RWC 2019

[TheGreatSoprendo]

The Aussies are a dangerous side, as they showed in their pool game against Wales and in the record win against NZ a couple of months back. They've massively improved some of their traditionally week areas, particularly the scrum. If they can fix their half back issues, they can give anyone a good game.

Wales definitely shouldn't be taking the French lightly (and I'm sure they won't be). Look at their team on paper and they're incredibly talented, they just struggle to consistently put together a cohesive performance. When they do, though, they are brilliant and the time they tend to pull those performances out of the bag is in big world cup knock out games.

[warch]

If you're English, you never underestimate the Aussies.

Or the Welsh.
Or the Irish.
Or the Scottish.

Basically we're so awesome everyone wants to be the ones to knock us out

BTW playing France is like playing Russian roulette, once in a blue moon they'll turn up and randomly annihilate someone.

[The Mad Monk]

DaveTheRave87 said:

Betfair has them at 60 (59-1). Worth a couple of ££?

Rugby World Cup betting odds
New Zealand: 11/8.
South Africa: 7/2.
England: 4/1.
Wales: 8/1.
Ireland: 18/1.
Australia: 25/1.
France: 40/1.
Japan: 40/1.

Or

https://www.oddschecker.com/rugby-union/rugby-worl...

[C70R]

Sn1ckers said:

Eggchasers had what I thought was a good idea; include Fiji in the 6 Nations and base them in Europe (Spain?). Maybe at the expense of Italy?

Fiji do not have the infrastructure / money to host a tournament in Fiji itself and many of their players play in Europe so it may work.

Also, while we’re at it with left field ideas, what about SA joining the 6N (same time zone) and letting Japan take their place?

Whichever way it goes something needs to be done to pull one or more of the 2 tier nations into the top tier.

It was a terrible idea.

How are you supposed to grow rugby in Fiji when there are no home games to see live, and their major tournament games are on in the middle of the night?

It's not workable.

[TheGreatSoprendo]

The Mad Monk said:

Rugby World Cup betting odds
New Zealand: 11/8.
South Africa: 7/2.
England: 4/1.
Wales: 8/1.
Ireland: 18/1.
Australia: 25/1.
France: 40/1.
Japan: 40/1.

Australia offer the best value there IMO

[prand]

Trophy Husband said:

I've got a feeling the Aussies will pull out their A game against England.
As a Welshman I also fear the unpredictable French but we should still pull through? I'm just mindful that it was mistakes by the French that allowed us to beat them in the 6N!

I don't doubt that both England and Australia will put their best games out. It's possibly the hardest of the QFs to call, though I'll favour England because I'm biased, and I feel they have the better and most settled 23 to win on the day. Whatever happens, it's A games all the way to the final for either of these teams.

I'm really looking forward to all of these quarter finals as they aren't all completely done deals and there's going to be some fascinating, if not entertaining rugby to be played.

However, like with England, I think there will be predictable winners in the other QFs, albeit some mighty contests - New Zealand should win comfortably, because although they have their good moments, I don't think Ireland have got what it takes to overcome them over 80 minutes. Wales will easily beat France who also can string together 25 mins of good play, but just don't have the cohesion to cause an upset, plus Wales are extremely solid showing they have the potential to be finalists this year. South Africa are too good for Japan, they simply won't let them get away with another smash and grab this time, though not without a hell of a fight first.

[anonymous-user]

TheGreatSoprendo said:

The Mad Monk said:

Rugby World Cup betting odds
New Zealand: 11/8.
South Africa: 7/2.
England: 4/1.
Wales: 8/1.
Ireland: 18/1.
Australia: 25/1.
France: 40/1.
Japan: 40/1.

Australia offer the best value there IMO

Wales could do it but not Australia or Ireland or France. They’re all going out in the semis at best.

Japan haven’t looked close to losing a game yet. Who knows what they can do.

[Trophy Husband]

El stovey said:

TheGreatSoprendo said:

The Mad Monk said:

Rugby World Cup betting odds
New Zealand: 11/8.
South Africa: 7/2.
England: 4/1.
Wales: 8/1.
Ireland: 18/1.
Australia: 25/1.
France: 40/1.
Japan: 40/1.

Australia offer the best value there IMO

Wales could do it but not Australia or Ireland or France. They’re all going out in the semis at best.

