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Poll - Who will win the Rugby World Cup 2019 ?

Who will win the Rugby World Cup 2019 ?

  • New Zealand

    Votes: 21 32.8%
  • South Africa

    Votes: 27 42.2%
  • England

    Votes: 6 9.4%
  • Ireland

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • Wales

    Votes: 4 6.3%
  • Australia

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • France

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Argentina

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • Scotland

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Japan

    Votes: 2 3.1%

  • Total voters
    64
  • Poll closed .
Picked NZ as they're the most likely to win (although it's far from certain), if I were betting I'd stick the price of a pint at a stadium on Australia which pays something like 50-1 when I last looked.

I don't do sports betting though, bookies are the only real winners just like nearly every type of gambling against the house.

*edit*
Who voted Japan? :D
 
Picked NZ as they're the most likely to win (although it's far from certain), if I were betting I'd stick the price of a pint at a stadium on Australia which pays something like 50-1 when I last looked.

I don't do sports betting though, bookies are the only real winners just like nearly every type of gambling against the house.

*edit*
Who voted Japan? :D
Bookies aren't trying to accurately reflect the sport though, the odds are based off who the general betting public is betting on.
 
I'm surprised SA are coming out quite clear favourites on here (I went England myself perhaps out of hope) but the WC itself should be great. I hope six sides really bring their best game and we see how it all plays out.
 
I'm surprised SA are coming out quite clear favourites on here (I went England myself perhaps out of hope) but the WC itself should be great. I hope six sides really bring their best game and we see how it all plays out.

SA are a bit like England in that they've got a world class pack and some classy backs but they've got the advantage of being more battle hardened and have looked more consistent than England this season or so.


It's weird with New Zealand, they'll always be number 1 - it's really a poll for who is most likely to pull the upset off.
 
If the All Blacks have a poor showing in Japan, it could be a long time before we hear that narrative again.

But that's a big if
Too much money in the bank, imo

It's like Man UTD is always considered the biggest football club in the world regardless of recent success

The All Blacks are bigger than the sport of rugby union
 
Think SA have looked very similar to the Wales team of a year or two ago. Massive power and defence, wearing down the opposition, without too much flair.
It's bloody effective and I'm not knocking it.
I feel the depth of teams like England and NZ will pay off in the end though. (anyone who thinks NZ have a small player base to pick from needs to check the stats)
 
Think SA have looked very similar to the Wales team of a year or two ago. Massive power and defence, wearing down the opposition, without too much flair.
It's bloody effective and I'm not knocking it.
I feel the depth of teams like England and NZ will pay off in the end though. (anyone who thinks NZ have a small player base to pick from needs to check the stats)
I think they're so dangerous because on top of that ability to wear down with players like PSDT, Vermeulen and DDA they also have players like Kolbe and Hershel who can take a match in a heartbeat. They will win this RWC.
 
I've got to agree with a lot of pundits. This is the most even world cup there's been. NZ aura of invincibility is being eroded, the Boks are going back to power, England have 6 or 7 teams they can send, Wales are #1 (Had to say it), Argentina have the potential to put in a challenge, Australia will ignore the tournament if they don't win it, and Scotland are sending a team.
 
I think South Africa and England look set to be heavyweights in this tournament but I have one concern for world rugby.

The All Blacks have not played well the last two years but having spoken to a few people around the ABs scene through my job I am almost certain that the All Blacks a preparing a nasty surprise for world rugby at this world cup.

My understanding is the All Blacks have spent the last 24 months working on a game plan for this tournament that was born out of the Lions series. They have refused to show anything strategy related in these lead-up games except for the 2nd half vs South Africa in the game which was a draw. If you rewatch that game you will see a clear difference in how the All Blacks played for 20 mins in that 2nd half.

  • If you look back at that last game between South Africa and All Blacks, SA dominated the first half. Without giving to much away in the 2nd half the All Blacks sent pods of players at different numbers and angles on the attack. For the 20 mins they did this South lost control of the game and seemed powerless and All Blacks rolled upfield at will. Once they gained the lead they stopped playing this pattern and put it back in the pocket.

  • Against Australia first game they played completely with no structure and then lost a man and continued playing the whole game with 14 players/structureless.

