We’re a little less than a month away from the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and the top 20 teams from across the globe are all set to take the pitch to represent their respective motherlands.
Over at Pool D of the tournament, World No. 2 Ireland lords over as the -165 favorite of winning said group. Can any of the other four teams play spoiler to the Irish’s bid at their first ever William Webb Ellis Cup? Read on as we take a look at what’s in store for this field of tough competitors set to clash beginning on the 18th of September.
For more extensive Rugby World Cup coverage, check out our complete previews for the three other groups in Pool A, Pool B and Pool C.
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2015 Rugby World Cup Pool D Preview
Canada
Eighteen: that’s the number that best represents the Canadian national rugby union team entering the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Canucks are the 18th-best rugby team in the world right now, but also enter the tournament with the disadvantage of having 18 players without prior World Cup experience.
[sc:Other240banner ]Head coach Kieran Crowley, who was a former World Cup champ himself as a member of the 1987 All Blacks, will look to impart his wide experience and knowledge onto the young Canadian Squad. Crowley can also bank on lock/flanker Jamie Cudmore – who’s making his fourth World Cup appearance – to provide some veteran leadership to the team along with team captain Tyler Ardron (20 caps, 10 points).
Canada – a +75,000 heavy underdog to win the William Webb Ellis Cup – will try to end its futile run at the World Cup this 2015. The Canadians have only won two games against their Pool D opponents, with both victories coming against Romania from way back in 1991 and 1995.
Predicted Record
Canada wins its first and only World Cup match in two decades (at Romania’s expense yet again), but bow out of the tournament early on with a record of 1-3.
France
Always a groomsman, never a groom. Make that three winless World Cup finals appearances for France, who came up excruciatingly short in the last edition of the tournament back in 2011 with an 8-7 loss to the dominant New Zealand All Blacks.
In spite of coming just one win short yet again, World No. 7 Les Blues are far and away the most consistent team in Pool D, and also have the best shot of making a dark-horse-like run in the tournament once more. The French have a combined record of 79-12 over Canada, Italy and Romania – the three teams that are ranked below them in the World Rugby Rankings.
France is also the only team in the pool that pretty much has the best chance of upsetting World No. 2 Ireland. Les Blues are 55-31-7 lifetime against the Irish, and are slight +130 underdogs at emerging as the top team of Pool D when the group stage matches are all said and done.
Predicted Record
Les Blues suffer their only loss at the hands of Ireland and finish with a 3-1 record.
Ireland
Ireland may be the second-best team in the world right now, but their performances in the World Cup are nothing but underwhelming. The Wolfhounds have appeared in all seven of the past World Cup tournaments, but have only gone as far as the quarterfinal round in five separate occasions, and even one instance where they lost a quarterfinal playoff match to Argentina (1999).
Still, the Irish have had plenty of success in international play against their Pool D competition. They are undefeated against Canada and Romania (13-0 record overall), and are 20-4 lifetime against Italy. And although France has the better all-time head-to-head record, Ireland has two wins and two draws in the last four matches against Les Blues since 2011. It’s no wonder then why the Irish are priced at +750 to win the entire tournament.
After testing his fortunes in Parisian waters in a brief (and rather disappointing) stint with Racing Metro Paris of France’s Top 14 rugby league, fly-half Jonathan Sexton makes his full-time return to his mother country. Sexton has 51 caps and 481 points playing for Ireland since 2009, and will be the focal member of the Irish squad heading into the tournament.
Predicted Record
The Irish go undefeated in pool competition as they prepare for the real battle ahead in the knock-out stage of the World Cup.
In spite of having a nickname befitting of brighter promises, Italy has been nothing but mediocre in the Rugby World Cup. The Azzurri (Italian for “Sky-blues”) have a 6-6 record in the past three World Cup tournaments.
Could 2015 be the year for them to break away from the dark clouds looming over the group stages? The Italians have never made it to the knock-out stage in all of their seven World Cup appearances. As such, they are a +3,300 long shot at becoming the top team from Pool D.
Look for team captain and one of rugby’s best number eights of all-time, Sergio Parisse, to lead the charge. Parisse has 112 caps and 68 points under his belt, and was a pivotal member of Stade Français, the 2015 champion of France’s Top 14 rugby league.
Predicted Record
Wins over Canada and Romania would not be enough for the Azzurri to bag an elimination round berth as they notch their fourth-straight 2-2 finish at the World Cup.
Romania
Thanks to crucial victories over World No. 11 Tonga and Canada in 2014, Romania qualified for yet another berth to the Rugby World Cup. The Romanians have now qualified for all eight World Cup tournaments. But like the Italians, they have not gone beyond the group stage of the tournament.
The Oaks’ last trip to the World Cup in 2011 wasn’t pretty by any measure. They failed to win a single match and were outscored by a total of 169-44 in the process, including a 67-3 beatdown at the hands of England.
World No. 17 Romania has got to prevail in winnable matchups against Italy and Canada to be even remotely close to upending the huge +50,000 odds against it at winning the group alone. The Romanians are a combined 0-3 against these two clubs in the World Cup and were outclassed by a total score of 77-32 in those three contests.
Predicted Record
Another 0-4 slate and another early exit for Romania.
Writer’s Prediction
Ireland finishes atop the Pool D standings with France as the group’s runner-up, as both teams move on to the knock-out stage of the tournament.
