Rugby World Cup 2023 Overview: Starting Friday 8th September…
The Rugby World Cup kicks off in Paris on Friday when France face the All Blacks in their tournament opener.
The Stade De France will stage both the opening and closing of the showpiece.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Overview – Tournament favourites:
In a curious twist, most of the real hot favourites to win the Rugby World Cup find themselves in either Pool A or Pool B of the tournament.
Of course, nobody can ever look beyond New Zealand when it comes to picking a Rugby World Cup winner.
The All Blacks are still a dominant force in world rugby even if there are now more teams vying for glory who have a realistic chance of taking home the Webb Ellis Cup.
A pre-tournament spanking at the hands of the Springboks will probably serve to galvanise the New Zealanders and fire them up ahead of a tricky group.
Despite being pooled with France, New Zealand shouldn’t struggle to escape the group which also features Italy, Uruguay and Namibia.
France are the only team in international rugby to contest multiple Rugby World Cup finals and not win the title.
Playing at home France will have great support but will also be under tremendous pressure to perform having set high expectations with their home form over the last four years.
The big obstacles for both France and New Zealand will come once they get out of the group with both sides set for a tough last eight match.
France and New Zealand’s Pool A is bracketed to face teams from the inarguable ‘Group of Death’ which contains not only the top two ranked teams in the world in Ireland and South Africa but a Scotland team that increasingly look like world-beaters.
The two quarter-finals that pit Pool A and Pool B contestants appear likely to cough up the two strongest contenders for the final and ultimate Rugby World Cup glory.
Ireland are ranked as world No 1s coming into the tournament, and even though they held the same status ahead of the tournament in Japan four years ago there is renewed hope that they will challenge for the title or at least break their Rugby World Cup quarter-final drought.
The Springboks cannot be written off as title contenders at any World Cup and they won the tournament when it was last staged in France, sparking an obsession with the French Horn which persists in parts of South Africa to this day.
Former champions Australia and England headline Pools C and D, but neither side have inspired a great deal of confidence in their ability to win the tournament and both might actually be ripe for early upsets and a possible early exit.
Tournament winner: New Zealand
Rugby World Cup 2023 Overview – Winner predictions:
Pool A opens with a contest between France and New Zealand and that clash is also likely to determine the ultimate group winner.
France face an All Blacks team who opted for less warm-up engagements than most other teams and playing at home they should get the jump on the three-time RWC winners.
Pool B might wind up being an incredible bun fight with three top teams in South Africa, Ireland and Scotland joined by dangerous dark horses Tonga and the hardnosed Romanians.
It appears that the Ireland clash with the Springboks will settle this section, but Scotland may yet put in a big word.
Even though Ireland are the form team, we are inclined to back the Springboks who have a team full of world cup winners.
Wales and Australia appear early favourites to progress from Pool C despite both sides displaying worrying form ahead of the tournament.
To give those tier one nations even more sleepless nights they have been grouped with two of the best tier two nations in Fiji and Georgia who will be spoiling for scalps and a place in the last eight.
Australia’s talent pool is arguably the greatest of all these nations and they should somehow battle their way to the top of the pile.
Pool D might have looked quite tasty to England a few years if not months ago as they share a section with Argentina, Japan, Samoa and newcomers Chile.
England’s recent form suggests they might struggle to get beyond Argentina, Japan and Samoa.
In fact, the true Pool D favourites might well be Argentina who continue to progress nicely under Michael Cheika.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Overview – Pool winners:
- A: France
- B: South Africa
- C: Australia
- D: Argentina
