This is the year that the status quo for how world cups are won changes. I don't know what it will be yet, but the law interpretations have changed the game. No longer will say, england be penalized for not releasing the ball right in front of the posts when they're center slips over. Instead they will keep the ball or earn a penalty for the tackler not rolling away / releasing the tackler. Providing this is true, Defensive orientated world cups are about to become a thing of the past. As far as I can see, a radical change has happened over the past year. Up and unders are still relevant yes, but significantly less so - and this is the goal, to make rugby a balance. Each defensive law (penalty) is balanced with an attacking one. Outweighed in some instances by an attacking one yes. Which means only one thing. Teams are going to score tries, or teams are going to get men sent to the bin.
Teams Playing Attacking Rugby (in order from most to least)
Australia (yes we have the most attacking flyhalf, attacking gameplan)
New Zealand
England (slightly less of late)
Ireland (more of late)
Teams that are playing Defensive (kicking)Rugby:
Scotland, as much as i hate to say it
South Africa?
South Africa's position is questionable. With Peter the clown they want to play defensive, but it seems halfway through the game when they've been ****ed they change and play they're own little sortie.. A mix of individuals i guess.
France are so ****ing unpredictable they're nowhere.
Marc Leivremont is a nutter, blames everyone for a loss ect. He thought that defensive rugby involving big slow defensive hulking centres / flyhalfs was the way to go about winning a world cup, as he showed when he put that team out against Aus. That team was outclassed in every way possible except the scrum in the first half. Every other way was just rolled. This is what is going to happen come world cup time. With consistant pressure, teams WILL score tries. If teams play defensive against AUS and NZ, so be it. But it will be bloemfontine at 25'. And in a world cup q/s/f, they won't be allowed back into the match, because the defense in world cups is too good for a defensive side to score tries.
And that is the IRB's objectives.
So here's how it's going to roll this world cup:
pool:
A: New Zealand, France
B: England, Argentina
C: Australia, Ireland
D: South Africa, Wales
QF1 Aus V Wales, Aus by 12
QF2 France V England England by 10
QF3 South Africa V Ireland republic by 1
QF4 All Blacks V Argentina All blacks by 20
SF1 Australia V England
SF2 All Blacks V Africa
F = Running Rugby
On that prediction only one team that has been guilty of not playing running rugby will make it past the QF's. AND that means that ladies and gentlemen, they're will be running rugby, all the way up till the finals. Even then Africa looks shaky. Point is, in the past there has been one team playing running rugby - all blacks. This year there is 3 teams playing a definitive "running" style - AB's england and Aus. Any other team can play this kind of style at times. There will be running rugby in the finals of the rugby world cup.