Predictions for the Rugby World Cup 2007 final

I ask only for 25% of all winnings.

okay then ... How about SA 32 New Zealand 12?

Yeah, right.
Other way 'round, Jozi. New Zealand 32 - South Africa 12.

Well i'll go out on a limb and say it will not be England as they are about to recive the mother of all beatings at the hands of the mighty Wallabies!

And it'll be fun watching England die.

Would you pair like some ketchup with those words?

FuzzyTony, my sincerest apologies for my ignorant message - I should have said South Africa 32 - England 12!

Nevermind. I think I'm going to go and hang myself now. CNN has the second quarter-final result as Breaking News on the news ticker across the screen. It is shocking indeed.

almost makes up for Wales losing to Fiji. Almost, but not quite.

Fuzzy - you meant Quarter final?

I stand corrected. Thanks.

No idea anymore who will play us in the final, but my humble prediction is: Bokke: lots - Someone else: less.

My new prediction is England v Argentina, any bets?

France 12 - South Africa 5. I'm not a terribly big Springboks fan, so I think it's about time a magical team like France become the world champs.

All I gotta say: 37-20!!!Yay Bokke!

Well, I hate to say it but I think it'll be England beating South Africa to retain the cup. I can't be sure on what the final score will be, but I don't see the Springboks having the power to counteract England's forward pack or the speed to charge down Wilkinson. As far as Argentina goes, they've impressed everybody by getting this far but I think they'll eventually reach their limit in Sunday's second semi-final.

Judging by your last predictions that means that Argentina will probably win.

Well bluedave, could well be true now. Although I have a nasty feeling about this, France playing Argentina in the 3rd place playoff, and England v SA in the final, it would be a complete repeat of the group games. Same score? SA convincingly beat England in that game, and Argentina giving everyone a surprise to beat France. Or a complete reversal? Ahh.. this world cup has brought a lot of surprises.

I am highly biased in this post, because I am (happily, so far) South African. I'm not discounting Argentina, they have their strengths. I have seen enough happen to the Hakadancers and the Sheepshaggers and hope (pray) the Saffas don't go down that road.

But if SA gets to the final, I have no idea in hell how you think England will win. Not only were they thrashed 30-0 (zero!!) before, but their play (as well as France's) was horrendous yesterday!! Both teams kicked too often (not even into touch!) and KICKED AWAY POSSESSION so frequently that I doubt England will even have enough ball-in-hand to score tries with. Wilkinson is their only hope, but SA clearly knows about his drop-goal fantasies and will plan accordingly to thwart any English wet dreams. NZ and Aus supporters must have been crying to see the low quality semi-final that many feel should've been between each other instead.

Tonight I'm watching and hoping for SA to beat Argentina. It will be physical, no doubt. But if SA wins, next week I'm watching with a big smile.

Errm it was actually 36 - 0 or are you prepared to give us a 6 point start?

Agreed, you can have your 6 point start: two free drop-goals, as long as you don't score anymore during the last 5 minutes...

I don't follow Rugby much however I'd like to make two points :

1. I think the England side now have the "mo".
2. Paris will also have the misfortune of being swamped in English supporters next weekened. England will be effectively playing at home.

On a personal note. I like to say I hope England win because they deserve it the most (despite being an ugly bunch of old men). They've been the underdogs and just by determination and guts they've got to the final. I'll be cheering them on next weekend.

They´ve gotten to the final because the have a brilliant flyhalf and nothing else. The rest of the English performance has been pretty average to me. The Aussies have never been known to have a strong scrum and they had a young team this year. The French played like crap yesterday not managing to put points on the board despite way more possession because they bloody kicked it all away. Jonny, however, is class, even I as a South African, have to admit that.

It's pretty clever if you look at it. England are no way as good as a team like NZ or SA player for player, so the answer is simply to get your big bruisers to break up the opposition's game and get your golden boy in range. I would also say that Robinson was class yesterday. Terrific handling and kicking despite the pressure. One more big fight in the final and maybe this team of old brutes might just win the damn thing! My money is still on SA though...assuming they make it...

