The Lineout

Caught your breath yet? We’re not sure if we have. After five glorious weekends, the Pool stages of the Rugby World Cup are wrapped up, and what a glorious journey it’s been. Perhaps most exciting was the fact that there have been so many matches that on paper looked set to be dead rubbers, but turned out to be eighty minute edge of your seat thrill rides. Some of the big guns have left us speechless, but then so have some of the minnows. There’s been elation for many and heartbreak for some, all set against a backdrop of colorful and exuberant fans that have embraced our sport in all its glory, camaraderie and the values it holds dear. In short, we’ve loved every minute of it, and although the Pools are now sadly wrapped up, what a fantastic festival of rugby these past five weeks have been.

So now the tournament heads to the business end, and there is still so much to look forward to. We’ll have to keep this one brief as our family is in the midst of packing for the flight to Paris and the two Quarter Finals in the City of Light. Nevertheless, we’ve managed to share a few collective thoughts over a few frothy pints, and here’s what got us talking, looking back and looking ahead.

Let’s be blunt – there are two Semi-Finals taking place in Paris this weekend!

Could Saturday and Sunday’s blockbusters at the Stade de France be any bigger if they tried? Due to the much talked about lopsided nature of the draw, we very much doubt it. The four best teams in the world go head to head in Paris, and there is very little doubt in most people’s minds that the two winners will be the finalists on October 28th in Paris. Sure there is that little matter of some actual semi-finals a week after this coming weekend, but in reality they should be little more than a formality for the two teams who walk away from the Paris showdowns this weekend.

Ireland and New Zealand get us started on Saturday, and the similarities between the clash the next day between France and South Africa are more than just a little striking. In both games, a three times World Champion in the shape of both New Zealand and South Africa meets two Northern Hemisphere sides who have never managed to lift the trophy. In the case of Ireland, they have never managed to even make it past the Quarter Finals, whereas France have at least made it to three Finals. The big question is who’s under more pressure, France or Ireland?

France having won their Pool and being the host Nation must surely be favourites on Sunday over South Africa. Despite getting a wake up call of note from Uruguay, France have for the most part looked relatively comfortable with the task at hand, and so far seem to be at ease with the enormous weight of expectation of a nation who demands nothing less than absolute success. Even the loss of their star playmaker, Captain, and scrum half Antoine Dupont didn’t really seem to phase them. Furthermore, France’s remarkable medical resources went into high gear, and now their talisman will return to face South Africa. After their wobble against Uruguay, we simply can’t find any evident weaknesses in this French outfit. Even if Dupont’s Phantom of the Opera face mask fails him and he has to return to the bench against South Africa, we have a hunch this French team still won’t miss a beat.

In Damian Penaud, they have the tournament’s leading try scorer and in Tomas Ramos the leading points scorer. If you compare their statistics in the tournament to date to those of their opponents on Sunday, there are only two areas where South Africa has an edge and that is in dominant tackles and defenders beaten, and it’s only really in the former where the Springboks have a clear lead over their French counterparts. Add to that South Africa’s inability to gain success from the kicking tee, and on paper, it’s hard to argue against France getting the job done on Sunday.

As for South Africa, they will have to rely on their physicality to stifle French creativity, and ensure that their discipline is water tight thus negating the threat of Tomas Ramos and his kicking tee, while at the same time hoping they don’t have rely on their own tee too often. For us, though, the biggest question is who they put in at fly half and what centre partnership they go with given that Lukhanyo Am is now available. For the fly half question, as much as arguably Handre Pollard is the more accurate kicker, Manie Libbok, despite his erratic form off the tee, offers South Africa so much more ability to create and use space. Ally, that skill to Lukhanyo Am’s vision and control in the midfield and South Africa just might be able to unlock that resolute French defence. Out wide South Africa can be just as lethal as France, but they need a conductor to allow those wide channels to breathe, and consequently, our gut instinct is a Libbok/Am axis to make it happen.

Ireland, like France, dominated their Pool, but unlike the hosts, they never appeared to get rattled once so far this tournament. They have one or two niggling injury concerns heading into their clash with New Zealand this Saturday, but nowhere near on the scale of World Cups in the past. While Ireland may have never made it past the Quarter Finals there is a quiet assurance and adaptability about them this tournament that we’ve never seen before. Add to that perhaps the biggest ever travelling Green Army seen at a World Cup in the stands assuring them, in the loudest possible way, that the psychological hurdle of getting past the Quarters is simply all “in their head” according to the Dolores O’Riordan Cranberries classic Zombie.

On paper, New Zealand actually looks sharper than Ireland, and the stats don’t often lie. However, look at those Irish performances against South Africa and Scotland. They were clinical, efficient, and ruthless. Against South Africa, they simply found a way to absorb everything South Africa threw at them, despite the Springboks dominating many aspects of the game. They played a smart game that, apart from a lineout that backfired dramatically in the first half, still found a way to win. If you look at many of Ireland’s performances in the last year that’s been a consistent theme, they simply find a way to win based on their cohesiveness and understanding of their game plan that is second to none. In short, they are just really good at playing their brand of rugby and adapting it to suit the needs of each new opponent they face. That final performance against Scotland, apart from switching off for five minutes and allowing Scotland to score two tries, was perhaps the most complete Irish performance we’ve ever witnessed. This is a very smart team with everybody singing from the same song sheet.

New Zealand appears to be rising rapidly to the challenge. They’ve scored more tries and points than any other team, but we’d qualify that with the fact they’ve only really been tested once, in the tournament opener against France. To write them off would be the height of foolishness, but they also know that many see them as the underdogs on Saturday, and they are clearly enjoying the lack of attention and pressure this brings. Compare this to Ireland, who know that a nation expects them to finally break their dismal record of failure in the knockout stages of the World Cup. This is an exceptionally good All Black side. We just feel that as a unit, they simply aren’t clicking the way Ireland are at the moment. In reality, that is the only difference we can find between the two. Perhaps the best way to think of this match is that New Zealand are playing for something they’ve already owned and simply want back again, whereas Ireland have a chance to turn their wildest dreams into reality. We’ll let you decide who might be feeling the most pressure and weight of expectation, and as a result, how it might affect either side’s chances on the day.

Meanwhile down in Marseille some actual Quarter Finals are being played

As the easy side of the draw, and based on what we’ve seen so far, we have a hunch that Marseille’s four Quarter Finals are likely to be as good as it gets this World Cup for the four teams involved. Whoever emerges will have to face one of the four Super Teams in Pools A and B, giving creedence to the argument that the Semi Finals are a foregone conclusion. Pools C and D have definitely been the two most competitive groups in the tournament, but with perhaps the exception of Wales and at times Fiji, there have been some rather mediocre performances which have provided us with our four Quarter Finalists on this side of the draw.

Wales were the first to qualify and will get the party in Marseilles going on Saturday against an Argentinian side that failed to fire the imagination until their final game against Japan. The Welsh have definitely been the surprise package of the tournament in relation to Tier One countries. Written off by all and sundry before the World Cup, Wales have looked the best they’ve been in years since that tense opener against Fiji. They are boasting some very impressive numbers and have rapidly become the tournament’s smoking gun. Their demolition of Australia was clearly the icing on the cake, and despite a scrappy performance at times against Portugal, this Welsh team looks very settled and comfortable with the job at hand. Much like New Zealand, nobody is really paying them much attention, and they seem to like it that way. Furthermore, although their reunification this year with long-running Coach Warren Gatland gave rise to fears of the resumption of boring but effective “Warrenball”, there’s a lot to like about version 13.0 of Gatland’s Wales, as stodgy and predictable it definitely is not.

Their opponents on Saturday, Argentina, quite frankly have been anything but awe-inspiring. Until that is when they played Japan in a do or die fixture this Sunday. Perhaps that’s what they needed to finally spark them into life, as to be honest, we were struggling to find a pulse in this Pumas side until then. In reality, we still think they are quite a ways off the mark required to beat a Welsh unit that has looked the most consistent of all the sides in Pools C and D. However, Argentina appear to play their best rugby when it comes to the knockout stages, ask any Irish supporter, and as a result, to write them off on Saturday would be the height of folly. The big question mark centres around how well they can cope with the loss of inspirational back rower and talisman Pablo Matera, who is out for the rest of the tournament with injury. Matera has provided the fire in all of the Pumas’ recent famous victories, and without him, Argentina suddenly becomes an unknown quantity despite their wealth of talent. Hard one to call, but it’s certainly one of the weekend’s most intriguing fixtures.

