World Cup rankings 1-20

[Leonormous Boozer]

I've seen some conversations about it recently and thought I'd start a thread discussing who we thought were the best and worse teams at the WC.


Top 4 are ranked so it's straight forward in my opinion.

1. All Blacks
2. France
3. The Wallabies
4. Wales

Next 4 aren't too tough either.

5. Ireland (Before from 1/4 final they looked like one of the best three sides)
6. South Africa
7. Argentina
8. England (would have been 7th but the last performance was awful)

This is where it gets hard

9. Tonga (The only team to beat a top tier nation)
10. Samoa (Really put it up to Wales and S.A)
11. Scotland (Came close but under preformed throughout the pool)
12. Italy (Never challenged Ireland or Aus)

13. Canada (Played some great rugby at times and really came close against France)
14. Georgia (Gave all the teams but England a challenge)
15. USA (Played well vs Ireland)
16. Fiji (Big disappointment)

17. Japan (Only team not to lose all their matches and played great vs France)
18. Russia (Really went after tries)
19. Romania (Gave Scotland a challenge)
20. Namibia (Not a WC standard side yet)

 

[Teh Mite]

How about:

1. New Zealand



















2. Does it really matter? They're all over rated shite who'd get smashed by any HEC or Super 14 side anyway.

 

[M Two One]

There is actually a thread for this currently ranking 16 through 20 with more to come.

Feel free to discuss there.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Really? Super 14?

 

[Teh Mite]

Really? Super 14?

There's nothing super about Melbourne!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Hahahaha, true!

 

[Aedaphon]

Hah, well with signings they might not get smashed this year. Hurricanes look like they're gonna be the punching bag of the season...

 

[Teh Mite]

Awwww bless, psychic duck had a difference of opinion again! :lol:

 

[Tricia McMillan]

I actually got bored yesterday and sorted the teams as if they were on a single table after the group stage:

New Zealand
South Africa
England
Ireland
Wales
Australia
Argentina
France
Scotland
Samoa
Italy
Tonga
Canada
Fiji
Georgia
United States
Japan
Russia
Romania
Namibia

(I deleted the points and scoring difference columns because trying to format it properly in the reply box was ******* me off since I couldn't get it to work.)

 

[William18]

Holistically?

New Zealand
South Africa
Australia
Wales
France
Ireland
England
Argentina

Tonga
Samoa
Scotland
Italy
Canada
Georgia
United Sates
Fiji
Romania
Japan
Russia
Namibia

 

[Dizzy]

In my opinion.

1.New Zealand
2.Australia
3.Wales
4.South Africa
5.France
6.Ireland
7.Argentina
8.England
9.Samoa
10.Tonga
11.Scotland
12.Italy
13.Canada
14.Fiji
15.Japan
16.Georgia
17.United Sates
18.Romania
19.Russia
20.Namibia

 

[Melhor Time]

1 New Zealand - Would still be first if France had won the final.
2 France - Great QF and Final to merit second best.
3 Australia - Unlucky to lose so many back three players
4 Wales - Overachievers in theory but certainly a worthy Semi Finalist
5 Ireland - Would have been higher if not for the QF
6 South Africa - no South African made the top 15 linebreakers. Poor in attack.
7 Argentina - With a better goalkicker they would have won the Pool and then had France in the QF
8 England - The wrong captain and coach led to wrong choices of players and game play.
9 Scotland - Can´t score tries but can otherwise play well
10 Samoa - Unlucky. Could have done better in Pool A. Still behind the Scot´s though.
11 Italy - Wrong Pool. Could have beaten all but NZ in Pool A.
12 Canada - Were in the right pool. Deserved the win and draw.
13 Tonga - No side that loses to Canada is a top 10 side.
14 Georgia - defence like Argentina and attack like Scotland
15 Japan - better than both Canada and Tonga but not on the day.
16 USA - could have done the same as Canada in that pool
17 Russia - would have defeated Namibia, Fiji and Romania.
18 Fiji - utterly poor. Unfit players while many were unselected and playing in France.
19 Romania - wrong coach, wrong strategy. Hard pool.
----------
20 Uruguay - Two wins from 2 RWC´s. Better than Namibia.
21 Portugal - Hard luck being from Europe. Othewise would be in the Cup. Better than Namibia.
------------
22 Namibia - need annual ingoing and outgoing tests. Only in RWC as Africa as an automatic spot.

 

[Me 1]

My opinion:
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. France
4. Wales
5. South Africa
6. Ireland
7. England
8. Samoa
9. Argentina
10. Canada
11. Italy
12. Scotland
13. Tonga
14. Georgia
15. USA
16. Japan
17. Fiji
18. Romania
19. Russia
20. Namibia

 

[Rhyer]

How about:

1. New Zealand



















2. Does it really matter? They're all over rated shite who'd get smashed by any HEC or Super 14 side anyway.

Even then the All Blacks aren't immune to the odd scare by Munster. I would agree though that Super 14 and HEC sides could ***** slap a lot of international sides as shown when Leicester played South Africa and Australia and won. I think Saracens won as well, can't remember.

 

[Rhyer]

Why is EVERYONE talking about Wales? They beat Ireland and lost to France, South Africa and Australia. They aren't fourth, they are deservedly 8th.

 

[psychic duck]

Even then the All Blacks aren't immune to the odd scare by Munster. I would agree though that Super 14 and HEC sides could ***** slap a lot of international sides as shown when Leicester played South Africa and Australia and won. I think Saracens won as well, can't remember.

but that doesn't count as beating South Africa proper, as that team was so understrength that even Earl Rose managed to get into it

 

[Teh Mite]

but that doesn't count as beating South Africa proper, as that team was so understrength that even Earl Rose managed to get into it

And Leicester played a loan player from Nottingham. Your point being?

The fact that people see Australia as best of the rest shows what a farce test rugby is.

 

[Me 1]

Why is EVERYONE talking about Wales? They beat Ireland and lost to France, South Africa and Australia. They aren't fourth, they are deservedly 8th.

I could just as easily say France lost to New Zealand twice and Tonga.......

 

[psychic duck]

And Leicester played a loan player from Nottingham. Your point being?

The fact that people see Australia as best of the rest shows what a farce test rugby is.

by your logic then, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland combined are only equal to some uncapped South Africans (Emerging Springboks 2009) some of whom have since fallen off the Super Rugby squad lists

 

[Teh Mite]

by your logic then, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland combined are only equal to some uncapped South Africans (Emerging Springboks 2009) some of whom have since fallen off the Super Rugby squad lists

Absoloutely right. The result was THEY WON. As did the Maori in 2005. If they don't like the fact, they should have put out a stronger side.

However, you're trying to make out like it was full strength club side who beat Australia and the Boks. It really, REALLY wasn't.

But I'm sure you disagree. Therefore you'll find it completely suitable to miss the point of the rep system again.