The Rugby Thread - Part Deux

Anyone have any leftfield predictions for WC pools ahead of the draw?
 
Mephisto_Helix said:
Anyone have any leftfield predictions for WC pools ahead of the draw?
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Well, Pool A is the pool to avoid. It's likely to be the pool of death with Australia guaranteed their spot. Australia at home and any where near full strength will be a handful, guaranteed.

With the new format, the pools are far less challenging compared with previous tournaments.

Top 2 from each pool plus 4 x best placed runners up progress to round of 16, so you could finish 3rd out of 4 and still progress to the knockout stages. In fact 4 sides finishing 3rd in their respective pools will likely progress to round of 16 (if I understand the format correctly)..

I get the need to grow the sport but a 24 team RWC could potentially end in a bit of a farce. Expect a number of blowout results...

A better concept would be 2 RWC running simultaneously, the first featuring seeds 1-16 and the 2nd 17-32....

Anyway, enjoy the draw gentlemen!!

As a Saffa, the Boks on current form need not fear anyone. I wouldn't like to join Aus in Pool A but other then that? From the sides seeded 7-12, Fiji would be a handful, Scotland as well. Who else?
 
cavedog said:
The amount of Challenge Cup and Champions cup games this weekend is crazy. Then there is also the Cape Town 7s.

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It's absolutely crazy!! Isn't it!!? Spoilt for choice!

It could be hard to watch for a South African sports fan.

On the other hand, if you in the Pretoria area get yourself down to Loftus. By the same token Ellis Park if you in the Joburg precinct. 2 cracking games of rugby loading!!
 
sand_man said:
Tough pool... crucial is the trajectory it follows through the knock out rounds...
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I don't think so unless we mess up and don't show up on the day we should top our pool.
 
The soap dodgers are so damn lucky.
World Rugby is trying its hardest to get a Northern Hemisphere champion
 
sand_man said:
Tough pool... crucial is the trajectory it follows through the knock out rounds...
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Why? I think this is the easiest pool we've had in many years. No Islanders for those heavy physical injury causing games.

Pool E would be toughest I think. The most level playing field.

And then Pool D could also be very interesting.
 
Stephen said:
The soap dodgers are so damn lucky.
World Rugby is trying its hardest to get a Northern Hemisphere champion
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None of the top 6 teams would struggle to get through any pool in the RWC. Also World Rugby has no influence on the draw, unless you think they're cheating?

Putting a NH team in an "easy" pool will not make or break their chances of winning the RWC.

When the knock-out games start, the men get separated.
 
TheMightyQuin said:
Why? I think this is the easiest pool we've had in many years. No Islanders for those heavy physical injury causing games.

Pool E would be toughest I think. The most level playing field.

And then Pool D could also be very interesting.
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Easier than 2023 and 2019 but for me that's pretty much immaterial. Georgia and Italy will give us a decent workout.

Round of 16 pretty much immaterial too.

I'm looking at the quarter finals sir!!! Where we will meet either NZ or Australia!! That's a brutal QF! With France likely in the SF!!

It is what it is...
 
I see the Round of 16 really mixes things up a bit..

For example, one of either New Zealand/Aussie (whoever finishes 2nd) gets moved to the other side of the draw for the round of 16. Makes things interesting.

And if we win our pool, we get to play the 3rd Best qualifier out of pools D, E and F. So quite an easy passage to the quarters.
 
Cray said:
I see the Round of 16 really mixes things up a bit..

For example, one of either New Zealand/Aussie (whoever finishes 2nd) gets moved to the other side of the draw for the round of 16. Makes things interesting.

And if we win our pool, we get to play the 3rd Best qualifier out of pools D, E and F. So quite an easy passage to the quarters.
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More than likely a South Africa vs New Zealand quarterfinal :eek:
 
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