Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Help Support The Rugby Forum :
Forums
Rugby Union
Rugby World Cup 2023
Japan RWC 2019
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Leonormous Boozer" data-source="post: 851565" data-attributes="member: 45598"><p>Are Japan better than Italy? I'm not too sure, are they good enough to beat a competent and focused Tier 1 side? Definitely not. You've also neglected to mention band 4 and 5 teams, pool A will likely get Romania and Tonga from what I've read, they're routine wins with second string sides, D is likely to get Fiji and Canada, there's another team to take seriously. C likely get Samoa and USA to complete a really rotten group and NZ definitely have it the easiest with the two weakest teams in Namibia and the repechage winner, Italy will cause no problems and South Africa have loads to do to get anywhere near them.</p><p>So from easiest to hardest for the band 1 and 2 sides I rank it B-A-D-C.</p><p></p><p>Add to this the fact that games against Scotland and Japan will not be huge physical contests and our front liners should get through the group relatively unscathed in comparison to a sound Italian side and a brutal French side last time out. If a cup winner comes out of C I'd be hugely impressed because there's four physical sides there, D's qualifiers should be good enough to take it easy against Georgia and have two tough games, while if Ireland and Scotland continue their current trajectory it should be a breeze similar to what the runner up in pool B gets (ie one tough game v NZ), I think its just as likely that Italy can pull another win over on SA than is is for Japan to beat Scotland and I see all band 1 teams topping their groups unbeaten, C and D could get fun below that, A and B need big upsets.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Leonormous Boozer, post: 851565, member: 45598"] Are Japan better than Italy? I'm not too sure, are they good enough to beat a competent and focused Tier 1 side? Definitely not. You've also neglected to mention band 4 and 5 teams, pool A will likely get Romania and Tonga from what I've read, they're routine wins with second string sides, D is likely to get Fiji and Canada, there's another team to take seriously. C likely get Samoa and USA to complete a really rotten group and NZ definitely have it the easiest with the two weakest teams in Namibia and the repechage winner, Italy will cause no problems and South Africa have loads to do to get anywhere near them. So from easiest to hardest for the band 1 and 2 sides I rank it B-A-D-C. Add to this the fact that games against Scotland and Japan will not be huge physical contests and our front liners should get through the group relatively unscathed in comparison to a sound Italian side and a brutal French side last time out. If a cup winner comes out of C I'd be hugely impressed because there's four physical sides there, D's qualifiers should be good enough to take it easy against Georgia and have two tough games, while if Ireland and Scotland continue their current trajectory it should be a breeze similar to what the runner up in pool B gets (ie one tough game v NZ), I think its just as likely that Italy can pull another win over on SA than is is for Japan to beat Scotland and I see all band 1 teams topping their groups unbeaten, C and D could get fun below that, A and B need big upsets. [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Rugby Union
Rugby World Cup 2023
Japan RWC 2019
Top