RWC Draw
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So using the current WR rankings:
Pool A has Ireland (2), Scotland (7), Japan (11), Samoa (16), Russia (19)
Pool B has NZ (1), South Africa (5), Italy (14), Canada (21), Namibia (23)
Pool C has England (4), France (8), Argentina (9), Tonga (12), USA (13)
Pool D has Wales (3), Australia (6), Fiji (10), Georgia (15), Uruguay (18)There will likely be some changes in rankings by Sept next year.
Based on rankings that's not a bad result looking at the top two seeds in each pool: still one in each from top four ranked, plus one in each from teams 5-8.
totally meaningless, but....
Pool A total rank = 55 (ave 11)
Pool B total rank = 64 (ave 12.8)
Pool C total rank = 46 (ave 9.2)
Pool D total rank = 52 (ave 10.4) -
@taniwharugby Ha. I did that as well.
Having either SA in our pool is based on them being at 5, which is bollocks.
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I must say, it is almost refreshing not to go into a RWC year with NZ as clear favourite, having beaten all and sundry and scooped every award on offer at the annual World Rugby awards.
Because we don't play any NH teams before the RWC, no-one will take too much notice of victories over SA, Aust and Argentina. Nor Tonga.
Ireland has just bought themselves a whole new level of pressure to cope with: favourites, world's best side, never reached semi-final, Schmidt due to move on etc...
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@billy-tell said in RWC Draw:
I must say, it is almost refreshing not to go into a RWC year with NZ as clear favourite, having beaten all and sundry and scooped every award on offer at the annual World Rugby awards.
Because we don't play any NH teams before the RWC, no-one will take too much notice of victories over SA, Aust and Argentina. Nor Tonga.
Ireland has just bought themselves a whole new level of pressure to cope with: favourites, world's best side, never reached semi-final, Schmidt due to move on etc...
Assuming we win all our pool games, where would we meet Ireland if they also won all their pool games?
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@hooroo if both teams win, we would meet in the final, if we drop a game to SA we play them in the 1/4 (assuming SA dont drop a game to anyone else in our pool)
Was listening to something yesterday and they were saying outside of NZ, there is no player still playing who has won a RWC before, which is understandable given it could only be a SA form the 2007 squad.
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@billy-tell said in RWC Draw:
Because we don't play any NH teams before the RWC, no-one will take too much notice of victories over SA, Aust and Argentina. Nor Tonga.
The ABs stock won't change from now until the RWC unless they lose the Bledisloe next year. Everything else can be explained away by RWC prep. They lost two on the trot going into 2011 and still entered as hot favourites.
Ireland still have to navigate the 6N a tournament and those results do matter. If they go 2-3 and Wales or England win it the landscape changes somewhat.
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@taniwharugby said in RWC Draw:
@hooroo if both teams win, we would meet in the final, if we drop a game to SA we play them in the 1/4 (assuming SA dont drop a game to anyone else in our pool)
Assuming Ireland don't lose to Scotland or Japan. Just saying...
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@billy-tell Ireland winning thier pool is already set in stone.
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Shaping up as a great tournament potentially.
6 teams have reason to be confident, that includes Scotland who all though a stretch to win are a good chance to ruin 1 or 2 (or no) parties for others. Or get knocked out in the pool.
Reminds me a bit of 1995 which had 5 quite even contenders with uncertainty over who was rising and who was on the descent.
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Shaping up as a great tournament potentially.
6 teams have reason to be confident, that includes Scotland who all though a stretch to win are a good chance to ruin 1 or 2 (or no) parties for others. Or get knocked out in the pool.
In my opinion: Ireland, NZ, SA, England, Wales will provide the winner although you can never entirely discount France (2011...). Australia, Scotland, Argentina, Japan can be party poopers but I don’t see them winning it.
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@antipodean said in RWC Draw:
@rapido and NZ not the favourite
How are we not the favourite? Surely we will start as favourite and then whoever wins 6 nations?
Because we lost to the team of the year and also to South Africa, at home.
And you don't think we will be favourite for the WC?
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@antipodean said in RWC Draw:
@rapido and NZ not the favourite
How are we not the favourite? Surely we will start as favourite and then whoever wins 6 nations?
Because we lost to the team of the year and also to South Africa, at home.
And you don't think we will be favourite for the WC?
Depends what happens in the 6N and truncated RC. But at the moment we're only favourites because our powder is dry.
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