Rugby World Cup : France 2007

limerickman

The Rugby World Cup kicks off in the next two weeks : just wondering if anyone has any thoughts, given that this site has members from most countries participating??

The pools are as follows :

Pool A

England
Samoa
South Africa
Tonga
USA

Pool B

Australia
Canada
Fiji
Japan
Wales


Pool C

New Zealand
Italy
Portugal
Romania
Scotland


Pool D

Argentina
France
Georgia
Ireland
Namibia.

Group C and Group D, I reckon will be pretty tight as to see who gets out of the group phase.
Each team must play every other team in their pool.

Group A isn't a cakewalk either : Tonga and Samoa are big physical sides and won't lack against either England or South Africa.

Any thoughts??

(PS : I'm gonna stick this thread for September - for the duration of the tournament).

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

rubberchicken

NZ is the best in the world and will, of course, choke in the semi's or the finals. Scotland gets upset by Italy . Argentina and France make it out of the pool of Death. South Africa takes it all again if they can avoid injuries. Otherwise, the Frogs celebrate on home turf.

On a side note, the US may score one try against England or SA, but unlikely. Their only shot at winning a game is Tonga and that is still going to be tough.

limerickman

USA?

Munster's 2XV beat the USA in Chicago on Sunday.

Can't see the USA even winning one game : although their outhalf is pretty good (Hercus).

South Africa's performance at the weekend was very good against Scotland.
Defensively they look pretty rigourous.

France versus Wales was similar.
The French defence was very very good.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

rubberchicken

Yeah, I saw. How sad is that. the 2nd XV of a club side (granted a very good club side) should not be able to beat any team in the World Cup, including Japan.

I'll be rooting for Scotland all the way, but I think they'll need to step it up a bit to even make the quarters.

trucker39

Winner of Group D to make the final. I predict a French win. Hard to know how Ireland will do, there's a chance we mightn't make it out of the group, but looking at the Argentina Wales game, we should just sneak past them.

chch_legend

As a true rugby mad All Blacks supporter I'm really hoping the AB's win the RWC, however there is a sense of 2003 all over again when we were the No. 1 team in the world for the 3 years leading into the cup and them crashed out against Australia.

Pool D will be a tough one, dear I say it the Irish may not make the quarters. Don't think the French have the temperment to win on the big stage.

I'll predicte a All Black win and day light between them and the rest of the world.

DrunkenBiker

Rugby player: "Doctor, doctor, every morning when I get up and look in the mirror - I feel like throwing up. What's wrong with me?"

Doctor: "I don't know, but your eyesight is perfect."


Go USA !!!

Eldron

Go South Africa!

I am concerned about injuries though - we should beat Tonga & Samoa easily enough but how many players will it cost us?

SA - Aus - NZ - France in the semis.

SA - NZ in the final.

SA take it by a drop goal

chch_legend

If thats the case I can only hope "Suzi the waitress" doesn't appear again as she did in 1995 prior to the final.

I have read in a NZ newspaper Zinedine Zidane has requested to met the All Blacks, apparently he's a big fan of the team. Maybe the AB's can learn a few things from him about how to win a world cup.

Crankyfeet

Is ZZ gay?

lwedge

How'd they make it to the Cup anyway?

lw

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Powerful Pete

Well, at least we scared the AB. And our defeat of Romania was nothing to write home about.

Oh well, curious to see if we can defeat Portugal (we have beat them in 10 of the last 12 matches against them). Then we have to kick it up a notch and beat Scotland to make it out of our Group.

Shocking how the French were defeated in their opening game against the Pumas. And how England were humiliated by the South Africans. Whoa. Heck of RWC.

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limerickman

They got through the qualifying rounds and qualified for the tournament.

They're not a bad side, Lw.
They gave England a good game a week ago (although England are really struggling).
The US were beaten by Tonga though last Wednesday (Tonga are a very physical side).

But the US are there on merit...........

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

limerickman

Italy are no mugs - they can play and they're probably one of the toughest forward units in world rugby.
They're strong scrummagers and with guys like Troncon, Bortolami and Bergamasco, I think they can pip Scotland to get out of Pool C.


Ireland were give a non-try at Ravenhill to undeservedly beat Italy in the warm up matches too.
Italy should have got that result.

Poor old England are going through the doldrums .......and we're not far behind them.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.