England, like Wales, despite most people expecting them to crash out of the tournament in a ball of flames, surprised everyone by winning their Pool with a Round to spare. However, the quality of their opposition at times made the Men in White look exceptionally good. Their first opponents, Argentina, failed to show up on the day, allowing England to win by executing a solid kicking and defensive game. Japan, like Argentina, also clearly misread their fixture list and thought they were playing Chile instead of England, allowing England a comfortable second straight win. A brave Chilean side were sadly nothing more than a training run for a well resourced England, now featuring the return from suspension of Captain Owen Farrell. England were through to the quarters without really having to work for it.

Then Samoa turned up and highlighted the fact that England remains a poor and rather rudderless side bereft of an attacking game. The Pacific Islanders almost became the second side to make the South Pacific a place of misery for England, as the Men in White secured a narrow one point win. It was a dismal performance from England that showcased either complacency or a lack of imagination, though in our view, it was most likely a combination of the two. Traits they will pay dearly for against Fiji, who exploited such weaknesses to the full at the end of August at Twickenham. Of all the teams this tournament, England are the side we’ve found the least convincing, and one who have benefitted from opposition weaknesses rather than their own strengths. We’ll find out on Sunday, but we’re not holding our breath.

England’s opponents on Sunday in Marseille, Fiji, have also left us frustrated. We still feel they are a genuinely classy side, but consistency is simply not their strong point. Their opening game against Wales was one of the best of the Pool stages, and if that final pass had gone to hand, then they could well have ended up winning their Pool. However, that loss seemed to motivate them for that epic win over Australia a week later, where they simply outplayed the Wallabies from start to finish.

After that, however, the wheels have fallen off dramatically. We can’t figure out if it was fatigue or loss of momentum, but the almost two weeks of down time between the Australian game and their encounter with Georgia did them no favors. Their set piece work, which has improved so much during this World Cup cycle, was downright sloppy, and they were lucky to win that game against a much more structured Georgian outfit. Had Georgia been more disciplined, Fiji could have easily lost that game.

As for that final Pool game against Portugal which saw Os Lobos claim their first ever win in a World Cup, we couldn’t help get the feeling we were watching Fiji’s demise at the hands of Uruguay in the 2019 tournament all over again. Fiji put in a more cohesive performance than they did the week before against Georgia, but seemed to struggle with Portugal’s remarkable spirit and bravery. Fiji kept getting rattled by a side that simply refused to lay down and quit. As a result, the cohesion and execution that made them such a handful for Wales and Australia kept breaking down at key moments, as Portugal kept going off the script that Fiji had prepared for them. We have no doubt they’ll rise to the occasion against England and, with two back to back games under their belt, will be much sharper than what we saw in their final two Pool games. We certainly hope so, as an early exit for the magical Fijians would be as sad to witness as Scotland’s unfortunate premature exit from the Tournament.

It’s adieu to one of our favourite teams far too early, and back to the future for Australia

Your heart has to go out to Scotland, who, let’s be honest, were doomed to failure from the start. There was much justified talk about their ability as a highly skilled but maverick side to upset the giants in their Pool of Death. Sadly, though, it wasn’t to be. They never really got the chance to tilt at windmills in their two key games, which bookended their tournament. They opened their account against South Africa, who simply didn’t allow them to play, and as a result, we just didn’t see any of the promise Scotland was supposed to bring to this World Cup. They thrilled us against Tonga and Romania, but in their final match against Ireland, they once again were left with little to say. If Ireland hadn’t had a five minute lapse of concentration in the final quarter, Scotland would have emerged scoreless from that contest.

Scotland’s lack of consistency and inability to be competitive in the setpieces dogged them in the big games and ultimately found them not fit for the task at hand on the biggest stage of all. So it’s back to the drawing board despite their wealth of world class talent and yet another World Cup cycle to try and find the missing pieces. We’re genuinely sorry to see them go, and had their Pool been slightly easier, perhaps they would have found the confidence to go deeper. We’ll sadly have to wait until Australia in 2027 to find out.

Talking of Australia, they unfortunately only have themselves to blame for their first ever exit from a World Cup before the knockout stages. There is plenty of talent in this side, but it was simply too raw and inexperienced for the task at hand. Add to that a Coaching change that was going to add even more uncertainty into a side already struggling with confidence, and this World Cup was never going to end well. That it would end as such a categoric failure, however, will leave Australian rugby in a position of vulnerability that it has never been in.

Much like England, rugby in Australia is poorly managed, coached, and administered. Add in the fact that it is increasingly becoming a minority sport up against serious competition from Rugby League and AFL, and the alarm bells must surely be ringing. It will be hard to recover from the disaster of this World Cup, no matter what measures are put in place. Australian rugby has been on an accelerated slide to the bottom since the last World Cup. Its Super Rugby sides are uncompetitive unless they play each other, and internationally, Australia have only managed a 30% win rate, having won only 14 of their 43 matches since the 2019 World Cup.

With those kinds of numbers, you are in serious danger of losing your rapidly dwindling fan base. Under Dave Rennie, who was given his marching orders at the end of last year, things were slowly starting to look up, but under his replacement, Eddie Jones Australia have essentially gone skydiving without a parachute. We continue to hold that Jones’ appointment was a massive miscalculation on Rugby Australia’s part, and it remains to be seen if, after this, Jones himself still has a future in international coaching, let alone Australia. Nevertheless, the players themselves also need to take some ownership for the mess the sport now finds itself in. In short, the next four years will determine the future of the sport in Australia, and right now, the diagnosis is less than optimistic. We hope not, but the Wallabies look set to become a side much like Scotland that has a license to thrill, but is never really a contender on the big stage.

Portugal provide us with the most magical conclusion to the Pool stages!

What a SPECTACULAR way to end the Pool stages!! Portugal’s first ever World Cup win was a glorious celebration of our game and its potential. Portugal were worth their inclusion in this tournament from their opening match to that glorious final win over Fiji. It’s made all the more remarkable when you consider that they were the last team to qualify for this World Cup. Coach Patrice Lagisquet has left a remarkable legacy in his four years in charge of the team, and probably more than any other Coach in the tournament can look back on a job well done. As Portugal seek a new Coach after this World Cup, they must be given the exposure they so desperately crave to more International competition and be allowed to build on the remarkable momentum of this Tournament.

What has been extraordinary about Portugal is that despite only winning one game, we never saw the outrageous score lines that other Tier Two teams suffered. They never lost a match by more than 20 points and drew with fellow Tier Two opponents, Georgia. Of the two teams originally tipped to win the Pool, Australia, and Wales, they managed to keep the score difference to twenty points in both games. Then there was that remarkable win over Fiji to cap off a glorious tournament that won them fans around the globe. It was an extraordinary match that showcased that sometimes the desire to win is just as important as the skills needed to win, and Portugal demonstrated plenty of both. The matchday 23 that went up against Fiji put in a truly massive effort that will be remembered for years to come – if ever a victory has been earned at a World Cup through blood, sweat and tears and a ton of heart it was that one. Portugal’s success has been egged on in this tournament by some remarkably colorful and passionate fans whose commitment must now be rewarded in this next World Cup cycle.

Portugal’s journey through this World Cup has been a joyous expression of everything that is great about the global game, and we and thousands of others have loved every minute of it. We salute them, and they are our team of the Pool stages, leaving us hungry for more in years to come! We just hope they will be given the opportunities that they have now so rightfully earned.

