A really good world cup! here are my thoughts about some of the teams performances (with no offence whatsoever meant to the teams themselves or their supporters!!!)
Japan - the hosts. Absolutely superb, as i suspected they would be. Well organised, good infrastructure, great transport and welcoming people who really joined in the spirit of the tournament. I loved they way that they had no qualms about also supporting another team as well as their own one. Not sure that would be the case with just about any other rugby playing country? Dignity and stoicism shown when they were hit by the massive typhoon.
Japan- the team. A fantastic world cup for them. Cemented their place at the top tier without a hint of 'plucky underdog' syndrome. Deservedly beat Ireland and Scotland with a scintillating brand of running rugby, backed by ridiculously high fitness levels. Committed in attack, blinding ball and foot speed and a joy to watch. Got a bit found out by the Boks in the end (and if we had played Japan, we would have played exactly the same way against them), but who didn't? I reckon their next challenges will be to get some games against top tier countries and to show us it wasn't all a flash in the pan by putting together some good performances away from home. World Rugby should be looking at Japan as a vast potential market.
South Africa - had lost their way over the past 5 years or so. Went back to their traditional Bok game of power, power, power. Devastatingly strong set piece, didn't lose a lineout in the whole tournament, abrasive and big scrum and old fashioned physical Springbok beasts in the backs, sprinkled with a bit of wing stardust here and there. Old-school Rugby, strong and direct and always played true to themselves. can't see too many people disputing the fact they deserved to win it, and also made a good media splash. De Allende, Vermeulen and The Beast were right up there as Players of the Tournament. My dark horse pick at the beginning of the tournament.
England- I thought they overachieved, as many people including me didn't think they would beat the All Blacks in the semi. For them to produce the best England performance I have ever seen (including in 2002-3) was a real achievement, and they reduced NZ to a bit of a panicked rabble. You could argue that their serene group progress, the cancelled game against their only real group rival and then their total domination of the AB's meant they were a bit ring rusty when they were put under the cosh. The Boks did to them what they did to NZ, and I haven't seen an English scrum so dominated and bullied for a long long time. (I still think Jones made a big mistake on bringing only 2 props on that side). They are a young team, and most of them will will be back and better for the experience. Were badly rattled by the Boks, and need to look at how to sort that out. Having said that Australia and the All Blacks couldn't solve that problem against England either.
New Zealand - anytime they don't win the tournament is seen as a failure, so I guess that is how this Cup will be remembered by them. They came into the tournament being a lot less dominant than they had been over the past three years, and I suppose the coach gets the blame for that. Still, a team full of world class performers and experimented with the exciting Barret/Mo'unga double axis. Played some thrilling rugby, really incisive, but sacrificed some forward heft for more mobile and smaller players ..... nearly backfired against the Boks and definitely did so against England. Where do they go now? New coach, new captain and probably a lot of new players. Will they stick to the Hansen gameplan and style? No idea, but it will be fun finding out.
Wales - amazing that we Welsh fans think they only met the target of at least a semi final. For such a tiny country, with a small player base, to expect to reach the semi final and hope to get to the final, and pray to win that final is incredible. Never reached the heights of play, but were typically obdurate, unyielding and flinty. Outgutted the wallabies, Fiji and France (undeservedly in the case of France). Playing a style that leads to so many tight games, it's only a matter of time before you are on the wrong end of one and that did happen against the Boks. We could have won that game as I felt we were more dangerous with ball in hand, but the Bok pack was just that bit more disciplined and better than us. Questions for the future - similar to NZ!
France - finally turned up for a game in the quarter final, and they were excellent. They have the athletes, the skills, the player base and home advantage at the next world cup. A very young team who will be peaking in 2023. watch this space as they will be real contenders next time around..... as long as they don't keep having those stupid brain freezes at key moments. WHAT the hell was Vahaamina thinking!!!!
Ireland - underperformed against their expectations. Have been a really excellent team for some years but I think this tournament was 18 months too far for some of the ageing squad. I get why Schmidt stuck with them, but maybe he was being a bit too loyal 18 months ago. Looked fearful and apprehensive before their big matches and this stilted their play on the field. Didn't really manage to produce the goods when under pressure.
Thats the Quarter finalists. A few more random observations
Samoa - terrible, when you look at their World Cup history. A really disappointing tournament for them, which showed how impoverished their RU is. can't see a way back for them unless something fundamentally changes in world rugby, which would be a disaster. same for Tonga.
Fiji - Wierd. Big. fit forwards that handle like backs. backs the size of forwards. Unplayable and unstoppable most of the time. Semi Hadrada was my player of the tournament. A total beast, and one of many. How the hell did they lose to Uruguay????
Australia - a poor Cup. wanted to run the ball from everywhere, and in Kerevi they had a monster of a man to do so. Pocock/Hooper were ineffective as the game has moved on tactically at the breakdown now. England did to them what they also did against the All Blacks. Wales cut them apart and then ground them down in a thrilling game. They nearly lost to Fiji. A poor world cup, and I'm not sure their coach endeared the Wallabies to the rest of the world with some bizarre media interviews and accusations.
North America - Canada and the US were very poor (admittedly Canada didn't play all their games). Looks like their rugby has regressed over the past few years. let's see of their fledgling rugby leagues gain some traction in places where other sports reign supreme with their populations.
Scotland - awful, I'm afraid. Poor on the pitch, lacked a cohesive gameplan or strategy, never turned up against Ireland and lost their heads against Japan. The SRU showed appalling crassness and insensitivity in threatening to sue over a game that wasn't even cancelled - while 80 people were dead and thousands of the hosts homeless after a natural disaster. It's still only a game, lads.
Italy - meh. They won the games they were expected to and lost the ones they were expected to. Nobody seemed to notice they went home because their game was cancelled , denying their legends a final swansong against the All Blacks. they made less fuss about that than the SRU would have, i suspect. Argentina underwhelmed I'm afraid. Unlucky against a disinterested France, they were a long way away from the superb play we saw in 2011.
Namibia and Russia -played with pride and passion of course, but ( and sorry to any of their fans), they are a long way behind Tier 2
Uruguay - I would have put them in with Namibia and Russia, but how wrong could i be? Played some good stuff, got their famous win over Fiji and were always competitive for at least 40 minutes against everyone else. A successful world cup for them!
Georgia - respectable, but ultimately didn't do much to justify their inclusion into the 6 nations.
General - World Rugby should not tinker with the rules just before a world cup. I thought this would be ruined by red cards. I thought the refereeing was poor in the Group stages but improved in the knockout rounds. Too many refs still abrogate from making a decision and consult the TMO too often.
Finally - that TMO guy, Skene, was relentlessly annoying. Did he want all his games to be about him? he was like the classroom snitch who sits up at the front with hand vibrating fiercely in the air, going 'Miss. me me me' and then tells tales on the other kids. he really wound me up!
Sorry for the long post. I hardly write anything much on here, thought i do lurk around the place. I'm sure people will disagree roundly with my views, but I watched every game, hugely enjoyed it and wanted to share my perhaps erroneous opinions!"