Pool C would have to be considered one of the weaker pools in the Rugby World Cup.
World Cup pool previews:
– POOL A
– POOL B
That is if you’re talking about depth and potential winners.
If we’re being serious, there’s only one winner coming from this pool – and that’s the mighty All Blacks. Their biggest rivals will be Argentina, but beyond that it’s hard to see anyone in this pool rivalling the darkness.
Let’s take a look at the teams.
They are the defending champions, the number one ranked team, have possibly the best player to ever play the game, the best player currently playing the game and arguably the best flyhalf to play the game.
If that doesn’t make for a recipe for victory, we really don’t know what does.
However, New Zealand were shown to be vulnerable away from their Eden Park fortress earlier this year, with the Wallabies getting the better of them in Sydney in the first Bledisloe Cup match 27-19.
They repaired things for the second Bledisloe and took a comfortable victory, and cemented their favouritism for the 2015 Rugby World Cup along with the number one ranking.
Their path to the quarters isn’t too tricky, with their biggest test to be first up against Argentina.
Beyond that, they should cruise into first place.
It gets a little tricky when they get to the quarters, however, where a likely clash with either Ireland or France awaits.
Hot favourites to walk away with the 2015 crown. It’s New Zealand’s to lose.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
They will be praying all their players stay safe, after watching five hundred fly halves get injured in 2011. Fans will no doubt be endlessly playing this video the All Blacks did with Air New Zealand.
We saw enough in Argentina’s victory over South Africa earlier this year that not only can they play a spoiling, forward-oriented game, but they also have backs that can do a bit of damage.
You can’t help but feel that their years in the Rugby Championship has strengthened this squad, and makes them eminently qualified to play above their eighth ranking and pull off a few upsets.
The semi-finals would be a great achievement for this group, and realistically they shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting out of this pool in second place.
After playing the All Blacks, they face Georgia five days later, then have plenty of time to recover for their clash with Tonga.
That will be the decisive game for the Pumas, and the one they will have to make sure they don’t melt down in, letting Tonga into the quarters ahead of them.
A win against the Springboks and some combative performances against the Wallabies and All Blacks, however, point to this not being the likely scenario.
With a quarter final against Ireland or France beckoning, this is the Pumas’ chance to go deep in a Rugby World Cup again.
Being in a group with the All Blacks helps too, as it will probably shift a bit of the focus away from them during the pool stages.
They won’t let their homeland down.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
Fearsome haka. Fearsome forwards. Fearsome backs.
Looking at Tonga’s squad, everything about this group just looks fearsome. There’s a reasonable degree of experience in the squad, considering many of the Pacific nations don’t get too many opportunities beyond the competition they play with their neighbouring islands.
Nili Latu leads the team with 40 caps, and along with the likes of Western Force second rower Steve Mafi, will no doubt take a rather aggressive approach to imposing themselves on games.
The question will not be about talent. It will be about whether this team has had enough football together to put doubt in the minds of New Zealand and, more importantly, Argentina.
You would back them to get over Namibia and Georgia with the backs at their disposal, but matching it up front with the Pumas is going to be a real challenge.
They have been dealt a bit of a rough fixture, with an 11-day break between their games against Georgia and Namibia, before they have to play Argentina five days later and then New Zealand, again with a five-day turnaround.
It all rests on that Argentina game for them.
The joker in the pool, so to speak, and will no doubt put on a show.
Here’s Tonga’s squad named for the Cup.
Forwards:
Tevita Mailau (Perpignan), Alisona Taumalolo (Grenoble), Soane Tonga’uiha (Oyonnax), Halani Aulika (London Irish), Sila Puafisi (Gloucester), Elvis Taione (Exeter Chiefs), Paula Ngauamo (Mont de Marson), Aleki Lutui (Ampthill RFC), Tukulua Lokotui (Beziers), Joeseph Tiuneau (Dax), Steve Mafi (Western Force), Opeti Fonua (Leicester Tigers), Hala T-Pole (Otago), Nili Latu (Newcastle Falcons), Jack Ram (Auckland Blues), Viliami Ma’afu (Oyonnax), Sione Kalamafoni (Gloucester)
Backs:
Sonatane Takulua (Newcastle Falcons), Samisoni Fisilau (Jersey RFC), Sosefo Ma’ake (Havelu Bulldogs), Kurt Morath (Biarritz), Latiume Fosita (Doncaster), Sione Piukala (Perpignan), Siale Piutau (Yamaha), Viliami Tahitu’a (Northland), Fetu’u Vainikolo (Oyonnax), Telusa Veainu (Melbourne Rebels), Tevita Halaifonua (Gloucester), William Helu (Edinburgh), Vungakoto Lilo (Montauban)
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
While we can make a strong case for the other three teams in this pool, Georgia sit squarely on the precipice of irrelevance.
We’ve seen in previous World Cups that they can bring a strong scrum to the tournament, and this can cause all sorts of problems for more-fancied teams.
Tonga will be the match they are focussing on, in the hope that they will be able to jag a sneaky second spot ahead of them or Argentina and move into the quarter final stage of the Rugby World Cup in the first time in their history.
The hope seems faint, however, with Argentina likely having the measure of them in both the backs and the scrum; nullifying their greatest weapon while more than matching them out the back.
It’s all about that Saturday, 19 September against Tonga. Win that, they have a hope, particularly if they beat Namibia by plenty.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
They’re the lowest-ranked team heading into this Rugby World Cup, and let’s be honest, things could get pretty ugly.
Let’s hope they don’t get too ugly, like when they lost 142-0 to Australia in 2003.
There’s no doubt their focus will be squarely on their match against Georgia, which they will see as the most winnable of the four.
It comes eight days after their game against Tonga, so they should be well rested, and in peak condition to get their first victory in their country’s World Cup history.
With only a handful of professional players, and loss against Argentina’s second XV not too long ago, you fancy that a single victory for Namibia in this tournament would be worth more than a World Cup finals appearance for many others.
Let’s hope for something inspiring from them.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
Do your country, proud, lads.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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