Pick Your Semi Finalists

First topic message reminder :

Pick four teams that you think will make the semis...

Current experts thoughts of likely quarter-finalists are:

Ireland v Wales

England v France

South Africa v Australia

New Zealand v Argentina/Scotland



Possible upsets would be France beating New Zealand swapping one for the other at the quarters. Italy beating Ireland meaning Ireland likely to swap with Australia at the quarters stage. Whether Samoa can beat SA and Wales loose to Fiji meaning that SA and Samoa go through or if Wales beat Fiji by a cricket score and SA loose whether SA wont qualify. Another permutation is whether England or Scotland will go through top of their pool, and for that matter whether England, Scotland or Argentina would go through as second place quarter-finalists from their pool.

Variations could possibly be:

Australia v Samoa

Scotland v France

Wales/SA v Ireland

New Zealand v England

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:They´re not second at the end though leinsterbaby according to some. Apparently Italy are going to be the big movers and shakers.

That game for Australia did nothing for them really. They did what they have to but the result is pretty much a head banging against the wall exercise. It doesn´t bring back the last game against Ireland. They have to focus now on their lineup. Faingaa had a sickening collision and Beale walked off at halftime.

Australia have Russia to repair their wounded and then face a huge physical battle with SA. Don´t see how Faingaa can come back so will AAC move to centre and hope Ioane or JOC are back to go on the wing? Robbie Deans was confident of the depth of Australia before the tournament. Now he realises he needs his top players back as the cover is not so flash.

Deans big chance is Samoa take Fiji tomorrow then its all on next week. A tough match for Samoa against SA could help Oz the week after- but that could also backfire. For SA- a string of potentially Samoa, Oz, NZ and Final is a big ask for anyone.

On current form it's hard not to see Samoa walloping Fiji.

I think the boks will be far too strong for Samoa though.

leinsterbaby wrote:

Rob B wrote:In case any Interest OZ 67 USA 5. 11 tries. Bonus point secured after 28 mins.

Pretty good for a second in the pool team.

Yes I thought so too - an interesting contrast to the USA Ireland margin.

roddersm wrote:On current form it's hard not to see Samoa walloping Fiji.

I think the boks will be far too strong for Samoa though.

I'm a little reserved on both those results. Samoa will be under pressure to win the Fiji one to 'have a chance' so they might struggle to put them away and could lose it if theyre not thorough.

If they do win it they have a chance '5' days later against SA (who have 8 days- geez Samoa have got it tough) but albeit a small one. It won't be for want of trying though.

If only it were that easy.