A Tournament that has had its fair share of genuinely classy moments

Perhaps one of the best side affects of this World Cup has been the distraction it has provided us in a World beset with problems, and which has shown that the value of the human spirit still shines through. As we shudder from reading the daily headlines in the papers about the blatantly obvious effects of climate change, the depressing and seemingly endless war in Ukraine, ethnic genocide in Nagorno Karabakh and the always simmering boiling pot of conflict in the Middle East, this Rugby World Cup has allowed us a welcome distraction in plenty of 80 minute bites this past five weeks. It’s reaffirmed the value of camaraderie and shared values and the fact that players from a huge range of cultural backgrounds can respect each other and form bonds that will last long after this tournament wraps up. In short, it’s shown that the value of the human spirit is still a powerful force.

There have been so many moments of genuine class in this World Cup that have exemplified this, but we’ve highlighted three that have struck us the most. Firstly, Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi has not only been an ambassador for our sport but his country as well. His passion for his country and its people shines through in everything he says. He knows the difficulties South Africans face at all levels, yet he remains so positive and supportive of his teammates’ struggles on the pitch and those of his fellow citizens back home. If ever there was a player who embodies the pride and responsibility of playing for your country, then Kolisi showcases it to the full. There is humility to his words and actions, but also a strength that many, including some of our world leaders, would do well to emulate.

Perhaps one of the most heartwarming images we have seen so far is the sight of the entire South African and Tongan teams joining a group huddle and prayer on the pitch after their match. Despite South Africa emerging victorious, the recognition that they had been part of something special against a spirited and courageous side was there for all to see. The coming together of two very different cultures as a unified group of brothers in arms to recognise a special moment together, showed once more how unique our sport is and the remarkable shared values it has managed to maintain.

Last but definitely not least was the moment after the final Pool Match, where Fijian Coach Simon Raiwalui entered the Portuguese team dressing room and presented the players with Fijian kit and congratulated his opponents on an historic win. To watch the Portuguese players then embrace Raiwalui and wish him and his team success in their campaign through the knockout stages was genuine class from both sides. In short, we think you’d be hard pressed to show us another sport where mutual respect plays such a huge part in how the game is played both before and after the whistle.

So that’s it for the Pool Stages Folks and what a ride it’s been. We hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have. Like I say, I and the family are off to France tomorrow and won’t be back until just before the Final. I’ll do my best to get something out after this weekend’s epic round of Quarter Finals, but it’s going to be a very busy couple of weeks and we don’t want to miss a moment of soaking up the atmosphere. In short, I’ll do my best but will make no false promises. In the meantime, take care everyone and enjoy what should be an epic conclusion to a World Cup that has so far exceeded expectations!

Well, it’s the final Round of Pool matches, and in some cases, it almost feels like a round of 16 weekend, given the do or die nature of some of the matches. Italy need to somehow dig deep and find the inspiration to make life difficult for France as they have on occasion in the Six Nations, even though the likelihood of them progressing to the knockout stages at either New Zealand or France’s expense is rather remote to say the least. Samoa are in a similar situation against England and have to hope that either Japan or Argentina do them a favor, assuming the Islanders do the unthinkable and knock off an already qualified English outfit on Saturday.

Then, there’s the epic encounter between Ireland and Scotland with more mathematical permutations than most hedge fund managers have to deal with on a daily basis. It is essentially a must win for Scotland. Ireland also need a victory, but were the Irish to lose, they would have to carefully manage the scoreline till the final whistle to retain their Pool domination and route to a quarter final with New Zealand.

Then, on Sunday, it’s do or die for Argentina and Japan, with Samoa looking on anxiously from the sidelines if they pull off the upset of the tournament the day before and beat England. Last but not least Australia who for all intents and purposes will be making their seat selections on Sunday for the long flight home, will still be watching Fiji and Portugal’s encounter clutching every rabbit’s foot they can collectively find. If Portugal as one of the tournament’s favourite teams for all the neutrals upset Fiji, then Australia could suddenly find themselves having to put those flights on hold for a week as they find themselves with a quarter final spot against all odds.

That’s what got us talking this week, but also the fate of three teams that after this tournament, we want to see a LOT more, namely Portugal, Georgia, and Uruguay. We’re frustrated by how they are getting locked out of top-level competition by World Rugby for the next 4 years, despite the governing body’s adamant claim that they want to grow the game globally. This topic, in particular, kept our pints frothier than normal as we sought to look at the options for making continued exposure for these three countries a reality.

So without any further ado and before our resident scribe and his family head off to France for the Quarter-Finals, let’s get into it.

Can we please see more of the these three in the next four years – a LOT more!

Uruguay, in their opening game against France, had us spellbound and have done so ever since. They have an absolutely committed and powerful forward pack, a talented halfback partnership and some genuinely silky backs all of whom have provided us with some glorious entertainment, especially when they gave the tournament hosts France some serious food for thought. Georgia’s never say die attitude is always inspirational, and their traditional forward power is now allied to some genuinely exciting and dynamic back play. Then there’s Portugal, who have become solid fan favorites here at the Lineout. We shamefully have to confess to knowing little about them prior to the tournament, but they are now firmly on our radar for the future. With each game, they have gotten better and better, and even against big teams like Wales and Australia, there have been no outright thrashings. They have been competitive and a joy to watch, as have their exuberant and passionate fans.

There have been strong cases made by all the Tier 2 nations during this World Cup both on and off the pitch for more exposure to Tier 1 nations. However, sadly, it seems to be falling on deaf ears as World Rugby seeks to consolidate the power of the major Rugby Nations in the next four year cycle. Tier 2 nations will be all but excluded from access to Tier 1 Tests in 2025 and 2026 as a result of World Rugby’s new competition starting in 2026 between the Six Nations and Rugby Championship countries. They may have some access to France, Italy, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa in 2025 when the British and Irish Lions Tour Australia, but apart from that it’s slim pickings to the point where some could end up like Samoa having only faced one Tier 1 nation in an entire World Cup cycle.

A plate competition has been proposed by many, and we certainly think it’s a good idea during the World Cup, but World Rugby looks set to firmly quash that idea, while at the same time determined to expand the tournament to 24 teams for the 2027 edition in Australia. Unless something drastic is done during this next World Cup cycle, all we can see is this expansion providing the big teams with even more cannon fodder training games during the Pool stages. A plate competition would give teams like Portugal, Georgia and Uruguay something to play for after the Pool stages with these teams having caught the imagination of millions this tournament, while at the same time giving them more exposure to knockout international rugby. While we understand the cost implications of such a move, surely the long-term benefits in terms of ticket sales and TV rights would offset this in the long run.

So, if that’s not on the table, then ensuring that these countries get as much exposure as possible in the next four years will be vital. 2026 looks set to be a lost cause, but in 2024 and 2025, priority must be given to getting these countries access to their Tier 1 colleagues. Outside the Six Nations and Rugby Championship windows in 2024, the July and November Test windows should feature Tier Two nations as much as possible. In 2025, those players not selected for the British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia should be playing Tier Two countries during the July Test window. Also, Italy, France, South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina, who will not be involved with the Lions, should also make themselves available. In November, the same should apply as from 2026 Tier 2 countries look set to be cut off from their Tier 1 counterparts for both the July and November Test windows. As for 2027, it’s hard to judge as outside the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, there will be the inevitable warm-ups come August, which should see Tier 2 nations getting some exposure.

In short, it’s not all gloom and doom but in this critical next four year cycle, in order to build on the momentum made by sides like Portugal, Georgia and Uruguay, a genuine commitment and effort really needs to be made by World Rugby. Also let’s face it we haven’t even mentioned the USA and Canada who failed to qualify for this year’s tournament and remain in the wilderness of International Test Rugby, with the Americans set to host the tournament in 2031. We hope the SOS call will be heard, but given the actions so far of World Rugby we are feeling slightly less than optimistic as a golden opportunity to grow the game globally looks set to go missing once more.

Pool A remains the school of hard knocks and remarkable comebacks

We’ve learned three things from Pool A’s encounters. Firstly France clearly have some rather extraordinary medical facilities at their disposal, as Antoine Dupont has made a remarkable recovery from his injury against Namibia to the point where it now looks certain that he will participate in France’s campaign in the knockout stages. Secondly, after their thrashing at the hands of the All Blacks, Italy’s much vaunted improvement during this World Cup cycle looks in danger of being nothing more than a smoke and mirrors exercise. Lastly, everyone is only just starting to wake up to the increasing threat that New Zealand pose in this tournament, despite everyone essentially writing them off at the start of the tournament.