Japan haven’t looked close to losing a game yet. Who knows what they can do.

Indeed. Well drilled and utterly efficient. Who'd have thought that of the nation that brought us JIT technology?
As an aside, there's a strange skew to the odds quoted which I've yet to fathom!

[warch]

Wales look a good bet at 8/1, assuming they avoid too many injuries.

[C70R]

warch said:

Wales look a good bet at 8/1, assuming they avoid too many injuries.

Unless France play at 80%+, I suspect even at 80% a SA team in the SF will be too much for Wales.

I'd love to be wrong.

[anonymous-user]

C70R said:

warch said:

Wales look a good bet at 8/1, assuming they avoid too many injuries.

Unless France play at 80%+, I suspect even at 80% a SA team in the SF will be too much for Wales.

I'd love to be wrong.

Here’s my semifinal predictions

[C70R]

TheGreatSoprendo said:

The Mad Monk said:

Rugby World Cup betting odds
New Zealand: 11/8.
South Africa: 7/2.
England: 4/1.
Wales: 8/1.
Ireland: 18/1.
Australia: 25/1.
France: 40/1.
Japan: 40/1.

Australia offer the best value there IMO

I think the combination of England followed by ABs would be too much for anyone, to be honest.

If they beat both of those (probably the top 2 ranked teams, ignoring odds) and make the final, they should be red-hot favourites.

[C70R]

El stovey said:

C70R said:

warch said:

Wales look a good bet at 8/1, assuming they avoid too many injuries.

Unless France play at 80%+, I suspect even at 80% a SA team in the SF will be too much for Wales.

I'd love to be wrong.

Here’s my semifinal predictions

I'd love you to be right.

I think SA are going to have too much grunt for Japan if they play tight. Even Scotland began to cause them problems with that style of play, with much more limited personnel.

I'd say that England-NZ is a fair shout, based on form. But both of their opponents have the ability to play an entirely contrasting style of rugby to them, and do it bloody well.

[Road2Ruin]

This COULD be an amazing weekend of rugby. NZ will be wary of Ireland, SA will be wary of Japan, Wales would hate to underestimate France and Eng v Aus is always a great game. I wouldn't want to get on which way Any of them go....bring it on...
I would love to see Eng v Ire and Wales v Japan semis...

[Trophy Husband]

warch said:

Wales look a good bet at 8/1, assuming they avoid too many injuries.

That's the skew bit I don't get? 8 teams left and they get 8/1! Plus NZ 11/8 but England 4/1? The maths doesn't work out for me! The bookies are looking for big money bets on NZ. Maybe they know something we don't and hoping that small money goes on the others? What we do know is that bookies never lose.

[the tribester]

El stovey said:

Here’s my semifinal predictions

Can you image the crowd (country) reaction if Japan do beat the Boks!

[JonChalk]

Road2Ruin said:

This COULD be an amazing weekend of rugby. NZ will be wary of Ireland, SA will be wary of Japan, Wales would hate to underestimate France and Eng v Aus is always a great game. I wouldn't want to get on which way Any of them go....bring it on...
I would love to see Eng v Ire and Wales v Japan semis...

You know what...I think NZ win against Ireland is the most nailed on of these games.

Japan could really surprise SA early then hold on, but that is heart ruling head.

Eng v Aus & Fra v Wal are both too close for comfort.

But Ireland have looked sub-par to me all tournament, and NZ will just turn it on now. I think the all Blacks will demolish Ireland by at least 20 points. I don't bet, but if I was tempted, it would be on that sort of spread.

[Trophy Husband]

Jasey_ said:

I think there' just more English betting on themselves than the grippy Welsh

8/1 on Wales I'm half tempted myself - will cushion the blow if they actually win

That made me giggle!

An obvious non Welsh person having a punt on Wales to cushion the blow! What would that blow be?

You're either Germenglish of Frenglish. There are very few historical alternatives!

[Trophy Husband]

NZ coach now accusing the home nations of colonialism regarding Fiji, Samoa, Tonga etc?
I'd suggest running scared or he has been speaking with Donald Trump's advisors!

[The Mad Monk]

I used to bet against England on a regular basis. My thinking was - if we won, I had got the result and it had just cost me a tenner. If we lost, I had some money to come back as compensation.

Edited by The Mad Monk on Tuesday 15th October 22:27