RWC Japan 2019 - Predictions
Source RWC 2019 Pools
Starting in 50 days time, forty eight matches will be played to determine the winner of RWC.
(20th September until 2nd November 2019)
Would anyone like to make an early prediction? Firstly, about who gets past the Pool stages, in what order; since the Semi finals are a little harder to predict, without fore knowledge of usual upsets in the pecking order, early doors in this competition.
Biggest upset of the tournament? Along the lines of Japan's defeat of RSA last time out.
Is a European team guaranteed a semi final place this RWC?
Pool A: Ireland Scotland Japan 1 Russia Samoa
Pool B: New Zealand South Africa Italy Namibia Canada
Pool C: England France Argentina 2 USA Tonga
Pool D: Australia Wales Georgia Fiji Uruguay
Quarter finals:
CD
England vs Wales
BA
New Zealand vs Japan
DC Australia vs
Argentina
AB Ireland vs
RSA 3
Semi finals;
England vs New Zealand
Argentina vs RSA
3rd Place playoff: RSA vs England
Final: New Zealand vs Argentina
Fourth title for NZ unfortunately.
1 (Long shot, but I can see Japan doing a number on Scotland in front of the home crowd. How many folks believe that the Scottish victory over England in the Six Nations will have any bearing on that Pool game? Personally, I don't.)
2 (Loathe as I am to write off France, I think Argentina may well be the dark Horse of this RWC.) Yes I know two upsets in one tournament is pushing it a bit far. Especially since the Pumas haven’t managed to beat the other Southern Hemisphere teams thus far, this season.
3 (No I don't think, Ireland will finally progress to the Semis, they have always been poor in the RWc. But then I don't see that RSA are up to much these days either, so who knows maybe Ireland’s year has come. That said, Argentina's game on the 10th of August may tell us something of how my (unlikely) semi final might pan out.)
Perhaps we could start a prediction thread on Match Officials too. Biggest call? Car crash game? What do you lot think?