For France, all the talk of the last two weeks has been the bedside blow by blow account of Captain and scrum half Antoine Dupont’s recovery from a broken jaw picked up in the game against Namibia Such is the apparent level of skill in the French medical profession that “le petit general” looks set to return to steering his country through the knockout stages. While we and the rest of the world are delighted at the thought of seeing one of the world’s best players back in action, there are two questions that nag us.

Firstly, isn’t this all a bit rushed, especially as his first game is likely to see him have to face up to the bruising physicality that South Africa brings? How confident does he feel in himself and his body’s ability to withstand the pain and punishment of such an encounter? Is it even fair, especially given the growing emphasis on player welfare, to expect him to do so – regardless of how much he may want to? Secondly, has all the emphasis put on rushing Dupont back into service come at the expense of the team’s confidence as a whole? Sure, he’s an important player, but so important that a very talented French team with considerable depth can’t cope and progress further into the tournament without him after the Pool stages? There’s a danger, in our view, that all this hype and focus on Dupont may have been a negative and confidence sapping sideshow for the rest of the team. The first indication of that will be what kind of performance they put in against Italy on Friday night.

As for Italy, it’s really hard to judge where they’re at mentally after that complete and utter capitulation to the All Blacks last weekend. This is a good Italian team in our view, who somehow went completely and utterly AWOL for 70 minutes last weekend in Lyon. We were more than a little shocked at how dramatically Italy imploded psychologically in that match. Their body language oozed a sense of hopelessness and defeat. They managed to find a spark of their old selves on the 47th minute, but once the All Black try machine kicked back into gear three minutes later, the heads and shoulders drooped once more and Italy only seemed to snap out of it again in the final five minutes. Although they did start to look like the espresso had finally kicked in in that final five minutes, in reality, they only played 10 minutes of rugby in an eighty minute match. In short, to say Italy were awful is putting it mildly, and as their Coach Kieran Crowley said after the match there was nothing to do with that game than simply toss it in the bin when it comes to analysis.

Can they bounce back to the point where on Friday night they once more make France feel distinctly uncomfortable, as they have at times in Six Nations gone by? It’s a hard ask, and their demeanor after that All Blacks game was so abject that it would seem they now have a mountain to climb. However, we’d argue that once they’ve picked themselves up off the floor, pride against a foe they are considerably more familiar with than New Zealand will kick in. Furthermore, they will be painfully aware that back to back thrashings will once again raise the debate about their legitimacy in tournaments like the Six Nations, and this should be enough to spur them into showing us more of the kind of Italy we’ve come to expect in this World Cup cycle. They surely can’t be any worse than what we saw last weekend – can they?

New Zealand, however, will roll into their final Pool game against Uruguay this afternoon, confident that their quarter-final birth is secure, barring Italy pulling off the upset of the tournament. Furthermore, they’ll be rather comfortable that they have managed to stay on the fringes of the World Cup hype train, and it’s only now that people are suddenly talking about the genuine threat they pose. Well, not everybody. Despite the Twickenham horror show back in August and their opening loss to France, we haven’t for a second written off New Zealand. They may not be quite the vintage they were from 2011-2019, but this is a very dangerous team that, on their day, can still blow anybody off a rugby pitch with ease. Consistency may still dog them, and some questions about their defense and comfort in prolonged physical exchanges remain, but give this team room to play and allow them to take charge early on and all of sudden their opponents are having to play a significant amount of catch up rugby, putting all the pressure and risk of errors on the opposition.

Pool B as the Pool of Death remains just that!!!

As the French love to say, “en principe” Ireland and South Africa are through to the quarter finals, and Scotland sadly are on the way out. However, despite one needing a spreadsheet and a fully charged calculator to work out all the mathematical possibilities that could determine how this Pool plays out, Scotland are still very much in this to the point where a win for them on Saturday night in Paris could send either Ireland or South Africa packing. It would have to be a 21 clear points haul for them over Ireland while at the same time denying the Men in Green a bonus point, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

Scotland remain the Fiji of the Northern Hemisphere, and if they and the truly remarkable Finn Russell fire, then who knows? Our problem lies in the fact that their ability to outmuscle Ireland in the set piece battles is questionable, putting even more pressure on Russell to create magic, which can cause him to appear almost reckless at times. Scotland are capable of some remarkable performances, and we have a hunch that this will be one of them. However, probably not remarkable enough for them to rewrite Pool B’s form book. Either way, there is no denying that this is one of the most eagerly anticipated and potentially nailbiting encounters of the entire Pool stages.

Ireland, rested after their physically sapping encounter against South Africa, will want to continue their remarkable winning streak of 16 games. We, like most supporters of both sides, have found the ideas being put forward that both teams may manufacture a result to see South Africa make an early exit preposterous and a tad offensive. These are two sides with a proud rivalry, who will both want to make a statement on Saturday night in Paris. No quarter will be given, and if Scotland do end up exiting the tournament they will want to do so in a manner that leaves few people in doubt about the lopsided nature of the draw that sees the first, third and fifth sides lumped together in one Pool. Form and favor appear to tip their hat towards Ireland in this one, but it should still end up being one of the most enthralling contests of the Pool stages. The only negative caveat to this looming spectacle is that the likelihood of us not being able to watch one of the tournament’s best sides Scotland after the Pool stages looks set to be depressingly high.

As for South Africa, they will no doubt all be watching this one with a stiff drink in their hands to calm the nerves. They will take comfort in the fact that they dispatched Scotland with relative ease at the start of the tournament, and it’s hard to really judge the Scots against the likes of Tonga and Romania despite the impressive scorelines. They will know that there are no givens in this one, but that form and fate favors them to be the ones accompanying Ireland to the Quarter Finals in Paris next weekend.

Is there still a sliver of hope for Australia in Pool C?

To be honest, no. We appreciate that’s a rather harsh and brutal statement from us, especially as we are given to excessive bouts of optimism when we look at the possible outcomes of games. We would love nothing better than for our underdog favourites of this tournament, Portugal to chuck the World Rugby form book out the window and pull one over on Fiji by more than eight points while at the same time denying the Islanders any bonus points. This would secure Australia, against all the odds, a place in the quarter finals. However, reality dictates that this is the kind of fantasy stuff that Eddie Jones dreams up in his selection decisions. Australia have only themselves to blame for their early exit, and while much of it can probably be pinned on the shoulders of Eddie Jones, the players will also know that sadly they just haven’t been good enough at this World Cup. There is talent aplenty there to work with for the future, but it was all too much too soon.

The other problem we have with the above wild card scenario, which would see Australia cheating death, is that we just aren’t ready to see Fiji go home yet. We’re firmly seated and strapped in on Fiji’s roller coaster ride to the knockouts, and we definitely don’t want it to end just yet. The thought of a Fiji and England rematch in Marseille next weekend after the Twickenham slip up in August is truly mouthwatering and with it the possibility of Fiji going as far as the Semi-Finals. Fiji were clearly rattled by Georgia at times last weekend and looked as if all the hype surrounding them had gone to their heads. A revved up Portuguese side will bring all the threats Georgia posed, and their backs will expose many of the defensive frailties which saw Fiji miss 28 tackles and emerge with only a 74% tackle success rate in that match. Shades of the Uruguayan banana skin, which cost Fiji at the last World Cup, could come back to haunt them. Georgia was a very useful wake up call and we doubt that Fiji will make many of the same mistakes again, but this still should be a fascinating and at times nail-biting encounter, especially if you’re a Wallaby supporter.

Argentina struggle to come to terms with how their fate lies in the balance of their final Pool D game, while Japan look like they remember what the Brighton miracle was all about 8 years ago.

While Argentina’s thumping of their South American counterparts Chile looked very impressive last weekend, their tournament to date has looked anything but. We were certain that they were destined to waltz through Pool D, but so far, they have done anything but. They failed to show up against England, and their win over Samoa looked distinctly labored. Furthermore, with all due respect to Chile, given Argentina’s rather lackluster performances so far, how easy is it to judge them in victory against a team experiencing their first ever World Cup. Have they really fixed all the issues that cost them against England, and which made living with Samoa distinctly uncomfortable at times?

