), France won 36-26 in South Africa.
The Springboks also don't travel very well.