The last countdown to the Rugby World Cup is upon us. All the auditions are over and now the show begins. It is the most open tournament in the competition’s history, with more genuine contenders than ever before. But who will win?
Who Has Won the Rugby World Cup in the Last Three Decades?
Australia: 1991 South Africa: 1995 Australia: 1999 England: 2003 South Africa: 2007 New Zealand: 2011 New Zealand: 2015
England seem to be peaking at just the right time, and are carrying virtually no injuries into the tournament. Question marks remain over the team’s ability under pressure but, when they get it right, there is little doubt that they are a serious contender for the tournament.
England are much improved after a fifth-place finish in the 2018 Six Nations. They have size, power and dynamism in the forwards and backs that is unmatched by any other team in the world. When their huge men get rumbling, and they physically dominate the opposition, they are a force to be reckoned with.
However, there are still question marks over their mental frailty. There are many familiar faces in the team who crashed out of the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup. There are even a few names that capitulated against Wales in 2013 with a grand slam on the line, losing 30-3. This last season, time and again, they seem to build a huge lead and then struggle to hold it. France have big men too, and if they nullify England’s power game, it could be panic stations.
Prediction: Win the pool, exit in the semi-final to New Zealand.
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