England 3 - South Africa 5

I dreamt England 9 SA 13 last night.

I think England will get dicked on by about 20pts.

This is not my typical wanting England to lose chat, believe it or not (although I do ), but England have only got to final by coming across teams who have failed to come up with the goods on the night - Aussies were poor and France off last night. I don't think SA will fail in this regard.

I say England 18 - South Africa 32

(Ok so not quite 20points but if anything I'd reduce my England score prediction)

We whipped Argentinian ass, but I cannot say anything yet. I will prepare enough beers to make either result worthwhile. Goodnight.

Sounds very familiar to what was being said about England before the final 4 years ago . . .

It does. And England can win it. All that doesn't stop my better judgment agreeing with Schotte though.

I'm not saying its England's fault, just you sods keep getting an easy run and teams like Scotland always get put in "groups of death" etc

Scotland in the group of death? Sure you're not thinking of that game with the round ball?

Bollox. We did not "fluke" wins against Australia AND France. We grafted, put pressure where we could and took the meager points when we could. That is rugby. I think you can be pretty damned sure that both France and Australia gave it their best possible shot and were not our for a casual jog around the pitch. And Johnny missed 4-5 chances against Australia so that is bollox as well. (3 penalties and 2 drop goals I think).

I am however gobsmacked that we are in the final.

When I say I agree with Schotte, I meant this bit (as the thread is about predictions):

IMO either it will be very tight with kickers exchanging penalties, or one of the sides will be in trouble at half time. Against France we were only 1 point down at HT, which was as good as being 10 points up given the amount of ball (and what we did with it) in the first half.

If the English defence does as well as it has the last 2 matches, it could go either way. I don't think we will drop as many balls or kick as poorly as the Argies did last night, which contributed to their downfall.

England to win by 8 points. Mark my words. I got the footie score right on Saturday and the spread of the England win over France. Did I have a flutter on it? Did I bollox.

I just meant as a general rule in sport, you never hear about England being in such a good. That said, if Scotland get drawn against the Faroes Isles or some team like this that can be defined as a group of death for us, normally, too.


I hope you're not saying I said "fluke"d cos i didnt, but i cant see anyone else say that. It was not a casual jog around the park but it was weak performances by both teams, both of which I would have tipped to win when up against this England side. 100% sure they gave it their best shot? Nope, I would disagree. I think the Americans might call it "chocking".

That said, I was absolutely hammered during both games

Well... I predicted that Australia would destroy England, then I predicted that France would slaughter them, so I'm continuing with this theme and predict that South Africa will annihilate England in the final.

NEWSFLASH: Springbok plot to steal Wilkinson's feet

Is there nothin' these underhanded Johnny Foreigner's will not stoop to to steal our World Cup from us.

I think the Saffas will win. They are not just fighting for the world cup, but for their very existance as a team. I also still think they are the most consistant all rounders and have punished other teams mistakes in a clinical fashion no other team has as of yet managed. As to the score. God knows and any idiot who says look at what we didi before obviously hasnt been watching a world cup where the words "look what we didi before" and "form" and "rankings" have not been worth the paper they are written on.

All in all a cracking world cup. One which has defined how things shoudl go forward. Open to suprises and plenty of upsets. Where a lot of teams have gone home, and will be going home wonderng about it how they went wrong and right in the years leading up to this.

I am just haveing visions of England winning...the golden boot starts to work again, Mike Cat does a good 40 minutes and the English pack roughs up the SA scrum...

Yep the usual suspects and the usual crock of shit!
"England are crap!"
"England had it easy!"
"England only have a brilliant Fly Half and nothing else!"
"England will get stuffed by a far superior team, because they play boring Rugby!"

Complete and utter emotional bollocks!
At the end of the day, what counts is winning, I never expected it before the tournament, although I knew we had some good performances in us.
I predicted a win against Australia, and at half time against the French also!