Argentina need one big performance against a quality side to spark them into life and allow them to show the form that they have graced World Cups with since 2007. Unfortunately, they’ve left it a little bit late this time around, and Japan will surely be feeling more than a little optimistic. We have a hunch they’ll turn a corner this Sunday in Nantes, but there is also the distinct possibility they could exit this tournament with a whimper.

As for Japan, opportunity knocks in Nantes on Sunday. However, much like Argentina, they have really failed to fire this tournament. As a result, one could argue that of all the contests this weekend, this one is the most evenly balanced. Both sides know that if they do get through to the knockout stages they will have to ramp up their game by at least 50% from what they’ve put on display so far, as they will have to face a Welsh unit that is brimming with confidence. There have been glimmers of the kind of brilliance we saw from Japan at the last World Cup, but it’s been fleeting and without any degree of consistency or genuine sense of cohesion within the team.

However, in their celebrations after a hard fought and at times scrappy win over Samoa last weekend, the belief that served them so well at the last global showdown seemed to emerge once more. We think that ultimately Argentina’s powerhouse brand of rugby, particularly if it clicks, will be too much for this slightly out of sorts Japanese side, but write them off at your peril. Just like the Pumas, there is one big performance somewhere out there. We just wonder if it may not come too late.

Well, that’s it for the Pool Stages folks as we get ready to get down to the business end of the tournament. We’ll try and get something out next week ahead of the Quarters, but I and the family are off to France for two weeks for the Quarter Finals, so I can’t promise anything. Will definitely try and keep up the Podcast on the road, but the written word may have to wait until we get back.

In the meantime enjoy what should be a thrilling final weekend of the Pool stages and then on to the serious business of the World Cup!!!!!

Well, the wait is over, and the Rugby World Cup is now fully underway in France, and what a fascinating tournament it’s already proving to be. There are the usual controversies, starting with the opening ceremony, which some of us found a wee bit confusing at times, to say the least. Then there was the nightmare on Elm Street with the National anthems in the first weekend, which the organisers have, thankfully, now fixed. However, more problematic are the ongoing issues surrounding a lack of consistency in refereeing decisions, as well as what can only be described as too much officiating at times, which can sap the joy out of contests. Nevertheless, despite all of this, it’s already shaping up to be a tournament that is coughing up plenty of surprises, which are perhaps a direct result of the slightly lopsided nature of the draw. Our overall impression, however, is of a tournament that is already keeping us glued to our TV screens, with plenty more entertainment to follow and drama to unfold. It’s still our sport’s greatest festival, and we’re loving every minute of it.

We’ve attempted to watch every single game since opening night, and with that and the usual pressures of life, it’s left us little time to get thoughts down on paper. So for the pool stages we’ll likely be putting one missive out during the halfway point as this piece is and one at the end, and then resume normal service once we’re into the quarters and a more manageable viewing workload.

We’ll dive into some overall impressions of the tournament in general and then get into the nitty gritty of how we think each of the four Pools are shaping up after the first two rounds. So without any further ado, here’s what kept our numerous pints frothy over the last two weeks.

No World Cup is without its controversies – one is ongoing and another much to the delight of fans has been fixed

Well, the World Cup got underway with an interesting opening ceremony, as that’s probably the best way we could describe it. Opening ceremonies, for the most part, tend to leave us a bit cold and seem to be a mere formality that one has to get through before the real action begins. The spectacle at the Stade de France was lavish, but we’re not sure we really got the message or its connection to rugby and the 200th anniversary of the first time William Webb Ellis decided to pick up a ball and run with it. Nevertheless, on a sweltering evening in Paris, the main event was soon to come, and we weren’t disappointed.

However, La Marseillaise, which surely has to be one of the greatest anthems in rugby, was really not done justice despite the best efforts of some committed school children. Don’t get us wrong, we applaud the efforts of these children who have mastered all 20 different anthems in a variety of languages. However, without accompanying musical instrumentation, such great pre-game rituals sadly got lost, and the delivery was slightly surreal and rather hollow. Players and fans alike looked lost and confused and struggled to sing along. Nevertheless, give the authorities full credit as after the first weekend all the anthems have been reworked to include instrumentation and the result is now so much better, while still preserving the remarkable efforts of the children involved.

Like any major tournament there were the inevitable teething troubles on the first weekend which do seem to have been rectified, most notably the chaotic crowd scenes and entry to stadiums particularly at the England/Argentina game in Marseille. However, the major issue that continues to dog the tournament is the officiating, which sadly seems to be a topic we just can’t seem to stop talking about this year.

World Rugby has adopted the bunker system for yellow and red cards where instead of sucking up huge chunks of game time as referees and TMOs dissect endless footage of incidents on the big screen, yellow cards are handed out and then the incident is given to the TMOs to review to determine whether said offence should then be upgraded to a red. All sounds great right and a positive addition to the process. Unfortunately, however, it has been marred by glaring inconsistencies. Some offenses aren’t even flagged, while others get scrutinised to death, and the offending players dealt harsh sentences. Some cards that should be red simply remain yellow, leaving players and supporters frustrated and confused. In short, it’s messy and once again smacks of inconsistency while leaving newcomers to the game bewildered and completely unsure what the rules really are from one game to the next. We’re not sure what the answer is here, and we doubt very much that we’re going to see any positive corrections during this World Cup.

Perhaps our biggest sticking point, however, is the tendency for almost every try to end up under review. While we agree that some tries do need to be examined as to whether or not the ball actually made it across the line, or there weren’t any transgressions leading up to it, the almost constant micro analysis of every single whitewash crossing is taking some of the pleasure and euphoria out of the game. A kicker is lining up for the conversion, and then all of a sudden, the referee is seen pressing his earpiece closer to his ear to overcome the noise of thousands of elated fans. Next thing, the arms come up framing a TV screen, and the joy gets sucked out of the game for the next five minutes. We understand the reasoning behind it, but there is definitely a bit of a disconnect going on at times, as rugby appears to be turning into some sort of hybrid exercise between players, fans, and video lawyers. Match officials should be allowed the benefit of the doubt unless it’s blatantly obvious that the try is questionable. This might help grow the game to new audiences as well as increasing the enjoyment for the thousands of committed fans in the stadiums and those crowded around TV screens in living rooms and bars across the world.

Uruguay make a statement for all Tier 2 countries by giving France the scare of their lives, while New Zealand make short work of Namibia and discover a rapidly rising star

So as we break down the Pools we reflect back on how we predicted the teams would finish, and when it comes to Pool A we think it’s fairly safe to say that the likelihood of France finishing first and New Zealand second still looks on cue, but we simply have to give Uruguay a massive shout out after they gave France a very loud wake up call.

France opened the tournament in style by beating New Zealand comfortably in the end, in a second half performance that saw them pull out all the stops. They ran the show, and although New Zealand had slightly more possession, France ensured that they could do little with it. Although both sides scored two tries apiece and New Zealand came storming out of the blocks at the opening whistle and scored the first try within the opening two minutes, the focus of the match soon centred on France’s ability to disrupt the New Zealand game plan. Once again in the opening stanza of the second half the All Blacks looked to set the pace with another try from winger Mark Telea inside the opening two minutes, but that would be the last hurrah for New Zealand.

Thereafter, it was the Fabien Galthie show for the last half hour with both of France’s sublimely executed tries coming in the second half. New Zealand was doing infinitely more work than their French counterparts, yet were failing to execute in the red zone, despite France missing twice the number of tackles – something which will be making France’s defensive brains trust pound their whiteboards in frustration. However, the All Blacks were not having a good day with the boot and their discipline was laughable as they conceded 12 penalties to France’s 4, including a yellow card for fullback Will Jordan who was lucky not to see red. France sealed the deal with a spectacular try from Melvyn Jaminet and the rest is history. However, the match left many of us with an overriding impression that neither side are invincible.