The world celebrated, believing the end of the All Blacks dominant run was here.

  • One week later the AB's play with structure and fury. They wiped Australia out mercilessly and kept them to 36 - 0. It was a brutal killer display.

What I know is this. If the All Blacks will drop a game at this world cup, it will likely be the first game to South Africa. They won't show their tactics this early in the tournament yet.

Once the Quater finals are in action I am extremely confident you will see a very different All Blacks machine.

One that you have not seen in the last four years.

The race will be on to beat the clock for the other teams to work out and close down these new structures.

It is going to cause severe headaches and a lot of holes in defences.

Look at the All Blacks squad they have chosen. Look at how small and explosive their loose forwards are.

Look at every other side forward packs - bigger and heavier.

This is going to be extremely interesting!

I predict from the quarter finals you will see a devastating and ruthless ABs.

Let's see if I am right.

The world thinks the All Blacks Aura has been eroded. They know that and they may actually like that too.
 
Last edited:
I thought everyone was just going to vote for their own country so I thought hey let's vote for the host nation instead. Didn't see it coming that SA would get that many votes.
 
Dunno.... RSA played NZ in NZ twice in the last two years, won one and drew the other. I'd take that as a presentation card over winning the six nations, any day.
Sure, they have been inconsistent (they lost both to us and Aus before beating NZ in 2018), but they are also a team that historically turns up when they need to.

When their pack is having a good day they're monstrous.
 
I have gone with South Africa.
I think it is a fairly even chance for it to be England, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand though, the others may be close (except Japan) but aren't really serious contenders without some surprise results.
 
I think South Africa and England look set to be heavyweights in this tournament but I have one concern for world rugby.

The All Blacks have not played well the last two years but having spoken to a few people around the ABs scene through my job I am almost certain that the All Blacks a preparing a nasty surprise for world rugby at this world cup.

My understanding is the All Blacks have spent the last 24 months working on a game plan for this tournament that was born out of the Lions series. They have refused to show anything strategy related in these lead-up games except for the 2nd half vs South Africa in the game which was a draw. If you rewatch that game you will see a clear difference in how the All Blacks played for 20 mins in that 2nd half.

  • If you look back at that last game between South Africa and All Blacks, SA dominated the first half. Without giving to much away in the 2nd half the All Blacks sent pods of players at different numbers and angles on the attack. For the 20 mins they did this South lost control of the game and seemed powerless and All Blacks rolled upfield at will. Once they gained the lead they stopped playing this pattern and put it back in the pocket.

  • Against Australia first game they played completely with no structure and then lost a man and continued playing the whole game with 14 players/structureless.

The world celebrated, believing the end of the All Blacks dominant run was here.

  • One week later the AB's play with structure and fury. They wiped Australia out mercilessly and kept them to 36 - 0. It was a brutal killer display.

What I know is this. If the All Blacks will drop a game at this world cup, it will likely be the first game to South Africa. They won't show their tactics this early in the tournament yet.

Once the Quater finals are in action I am extremely confident you will see a very different All Blacks machine.

One that you have not seen in the last four years.

The race will be on to beat the clock for the other teams to work out and close down these new structures.

It is going to cause severe headaches and a lot of holes in defences.

Look at the All Blacks squad they have chosen. Look at how small and explosive their loose forwards are.

Look at every other side forward packs - bigger and heavier.

This is going to be extremely interesting!

I predict from the quarter finals you will see a devastating and ruthless ABs.

Let's see if I am right.

The world thinks the All Blacks Aura has been eroded. They know that and they may actually like that too.

This is part of the current narrative in NZ and I think it's probably true, though it's not like the other coaches don't have the ability to do the same and keep parts of their World Cup game plan "secret". I'll agree that the ABs right now are a little underrated though, which could play into their hands perfectly. People seem to be obsessed with recent form but forget these are just warm up games.
 
Interesting analysis here:



The stats favour NZ and I'm expecting them to win it again.
Edit: My gut is that the Boks are on a bit of a wave at the moment and there is hype around the team but the world cup is a different beast. Time will tell.
 
I think NZ will win, as previously stated......but to add to that, I do not think SA will make the final. I think they will exit in the semi's. I think NZ will be unbeaten.
 

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