1
Victor Matfield and Jean de Villiers predict all southern hemisphere semifinals at RWC
By Ned Lester
Whether it’s through the RugbyPass road to the final predictor or a debate over dinner, everyone is selecting their World Cup favourites with the tournament kicking off in just one week’s time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Springbok legends Victor Matfield and Jean de Villiers have voiced their predictions, with an unsurprising conclusion but some huge calls through the knockout stages.
The pair, speaking on Betway South Africa’s Youtube, offered some blunt punditry when assessing the pools, with de Villiers claiming “all the teams that could actually win the World Cup” were in Pools A and B.
All of the top five teams in World Rugby’s rankings sit in those two pools, with France and New Zealand in Pool A and Ireland, South Africa and Scotland in Pool B.
Matfield selected Australia as the winner of Pool C with Wales finishing as runner-up. It was an admittedly “conservative” selection given Fiji’s recent form and Georgia’s potential.
Argentina and England were picked from the field of Pool D, with Los Pumas claiming the top spot. Samoa, Japan and Chile would be eliminated.
The selections mean England would play Australia and Wales would play Argentina in the first round of the knockout stages.
ADVERTISEMENT
Of course, the pair picked South Africa to progress undefeated from Pool B, while they also hesitated to name Ireland as the runner-up given Scotland’s recent form: “I think that’s where the upset is going to come, (but) let’s go safe.”
New Zealand was given the nod ahead of France for Pool A, meaning the Kiwis would topple the hosts in the Rugby World Cup opening match.
Those predictions set up Ireland vs New Zealand and South Africa vs France in the quarter-finals. Both Matfield and de Villiers were happy with the outcome, stating they “prefer France” to New Zealand as a quarter-final opponent.
Both southern hemisphere sides were tipped to emerge victorious.
Similarly, in the Australia vs England and Argentina vs Wales quarter-finals, it was the southern hemisphere sides who were picked as winners.
ADVERTISEMENT
Of the four Rugby Championship nations, New Zealand and South Africa were decided to be the finalists with the Springboks taking home the Webb Ellis Cup for the second consecutive tournament.
Commenting on their prediction of all northern hemisphere teams being eliminated prior to the semi-finals, de Villers said there is a lot of focus on the European teams winning the tournament, but “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
The one thing that most agree on is that the AB's getting a fair dinkum ass kicking by the Boks was the best thing that could have happened to them. NZ have better backs than Sth Africa so just need the ball in space and BANG ....different result. 😀
I'm picking the officials to be the big winners.
Its a guess at best, any of the top7 can lift the cup.
💣 u
Neither jdv or matfield are recognized rugby brains, so... The S. Hemisphere is somewhat ignorant of N Hemisphere progress and will find both France and Ireland extremely challenging. Certainly I would rate the coaches of these teams above those of the South, except Eddie Jones, and that's where things get interesting. Australia are the dark horses this year and have the easiest run up to the play offs, so will be the freshest of the SH teams. I would put France into the final against the Springboks, on current form. I would expect the books to attempt to crush Scotland and Ireland up front with their backs running through holes after the forwards dominate. But both Ireland and Scotland have devastating backs, Ireland have the trickiest/edgiest players meaning the refs will be instrumental in their matches. If SA can't dominate (up and unders, penalties, 15-22 gains) then they could well lose (Libbok doesn't enjoy pressure), so it could be France v Ireland in the final, which would be a fair indication of performance over the past 2 years...but I doubt that will happen.
South africa are kidding themselves. They god hammered a few weeks ago ireland will have a very easy time putting them to the sword. They live in their own bubble rugby wise .remember what munster did to them
The All Blacks will either be stopped at the quarter final or they’ll win the whole thing.
Argies top of the pool beating Eng no brainer. Argies will then destroy Wales. Eng get Aus and I have seen enough in the first half of the Bled to think if they can do that for the full 80 Eng won't know what hit them. Add the usual anti Eng diatribe and a scorned Jones firing the wallabies sup and Eng will lose. Can't see the Argies beating the ABs in the Semis so agree what that half. As for the other. SA semi easy and as already noted Aus could be the fourth team in the semi. Totally doable.
These guys know their stuff. Generally the north have got one team into at least the semi's except once so they're due another shut out. France choke every time and Ireland are even worse as the premier chokers of world rugby. England are terrible just terrible. Boks are the obvious raging hot favorites. Unfortunately for them raging hot favourites don't go all the way.
Me too. With ABs to win Bill for a 4th time.
As with any predictions, don’t count for much.
But I agree with Jean de Villiers. I don’t think a NH team will win the World Cup. Based on history and stats alone. They don’t have the squad depth, they don’t have the experience of winning two to three big games in a row and they have been talked up which will add significant pressure.
The ABs will be switched on. The Boks will grind it out and Australia or Argentina can upset anyone on the day.
I know this is true of all the NH teams too - but there’s this bogey of each of them not progressing beyond quarters and semis (apart from England) which does plays a role. Choking is like a disease.