That was reinforced by France’s second game against Uruguay. In short what a performance from the South Americans who laid down a marker that the big teams will write Tier 2 teams off at their peril, something which France clearly appeared to do. France were made to sweat in that match, and then some, as they looked well off the pace to the point where the first historic upset of this World Cup seemed a distinct possibility. France regathered themselves in the final quarter as they found themselves a mere point ahead of Uruguay. France’s defense looked shaky once more as Uruguay out tackled them. The South Americans also had the edge over France in the rucks for large chunks of the match, and neither side’s scrums were particularly effective, with the French fortunately managing to salvage some set piece dominance at lineout time. France’s discipline as well was a complete drop off from their performance against New Zealand as they conceded 15 penalties and one yellow card for second rower Romain Taofifenua, who to be honest was extremely lucky not to see red.

Les Bleus got the job done but will need to get their house in order for their final Pool encounter with Italy, who must have watched the game with an increasing sense of optimism. France still look set to top the Pool, but if they are to go deep into the tournament, they will need to up their game.

New Zealand still look set to finish a comfortable second, and with the France game out of the way, the rest of the Pool stage should be relatively plain sailing for them. The opening game against France showed some weaknesses that teams will be keen to exploit in the knockouts, particularly their defensive and disciplinary lapses, as well as the fact that their scrum is adequate but not world beating Their second game against Namibia, despite a brave effort from the Namibians, was essentially a glorified training run for the All Blacks. Their goal kicking, however, is still not quite up to their usual standards, and their discipline remains lamentable at times, with Prop Ethan de Groot seeing red in the match. Their remaining two encounters with Italy and Uruguay should ensure them the two wins needed to finish second, but the Italians will be a tricky proposition especially if the All Blacks’ discipline continues to trip them up, and Uruguay will make them think twice about letting their guard down, especially if Italy end up being a banana skin for France.

However, scrum half Cam Roigard who was Man of the Match against Namibia, laid out his credentials in some style as the candidate most likely to succeed the legendary Aaron Smith when he retires at the end of this World Cup. Not shy of physical contact, Roigard has already shown excellent decision making, and his ability to spot space makes the case for fast tracking him into a starting role in the All Blacks squad come the New Year an absolute priority.

Italy still look likely to finish a strong third, but will be licking their lips at the prospect of their final encounter with France. At this stage it’s hard to judge where they are as we’ve only seen them put a hapless Namibian side to the sword in their opening game. Their fixture this week against an impressive Uruguayan side brimming with confidence will be excellent preparation for their two big encounters with New Zealand and France.

Uruguay could be the surprise package of this Pool, as after their outstanding performance against France, they must surely fancy their chances against Italy. Uruguay made a clear case for Tier 2 countries having more games against Tier 1 nations in Lille last Thursday. They have a dynamic forward pack and some electric backs. They move the ball around with enterprise and are an absolute handful at ruck time. In short, we’re billing Wednesday’s encounter with Italy as one of the games of the week. They will sadly probably be brought back down to earth with a crash in their final Pool game against New Zealand, but in the process, it will have provided us with some genuine excitement. Still a strong fourth place finish and perhaps better, if they can build on their form against France, is on the cards for one of the Tournament’s most promising prospects for the future.

Last but not least, Namibia soldier on despite being clearly destined for Pool A’s Wooden Spoon. Brave but completely outclassed by both Italy and New Zealand, Namibia can still feel encouraged by a never say die attitude that has won the hearts of those in the stands, despite the odds being massively stacked against them. Perhaps their only real shot at glory will be when they take on Uruguay in their final fixture, but after watching the South Americans put the fear of God into the French, even that looks to be a bridge too far for Namibia. Their tackling and defensive work is simply not up to the standard required at this level, while their lineout and goal kicking efforts also need some serious surgery. They can take comfort in a relatively successful work rate come scrum time, and they are fairly effective at winning their own rucks. However, a lot of that good work then gets undone by poor execution and discipline. Namibia will exit stage left on September 27th without ever really having fired a shot, but expect to see them back in Australia in 2027, hopefully in better shape.

Ireland appear to be building rather well as Sexton makes history and South Africa put Romania to the sword setting up THE clash of the Pool stages next weekend!

The talking point of the World Cup is now the Clash of the Pool B Titans, as Ireland and South Africa look to face off against each for the first time ever in the global showpiece when they meet in Paris this Saturday. It’s already being billed as THE game of the Pool stages. However, in the Tournament’s Pool of Death, there are still no certainties. South Africa may have dismantled Scotland, but the Scots still have three matches ahead of them, while Ireland have yet to be really tested. Meanwhile, Tonga and a very disappointing Romania bring up the rear.

We’re still sticking to our hunch that South Africa are going to top Pool B, but don’t feel overly confident in our crystal ball gazing skills on this one. One can’t really judge South Africa based on their demolition of an exceptionally weak Romanian outfit, but their performance against Scotland was impressive. They simply suffocated Scotland and denied them any of the creativity that they are known for. The statistic that really made us take a deep breath in that game was the fact that Scotland, a side who traditionally love to run the ball, only managed to make a measly 229 metres compared to South Africa’s 610 in that match. South Africa simply denied Scotland the right to play in that opening weekend. South Africa’s defence missed a few more tackles than the Scots who looked defensively sound for much of the match, however, the physical toll of absorbing all those metres made by South Africa left the Scots dead on their feet by the final quarter. South Africa maintained their discipline and their work in the lineouts, and at the rucks was exemplary. Their scrum, although not exceptionally effective at times, made mincemeat of the Scots, who, by comparison, struggled to gain any parity at the coalface. Nevertheless, fly half Manie Libbok’s issues at the kicking tee came back to haunt the Springboks with a vengeance as Faf de Klerk had to be drafted into to restore some confidence when it came time to kick for goal.

In their second match they completely blitzed an abject Romanian side so it really is hard to judge where this Springbok side is in relation to everyone else, especially as their kicking problems off the tee continued to plague them along with a scrum that could still be more effective. Their power and physicality should be enough to stifle another creative side in the shape of Ireland, as well as dispatching Tonga as a warm up for whoever they end up facing in the Quarter Finals. We think the defending Champions have shown enough to make them favourites to top the Pool, but we’re not putting any money on it until Ben O’Keefe blows the final whistle on Saturday in Paris.

Ireland have looked impressive since day one of this tournament, but even more so than South Africa it’s really hard to judge where they’re at, having only played the Pool’s two weakest teams so far. Romania and Tonga have made this Irish side so far look nothing short of spectacular. The cobwebs have all been blown off after a relatively gentle series of warm up games in August, and there is no denying that this Irish outfit look arguably the most cohesive and well organized group in the tournament to date. However, there is no denying that this warm fuzzy feeling may all evaporate into the ether come the end of Saturday’s bruising encounter with the Springboks. Ireland have also managed to remain for the most part injury free, and what injuries they do have are being carefully managed, but that could all change come Saturday. The Irish are also the most disciplined side so far this tournament and with Ireland Captain Jonathan Sexton back to his very best after a six month absence, it’s hard to argue against Ireland potentially going deep into this tournament for the first time ever.

There was little, if anything, to criticise in their thrashing of Romania other than the fact that their lineout left a lot to be desired, boasting a relatively feeble 67% success rate. Against Tonga, who were much more resilient opponents, the scoreline may have been not quite as awe inspiring but the efficiency of the performance was a clear step up from the game against Romania, even if Ireland’s discipline let them down slightly at times. However, their set piece and phase work was exemplary and boasted an average of 95%. Jonathan Sexton became Ireland’s all-time leading points scorer pipping the legendary Ronan O’Gara. Have we seen the best of Ireland yet? Definitely not but whether or not Coach Andy Farrell and his charges have enough tricks left up their sleeves to get past a Springbok juggernaut that, barring one or two weaknesses, is veritably purring remains to be seen. Bring on Saturday!!!!

