Rugby World Cup Quarter Final Predictions - Who Will Take the Trophy?

[Logger]

So the Rugby World Cup quarter finals are decided.Some cracking games to come over the next few weeks.



Really looking forward to this weeks matches, Ireland v Wales which are the 2 most in-form teams at present.Being Irish I think we're going to shade it by 4 points.It's such a shame that we had to meet so early.I'm very nervous of Wales. Match is on at 6 a.m. which is a right pain in the arse.Too early to go to the pub so might have to go out drinking Friday night and get locked in through the night and keep drinking until the match starts.



England v France is another close one to call. Neither team have set the pool stages alight(France especially)... England to win by 6.



South Africa v Australia...Another close one to call.I can see Australias' back line coming to the fore and grinding out a result to win by 8



New Zealand v Argentina...Anything other than a New Zealand win would be a major shock.The will miss Dan Carter immensely,but with home advantage and their sheer physicality and skill they should have enough.It will be close enough up to half time.Kiwis leading by 8 but they will pull away in the second half to win by 18.



So that would make the semi finals



England v Ireland...Ireland to win by 12

Kiwis v Australia...Kiwis to win by 12



Ireland v Kiwis final...My heart says Ireland but sadly New Zealand to win by 10.





Anybody else watching it and what are your predictions.

 

[apeiron]

Really looking forward to this weeks matches, Ireland v Wales which are the 2 most in-form teams at present. Being Irish I think we're going to shade it by 4 points.

Here in NZ, people agree this is probably the best quarter-final because both are playing with such passion and flare. Really lifting their game for the occasion.

Ireland seem mentally tough and should win if tempers hold. But I could only flip a coin as to the result.

England v France is another close one to call. Neither team have set the pool stages alight(France especially)... England to win by 6.

England should grind the French down. They could win by a big margin if they could pass with the slightest imagination. But I would say win by a comfortable 15 even so.

South Africa v Australia...Another close one to call.I can see Australias' back line coming to the fore and grinding out a result to win by 8

Aussies fear the All Blacks but don't fear South Africa. I agree with the margin of victory.

New Zealand v Argentina...Anything other than a New Zealand win would be a major shock.The will miss Dan Carter immensely,but with home advantage and their sheer physicality and skill they should have enough.It will be close enough up to half time.Kiwis leading by 8 but they will pull away in the second half to win by 18.

Only nerves could make a different outcome. NZ still vulnerable to those collective losses of self-confidence, as seen in recent sudden tri-nation losses to Australia and South Africa. They can freeze on the field.

But not of course against Argentina. More likely to be a try-fest as the Argies tire.

England v Ireland...Ireland to win by 12

Kiwis v Australia...Kiwis to win by 12

Ireland v Kiwis final...My heart says Ireland but sadly New Zealand to win by 10.

Will Ireland keep improving or perhaps feel a quarter final is as far as they deserve? England more likely to wake up and muscle their way through I think. Keep it tight and unimaginative, then scrape through on kicks.

 

[fuzzyfelt]

I guess the wobblies were the reason for the hemispherical divide, but at least they’ve beaten SA and the All Blacks recently. Good luck!

 

[Ken Natton]

Well, my take, for what it is worth, is that the primary prediction that I would disagree with is South Africa v Australia. South Africa have impressed me more than the Australian’s have and I think that they are the ones who will have to throw it away to not make the semi-finals. If they are on their game, I would expect a South African victory. But I think everyone recognises that the overwhelmingly likely team to emerge from the southern-hemisphere half of the draw is New Zealand.

The northern-hemisphere half is much harder to call. Any one of the four of them could finish up as runners-up to New Zealand. (What? Win the tournament? Beat New Zealand in the final? Yeah, that’s going to happen.) And if the England v Ireland semi-final does happen there is only one thing I would firmly predict. It’ll be a tough encounter. If all players walk from the pitch with their health intact, I’ll be astonished.