Well, what a couple of weeks that was! The heavy hitting group stage of the Rugby World Cup 2015 has now been assigned to the dust bowl of history and it has left behind some of the sport’s most memorable moments – South Africa fans, get ready to see footage of the Japan game replayed over and over again for the next four years!
So far, in 40 games, the tournament has seen 231 tries scored, and a total of 2,020 points. Favourites New Zealand remain undefeated, as do Australia and Ireland and, instead of rolling over to their more illustrious opponents, the smaller nations have done themselves proud with some impressive performances.
The big losers of the tournament so far undoubtedly have to be England, and despite the opinions of our pre-tournament expert panel, they became the first host nation in history to be eliminated before the knock-out stages. With that in mind, we checked in with our panel to pick their brains on how the group stage has shaken things up:
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Name: Jim Rosenthal
Allegiance: England
Who he?: The legendary British TV presenter’s will be hosting the Rugby World Cup exclusively on OSN
What has been your favourite moment of the Rugby World Cup so far?
The best moment so far has to be late on in the Japan-South Africa game. The ambition shown by Japan to push for a game-winning try to beat the Springbok rather than to settle for a draw has to be one of the great upsets ever in the sport. It showed that, now and again, David does get the better of Goliath.
Which team has surprised you the most?
I’m tempted to say Japan, but I’ll go for Argentina. The Pumas have again brought their ‘A Game’ to the World Cup. Playing in the Rugby Championship has been a great benefit in their development, so don’t expect them to depart quietly in the quarter finals.
Originally you picked the All Blacks to win. Has that changed at all?
I know the All Blacks haven’t blown us away yet, but I still pick them to lift the trophy on October 31st. I am wary of the quality of the opposition they have played and that there is a danger of them being ‘undercooked’ when it comes to the knock-out stage, but look at the numbers: played 3, won 3, points scored 127, points conceded 40 – that is the stuff of champions.
Who have been the stand-out players for you so far?
Nemani Nadolo of Fiji was excellent before his ban. Fiji were so unfortunate to be in the drawn Pool of Death – it would have been great to see them play against some even teams. Other than him, Wales’ Dan Biggar has taken his opportunity to emerge as the top number 10 in the northern hemisphere. Although Bernard Foley’s starring role at Twickenham for Australia was tough for an Englishman to watch, he and Australia were in a different class. The headline ‘ Wallabies beat Wallies’ says it all.
Name: Steve Thompson, MBE
Allegiance: England
Who he?: Played flanker 73 times for England;
Your favourite moment of the Rugby World Cup so far?
As far as one single moment, it has to be Japan’s historic victory over South Africa, but one of the things I’ve most enjoyed watching is the development of the ‘second tier’ sides. No longer are teams like Romania, Canada and Namibia getting hammered by 40-points by the more established nations. It’s been great watching run other teams close.
Have you dissected England’s disappointing showing?
Looking back to the start of the tournament, I find it hard to believe that so many people picked England as one of the favourites. Looking at their starting 15, I don’t think any of those players would make it into a World 15 team, or even a reserve World 15. To be considered a contender you should be looking at a team with 5 or 6 players who are the best in the world in their position. England don’t have that and, therefore, I’m not surprised that they were eliminated.
Originally you picked the All Blacks to win. Has that changed at all?
Yes, I think everyone picked New Zealand to win, but before the tournament, I also thought that France would be a dark horse. I’ve actually been rather disappointed by the way the French have played so far. They have looked good against the weaker teams, but I think they were found out against Ireland. Now that the group stage is over, I must admit I’ve been very impressed with Australia. Traditionally, their pack has always been criticised, but this year it looks like a well-oiled machine and they are looking very dangerous.
Who have been the stand-out players for you so far?
I think the American captain Chris Wyles has been an unexpected standout. Although he already plays his club rugby in the Aviva Premiership for Saracens, he has shown that you don’t need to be from one of the favourites to make an impact.