Scotland have only played one match so far, and we always had the feeling that against a South African unit oozing with confidence after demolishing New Zealand only ten days previously, their tournament was always going to get off to a rough start. Consequently, now the real work for Scotland begins with all eyes focused on what happens between South Africa and Ireland this weekend. Scotland were simply not allowed to play by the Springboks, and in key areas such as the scrum and lineouts, South Africa put them to the sword. They are back in action against Tonga this weekend and should have had enough recovery time to get themselves back on the board and get the points clock ticking again in their favor. That’s followed by what should be nothing more than a training run against Romania ahead of their do or die winner takes all encounter with Ireland in their final Pool match.

Scotland may not have started the way they would have wanted, but to count them out after just one match would be utterly foolhardy. Nevertheless, given Ireland’s massive point hauls against Romania and Tonga, as well as South Africa’s against Romania, Scotland have a rather daunting mountain to climb if they are to get out of the Pool, and definitely need some lucky breaks. They are a quality side who unfortunately find themselves in a Group in which it will be hard to gain the parity they need, and as a result we can’t help feeling that a strong third place finish is the best this spirited and highly talented Scottish side can hope for. Nevertheless, if there is one team that can throw the form book out the window and rumble the established order, Scotland, along with Fiji, are your best bets this tournament.

Tonga, in their only match so far against Ireland, showed they can be a tough side, but one which is unlikely to cause any of the bigger, more established teams too many sleepless nights. We just can’t see them really troubling Ireland, South Africa, or their opponents in their second match this weekend – Scotland. Defensively, they look ill equipped to match the speed and creativity of South Africa or Scotland, having missed 35 tackles against Ireland, while their lineout was a complete and utter disaster. They will take comfort in the fact that Romania should be an easy win for them, and with it, a face saving fourth place finish.

Romania have sadly not been at the races in this tournament, and regrettably look set to be the team more than any other who are there simply to make up the numbers. Their best moment was their opening three minutes in their first game against Ireland, but since then, it has all gone downhill at a rate of knots. Their discipline is poor, and they seem completely out of their depth against quality sides such as South Africa and Ireland. It won’t get any easier against Scotland, and their final game should see a fired up Tongan side who is likely to have improved with every outing. There has been plenty of heart but it simply hasn’t been enough to bind together a team that appear to have little or no game plan, and is lacking in terms of their ability to execute the basics of the game under the kind of pressure that a tournament like this generates. We wish them well, but they will leave this World Cup at the bottom of their Pool knowing that a massive rebuilding programme lies ahead of them if participation in the tournament in Australia in 2027 is to be considered as a realistic ambition.

Fiji make history and rightfully claim their place at Rugby’s Top Table, while Portugal rattle Wales and continue to further the calls for Tier Two nations to have more exposure to the big boys!

We are THOROUGHLY enjoying this Pool, and it is clearly the most competitive of all the Pools. After two weekends, it is now very much the tournament’s second Pool of Death. The game between Fiji and Wales was one for the ages, and the Pacific Islanders’ historic win over Australia last weekend has now made it a do or die affair for the duration of the Pool stages for all three front runners in Pool C – Wales, Australia and Fiji, with the Wallabies arguably the side with the most to prove. Meanwhile Georgia and Portugal bring up the rear, but have still managed to make everyone sit up and take notice, and as a result a shock upset against the three top outfits in the Pool is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Wales have reverted to a proud World Cup history by proving that form heading into a World Cup is a many layered beast. They are often able to raise their game come the global showpiece and show every sign of doing so again this tournament. Their nail-biting win over Fiji was a combination of grit, determination, and just a little bit of luck. However, at the same time, they also showed tremendous ambition and as so often happens, under the tutelage of Coach Warren Gatland, their defense becomes almost superhuman. It was the game of the tournament so far, and Wales’ ability to hang on despite a Fijian side growing in confidence and ability as the match wore on was impressive. Fiji tried every trick in the book, but somehow, against all odds, Wales managed to slow them down or force them into errors. Fiji’s relentless assault on Wales was a genuine test of character and resolve. Fiji outplayed Wales, but Gatland’s men somehow managed to contain them while at the same time creating enough opportunities of their own to keep the scoreboard ticking over in their favor. Some have argued that their discipline could have been infinitely more costly and had referee Matthew Carley been harsher with Wales, but that’s a debate for another day.

In their next game against Portugal, it wasn’t nearly as inspirational a performance as that against Fiji, and at times Wales were clearly having difficulty in getting to grips with an opponent who was causing them far more difficulties than they had bargained on. Their lineouts fell apart, and Portugal proved very effective at disrupting Welsh efforts to develop any kind of momentum. It was a scrappy affair that Wales comfortably won in the end, but it brought them down to earth with a thump. Perhaps that’s no bad thing ahead of their encounter with Australia this weekend which could see them top their Pool, barring an upset in their final game against a Georgian outfit who have been a constant thorn in their side over the last few years. Wales appear on track to throw the form book out the window, making their clash with the Wallabies this weekend in Lyon, the second biggest game of the weekend.

Fiji as a result of that heartbreaking loss to Wales in the opening round, now look set to take second place in Pool C, unless the Wallabies do them a favor in Lyon this weekend and once more throw this Pool wide open. As mentioned above, Pool C has become the Tournament’s most surprisingly competitive and close fought group. In many ways, Fiji were the better side against Wales, yet at key moments, their execution was just a fraction off. Fiji’s biggest problem seems to be that they fix one area of their game, yet in doing so, another component goes astray. In the game against Wales, they boasted a 92% success rate at lineout time yet against Australia that percentage dropped to a disappointing 74%. Against Wales, their tackle completion rate was only 67%, yet against Australia, it went to a much healthier 82%. While many of the technical aspects of their game have vastly improved in the last four years, against both Australia and Wales, they still suffered at scrum time. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to be positive about as Fiji look set to get through to the knockout stages.

They will continue to get better, and what struck us the most about their game against Australia was they are now just as comfortable patiently grinding out a physical contest, as they are in open play and utilizing their outrageously skilled running game. This is a really good Fijian team that is only steps away from becoming a team capable of making history in this tournament and beyond. In short, the promise for Fiji is enormous, and World Rugby simply has to ensure that they are able to feature regularly in top Tier competitions from now on. The talent has always been there, but now it’s matched to all-around ability. Fiji’s hardest matches are behind them, though a tough contest awaits them in the shape of Georgia before what should be a good workout against Portugal and on to the Quarter Finals.

Australia, as we feared they might, are in danger of making an early exit from the Pool stages. A hard fought win at times over Georgia in their opening game was then followed up by their historic loss to Fiji. They now find themselves in a potentially do or die clash with Wales this weekend as a result. We don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but it’s still our belief that Rugby Australia’s decision to fire former Coach Dave Rennie just nine months out from a World Cup was a serious mistake. Eddie Jones, his successor, had left England in a fractured mess that they only seem to be just emerging from. Australia’s win rate under Rennie was poor, but it was showing signs of an upward trajectory with a group of players buying into what he was trying to achieve. We’re not sure that the Eddie Jones’ style of management really lends itself to a slow but consistent development process. Time will tell, but we’re not convinced. Under Eddie Jones’ tenure, England’s discipline was poor, to say the least, and Australia’s under Jones guidance seems no better, if not worse. Against Fiji, they conceded a whopping 18 penalties compared to Fiji’s 7.

Defensively, Australia continues to look vulnerable, especially out wide, and Wales will be keenly aware of this. Against Georgia, they only managed a paltry 69% tackle success rate and were only able to improve it by 3% against Fiji. Goal kicking remains a problem if Ben Donaldson is unavailable and the kicking duties are left to fly half Carter Gordon. Australia have the talent but look poorly structured, and their decision-making at times is well short of the mark. The Wallabies will have to dig deep against Wales and a win is non negotiable if they are to stay alive, which will then have to be followed up by a significant points haul against Portugal in their final game. They’re not dead yet but could be facing their first ever exit at the Pool stages if a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes is not on the cards this Sunday in Lyon.

