A World Cup Prediction

Alright...so if games go to form, here's a possible World Cup Scenario:

Pool A
South Africa
England

Pool B
Australia
Wales

Pool C
NZ
Scotland

Pool D
France
Ireland

Quarterfinals

QF 1: Australia v England - the 2 underperformers in World Rugby last year - toss a coin
QF 2: NZ v Ireland - have never beaten us
QF 3: South Africa v Wales - should go the Japie's way
QF 4: France v Scotland - on form the French should win

Assuming all the home unions get dealt to as you'd expect and have their normal quarter final exit...

Semi finals

SF 1: Australia v NZ
SF 2: South Africa v France

Final

NZ v either South Africa or France...

So the Tri Nations is perhaps more important than one might think this year - NZ's likely semi final and final opposition could be Aussie and SA! NZ has never lost a final to Aussie...but we have lost 2 semi finals to Aussie in 1991 and 2003. We have also lost a final to South Africa. Lets hope its the French in the final: we have beat them in a final and I think there's still a need to decisively purge the nation of the 1999 semi final loss to the eye gouging, crotch obssessed Frogs.

Just one man's opinion.