It must be so sad that the only thing in some peoples life is to hate England.
I for one will have a great weekend in Paris and the atmosphere will be brilliant.
So my only prediction for the final is, it will be a special night whatever!
And I will happily drink to the Victorious team however that might be

Hello there , can't remember seeing you post on a lot of rugby threads before.
Umm how exactly did you know it?
Six nations form?
Back-to-back beatings by France just before the start of the world-cup?
Since "winning is what counts" I'm just curious as to what victories you're pointing to as obvious proof of your hunches.

Laporte is correct when he says that New Zealand is the best side in the world , he'd also be correct in saying that France are a better side than England ... I'd have England as being marginally better than Ireland right now (despite England not beating Ireland since 2003) - based more on Irish form than player quality , would you disagree with this?

I remember only recently English fans booing their own at Twickenham and ex-players commenting on the typical Twickenham rugby supporter... it is that sort of "supporter" that I find distasteful.

I'll tell you who I have true respect for on that English team - Martin Corry - I saw that poor fucker battle almost single-handedly in the 6N for four years and heard others condemn him here and other places ... including the Outland ... I can respect guys like Wilkinson who know just how close defeat is to victory... not the bullshit that is getting written and posted on this forum in the last while...

When was that then???

oh ye of short memory...

Corry's words himself...

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,2002746,00.html

Oh right, I thought they were booing Andy Robinson, not the team. Although I do also think that is bloody awful too.

Sorry Parnell,
You obviously don't know me, I post enough on Rugby and Football and I am certainly well known in a certain Munich Hostelry, especially when the Rugby is on.
I don't post as much as some people as I work for a living generally abroad and there is so much opinionated tripe posted, it doesn't merit a response, when I do have the time.

Some poeple keep it sensible, Yourself and OG for example, are normally more knowledgeable and worth reading.

I agree with your comments about fans booing and fickelness, but I have been talking for a long time about greenshoots of recovery, even last week, I stated there were signs, but we needed to be more commited, more often, to prove anything yet and the forward commitment which showed signs against Samoa and Tonga was the reason for my optimism about the Australia game.

My post was purely about the attitude of certain people, who are just so blinkered, and always the same, the ABE crowd, it's like a stuck record, boring!
If they could actually talk about details then it would be different, all you get is, this team is good or better and that team is bad, usually England, or if England beat somebody, then it is because the opposition under performed.

To be honest, we can win the Final, but I am definitely not putting money on it!
The 36 - 0 was hard to take, but definitely not reflective on the real balance between the two teams, and I watched it in Bordeaux surrounded by 15,000 Irish, and had a great time, I didn't cry for too long!

I am looking forward to the weekend, whatever happens, but I am already waiting for the bullshit to appear on Sunday and Monday, and I probably won't respond to that much either!

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you choose to watch it.

Hey there Yorkie...

sorry I got you confused with the Johnny-come-latelys - yes England can win - and if they do - then fair fucks to them - the heart in the team is tremendous - and that's what I love about that team - they fucked out the form book , more than that - they've a pretty ancient pack and went to work regardless. To beat South Africa they will need a bit of luck and to play out of their skins - their defence will also need to be every bit as strong as against France.

I don't know about "green shoots of recovery" ... because I have never considered England to be that weak - they have never had a shit group of forwards in my memory - which doesnt mean they can't be beaten - just that they have a damn good chance.

If South Africa come through as most expect , then I should hope that they have the good grace to not deny the limitations of their team , or , should the referee make some dubious decisions - as no doubt a half-Irishman , half-Frenchman (imagine France in the final) called Alain Rouland may well do.

Best of good luck.

@ leky - they booed the whole fucking team - and twice - against South Africa as well...http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/6185414.stm

Yes, Mr Rolland, can be iffy, as in his first scrum decision in England v Australia, when he penalised Sheridan, and the replay clearly showed it was Dunning, who did not touch, before holding and engaging, and instantly pulling Vickery down!

But generally I think he tries to let things flow, so it could get a bit brutal, but as long as it's legal contact and not cheap shot brutality I don't mind!

Here's my little sideline prediction, Bryan Habana to have the biggest influence on the match, by being sent off!
Worth an outside bet, I think I'll find the odds somewhere.