Georgia could also spring a surprise against either Australia or Wales, or even both. We still feel they are destined to finish a strong fourth, but given the competitive nature of this Pool, there are no certainties. Georgia have only played one game against Australia, and this weekend, they take on Portugal, their fellow European Tier 2 rivals. As expected against Australia, their scrum was rock solid, and defensively, they proved to be a challenge for the Wallabies to break down. Their lineout work could have been better, but they tackled like demons and on attack looked enterprising and full of pace. Improve their goalkicking and discipline, and this is a side that looks set for a bright future. Wales will be wary of them when they meet them at the conclusion of the Pool stages, especially if Georgia come into that game on the back of a strong showing against both Portugal and Fiji. The game against Portugal is clearly Georgia’s to lose, and while we have trouble seeing them getting past Fiji, they have a reputation for being Wales’ bogey team, especially if Wales have picked up some awkward injuries by that stage. In short, don’t write Georgia off just yet.

Portugal have also only played one game so far, but their contest with Wales was illuminating, and we thoroughly enjoyed a match that, to be honest, we weren’t expecting much from. Despite this being only their second World Cup, they certainly didn’t appear intimidated by the big stage, and had they had more success off the kicking tee, the score could have been considerably closer. Their lineout work was excellent, and they proved able to match Wales at ruck time. Their discipline was no worse than Wales despite the red card issued to Winger Vincent Pinto for his unfortunate “kung fu” kick to the face Josh Adams. Their one try was a superbly executed move off a lineout, and they played some genuinely entertaining running rugby at times, causing the Welsh defense all sorts of problems. In short, as your first outing at a World Cup in almost twenty years, it was a solid effort, and their clash with Georgia this weekend should be a fascinating contest. They may well end up finishing bottom of their Pool, but will have won the hearts and minds of many a neutral in the process. In a Pool that still may have plenty of twists and turns, watch this space!

England may not be the most exciting team in the tournament but are increasingly showing that they know how to get results, while Samoa look set to make life difficult for everyone in Pool D

This Pool also looks set to be highly competitive, but perhaps the biggest talking point is a resurgent England, given that everyone ourselves included had for all intents and purposes written them off ahead of the tournament. Japan have started to click at long last to the point where their clash with Samoa and a faltering Argentina could be some of the highlights of the Pool stages. Argentina, despite going missing in action in their opener are sure to come roaring back to life in their second match against Samoa this Friday. Samoa looked exceptionally motivated and sharp against tournament newbies Chile, but the South American debutants have shown that they are not just there to make up the numbers, even if they may well finish at the bottom of the Group.

However, it’s England that everyone seems to be talking about in this Pool. You have to ask yourself, where did those performances against Argentina and Japan come from? England’s attack may still not strike fear into the hearts of sides like Ireland, France or New Zealand, but their ability to control the game to suit their strengths, most notably a strong defence and a solid territorial kicking game keeping opponents pinned in their own half, orchestrated by the excellent George Ford at fly half, has now put them in a position where they look set to emerge unlikely winners of Pool D. If you’d asked us, or anyone else, it would seem, if this would have been the case prior to the World Cup, most people would have struggled to keep a straight face. That is no longer the case.

Perhaps the biggest question posed for England Coach Steve Borthwick is what does he do with Captain Owen Farrell, who is now able to play after his suspension for the first two games? This may be oversimplifying things, but our overriding impression is that England have played better without Farrell, as harsh as that may sound. Nevertheless, it still may be a touch hasty to judge England on their last two performances. Argentina simply failed to show up in that opening match, which to some degree masked the fact that England’s attack is still largely non-existent. There was some definite promise shown in that regard in last weekend’s efforts against Japan, with perhaps their crowning achievement being Prop Joe Marler’s bizarre header assist for Captain Courtney Lawes’ try.

In short, against all expectations, England are starting to look like they are building towards something. It may ultimately only be a place in the Quarter Finals, but barring a serious wobble against Samoa in their final Pool game, it’s looking fairly certain that England are going to win their Pool and potentially end up in a rematch with Fiji in the Quarters. After their humiliation at Twickenham by the Pacific Islanders last month, could this be the grudge match of the tournament?

Argentina are a conundrum plain and simple. In their only match of the tournament so far against England, and one which many people had tipped them to win, they simply failed to show up except for the final ten minutes by which time it was too late. It was a strange game to watch, as if you look at the stats, it doesn’t paint that bad a picture, but watching on our TV screens Argentina looked distinctly off the pace. Every promising attack fizzled out into a set of wasted opportunities, and a lot of their set piece work was simply not up to the standards we’ve come to expect from the Pumas. Add to that a penalty count that was a disturbing flashback to the bad old days of Argentina’s past problems with discipline, and there really wasn’t much to get excited about for them or their supporters. Their next game this weekend against Samoa should get them back on track, but make no mistake. Samoa will be no pushover and will be able to match Argentina both in terms of physicality and pace. If the Pumas stutter again, then they could suddenly find themselves with a do or die situation against Japan in their final Pool game.

We still think they will be able to regroup and finish a strong second, enabling them to find their groove for another strong run through the knockout stages. However, they may be regretting their decision to not play any big matches after the conclusion of the abbreviated Rugby Championship this year, barring a messy contest with South Africa in Buenos Aires at the beginning of August. In short, they arrived in France looking seriously undercooked, and they need some consistently big performances between now and October 8th. Otherwise, they could find themselves heading home much earlier than they and most of us expected.

Japan looked good in their opening game against a sparkling Chilean side who were clearly relishing their World Cup debut. Against England, while there were flashes of brilliance at times, George Ford’s ability to keep forcing Japan back into their 22 after every promising attack was clearly frustrating the Japanese as well as proving to be exhausting. As the game wore on Japan looked increasingly worn out, the handling errors mounted, and despite the injections of fresh energy from the bench, they looked increasingly bereft of ideas. They simply couldn’t break down a resolute English defense whilst their own defense became increasingly disorganised and porous. Japan’s remaining fixtures against a very motivated Samoan outfit followed by a tough final encounter against Argentina would seem to indicate that the best they can hope for is a third place finish, and with it automatic qualification for Australia in 2027. Sadly the Japan that took the world by storm at the last World Cup hasn’t arrived in France this year, but with the dramatic growth of the club game in the country we have a hunch it won’t be long before they’re back.

Samoa look set to be another of the tournament’s surprise packages after their rattling of Ireland’s cage in the warmups and a comprehensive demolition of World Cup debutants Chile in their opening game. There was little to find fault with in Samoa’s performance as they brought their world-renowned physicality and turn of pace to an exciting encounter. Defensively, at times, they looked a bit suspect, and their missed tackle count will be something Argentina, Japan, and England will be keen to exploit. However, their set piece platform looks relatively solid, and at times, their handling skills are up there with Fiji’s. Any side that takes them lightly is likely to pay heavily. Nevertheless, they have a daunting run to the end of the Pool stages, starting with Argentina and ending with England. If they fare well against Argentina and particularly Japan, based on their performance against Ireland last month, they will definitely fancy their chances of causing the upset of the tournament by beating England in their final game. Either way, we think you’ll find Manu Samoa’s exploits to be some of the tournament’s most entertaining.

Last but not least, we have World Cup debutants Chile. After their first two games, it would appear they are the new fan favourites and certainly the cherished underdogs of French supporters. They’ve been greeted with such vocal support in both their games that it must surely feel like they’re back home in Santiago at times. They have some genuinely impressive players both in the forwards and backs, but for us fullback Inaki Ayarza looks set to become one of the stars of the tournament, and we have a hunch a few of the big French clubs have already got their cheque books out. Although the score lines were not overly flattering towards Chile in their opening two games against Japan and Samoa, the stats show a significant improvement in all areas against Samoa. Chile look like they and their supporters are enjoying every moment of this World Cup. It’s great exposure for a side that shows plenty of promise, and along with Uruguay reinforces the potency and vitality of the growing game in South America, something we here in North America could do well to learn from. Chile are likely to finish the bottom of their group, but they and all of us cheering them on look set to thoroughly enjoy the ride!

Well, that’s it, folks, and how we see the Pools after the first two enthralling weeks. So far, this World Cup, despite some of its inherent problems, has certainly exceeded our expectations. It really is a global celebration of our glorious sport, and every team and the supporters from number one ranked Ireland to Chile at 22 are making sure that every contest leaves you hungry for more.

So enjoy the spectacle, and if not before, we’ll be back at the end of the Pool stages.