I had a go at predicting the results for the last Rugby World Cup back in 2007. Not very successfully it has to be said. I got six of the eight quarter finalists, but the eventual winner was my predicted runner-up, with my predicted winner going out in the quarter finals. Not having learned my lesson I’m going to try again!
The 2011 RUgby World Cup kicks of in a little over a month. The pool stage is made up of four pools of five teams each, with the winners and runners up in each pool going forward to the quarter finals. Making the quarter finals also has the advantage of meaning automatic qualification for the next World Cup in 2015.
Scotland have a relatively difficult group, being in the same pool as England and Argentina, who placed second and third in the last World Cup.
So, here is my prediction:
Pool A; Winner: New Zealand Runner-Up: France
Pool B; Winner: England, Runner-Up: Scotland (hopefully!)
Pool C; Winner: Australia, Runner-Up: Ireland
Pool D; Winner: South Africa, Runner-Up: Fiji
QF1; Australia v Fiji, Australia to Win
QF2; England v France, tough one but I’m going for France to Win
QF3; South Africa v Ireland, South Africa to Win
QF4; New Zealand v Scotland (bah humbug), New Zealand to Win
SF1; Australia v France, Australia to Win
SF2; South Africa v New Zealand, again tough one, but South Africa to Win
Third Place Play-off; France v New Zealand, New Zealnd to Win
Final; Australia v South Africa – South Africa to Win and retain the Cup.
We’ll see how close I was come the 23rd October. Somehow I think my heart has got the better of my head for Pool B and we may see Argentina instead of Scotland featuring in the quarter finals and beyond.
