Forget the quarters, semis and final, let's watch the Pools

Is anyone else sick of hearing about who will be playing at the quarter-final stages, and who is likely to win and do well in the later stages of the World Cup? The tournament hasn't even started, and already people are gearing themselves up for games which they have decided will happen.


This is World Cup rugby. Every team will be going to war each time they step out onto the pitch, and the old cliche is true; anything can happen. Pundits, former players and so called experts have already picked out the top 2 from each Pool, but let's just watch the games before any conclusions are made.


The supposedly weaker Nations are a lot stronger than they have been in past World Cups. Each team involved in the competition have prepared differently, and we cannot tell who has/has not got it right. The fact is that in rugby the best team does not always win. Tactics and on-the-day performances come into play, and teams perform differently on different stages, so let's see who brings their "A" game when it counts.


How many "experts" predicted that Samoa would beat Australia in their July friendly? How many people thought that South Africa would beat New Zealand in the second of their tests in the Tri-Nations? These are recent games, recent upsets, and the World Cup will produce many more. The first game of the World Cup kicks off on Friday, so let's enjoy the action and stop trying to take away the exitement of the competion by assuming results.








Pool games which have upset potential


(f) = favourit


Every game of the World Cup has upset potential, but these ones which include some of the bigger named Nations.


Pool A


New Zealand(f) vs Tonga
New Zealand(f) vs France
France(f) vs Tonga


Pool B


Scotland(f) vs Romania
Argentina(f) vs Romania
Argentina vs England(f)
Argentina vs Scotland(f)
England(f) vs Scotland


Pool C


Australia(f) vs Italy
Australia(f) vs Ireland
USA vs Ireland9(f)
Italy(f) vs USA
Ireland(f) vs Italy


Pool D


South Africa(f) vs Wales
South Africa(f) vs Fiji
Wales(f) vs Samoa
Fiji vs Samoa(f)
South Africa(f) vs Samoa
Wales(f) vs Fiji


Now some of these upests are highly unlikely, but nontheless possible. The Pool stages of this World Cup may be the most exiting, so it's time to stop the talk, sit back and enjoy the rugby.