Scheduled Website Maintenance
We’re currently in the process of moving to a new and improved server environment. During this transition, the website may experience brief interruptions or temporary outages.
We appreciate your patience while we complete this upgrade. Service will return to normal shortly, with improved performance and reliability.
Thank you for your understanding.
A couple of months ago we unveiled the G&GR Nostradamus Competition, a chance for everyone to display their rugby prediction skills for all events in the year. Well, the responses are in and I can reveal what everybody picked. Overall there is an astounding sense of optimism around Australian rugby coming into the World Cup.
First, you can view the entries at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0An3jnXDdmxm4dDVYbzg4RVRvM05waTdhRnRZR0hKVHc&hl=en#gid=0
Here are a few graphs to give you an overall view of where the mood is at. Let’s start with the big one — the World Cup:
|
World Cup Winner
|
|
|
| New Zealand |
|
66 |
29% |
| Australia |
|
153 |
67% |
| South Africa |
|
3 |
1% |
| England |
|
2 |
1% |
| Scotland |
|
0 |
0% |
| Ireland |
|
0 |
0% |
| Wales |
|
0 |
0% |
| France |
|
6 |
3% |
| Italy |
|
0 |
0% |
| Argentina |
|
0 |
0% |
| Other |
|
0 |
0% |
|
|
Australian Finishing Position
|
|
|
| Winner |
|
155 |
67% |
| Runner Up |
|
51 |
22% |
| 3rd |
|
18 |
8 |
| 4th |
|
6 |
3% |
| Knocked out in QF |
|
0 |
0% |
| Knocked out in pool |
|
0 |
0% |
|
So clearly the bulk of us think that the Wallabies are going to have to book an extra seat on the return journey from Auckland.
What about the two most hotly contested positions — tight-head prop and inside centre?
|
Who will be the starting Tight-head Prop in Australia’s final game?
|
|
|
| Ben Alexander |
|
71 |
31% |
| James Slipper |
|
137 |
60% |
| Al Baxter |
|
3 |
1% |
| Salesi Ma’afu |
|
1 |
0% |
| Laurie Weeks |
|
9 |
4% |
| Ben Daley |
|
5 |
2% |
| Dan Palmer |
|
1 |
0% |
| Other |
|
3 |
1% |
|
|
Who will be the starting Inside Centre in Australia’s final game?
|
|
|
| Berrick Barnes |
|
127 |
55% |
| Matt Giteau |
|
60 |
26% |
| Quade Cooper |
|
2 |
1% |
| Anthony Faingaa |
|
4 |
2% |
| James O’Connor |
|
12 |
5% |
| Kurtley Beale |
|
0 |
0% |
| Stirling Mortlock |
|
3 |
1% |
| Cooper Vuna |
|
3 |
1% |
| Will Chambers |
|
11 |
5% |
| Tom Carter |
|
1 |
0% |
| Adam Ashley-Cooper |
|
5 |
2% |
| Other |
|
2 |
1% |
|
So Slipper and Barnes get the nod.
Now — what about the predictions for Super Rugby? Are they holding up?
|
Super 15 Winner
|
|
|
| Chiefs |
|
3 |
1% |
| Highlanders |
|
0 |
0% |
| Crusaders |
|
67 |
29% |
| Hurricanes |
|
2 |
1% |
| Blues |
|
2 |
1% |
| Waratahs |
|
61 |
27% |
| Brumbies |
|
6 |
3% |
| Reds |
|
55 |
24% |
| Rebels |
|
0 |
0% |
| Force |
|
1 |
0% |
| Cheetahs |
|
0 |
0% |
| Lions |
|
0 |
0% |
| Bulls |
|
17 |
7% |
| Sharks |
|
1 |
0% |
| Stormers |
|
15 |
7% |
|
|
Australian Conference Winner
|
|
|
| Waratahs |
|
120 |
52% |
| Reds |
|
97 |
42% |
| Brumbies |
|
12 |
5% |
| Force |
|
1 |
0% |
| Rebels |
|
0 |
0% |
|
|
Australian Conference Wooden Spoon
|
|
|
| Waratahs |
|
9 |
4% |
| Reds |
|
0 |
0% |
| Brumbies |
|
11 |
5% |
| Force |
|
106 |
46% |
| Rebels |
|
104 |
45% |
|
|
New Zealand Conference Winner
|
|
|
| Blues |
|
20 |
9% |
| Highlanders |
|
1 |
0% |
| Hurricanes |
|
13 |
6% |
| Crusaders |
|
190 |
83% |
| Chiefs |
|
6 |
3% |
|
|
South Africa Conference Winner
|
|
|
| Bulls |
|
138 |
60% |
| Stormers |
|
73 |
32% |
| Sharks |
|
15 |
7% |
| Cheetahs |
|
2 |
1% |
| Lions |
|
2 |
1% |
|
I will provide score updates as the season goes on. Only one question has been decided so far, and that was the first Australian player suspended: it was Mitch Chapman, and not one person got it right.
Here’s hoping our prediction skills will prove out and someone will get some points on the board.
