SA and England won't be in QF

From what we've seen today I would bet that neither SA nor England will be in QF.

SA got a very confortable win but more because of the bad game of the Samoans than own merits. Samoa played crap. They weren't able to do the basic right, the kicking to goal and the lineouts were ridiculous, completely inappropriate for a team that aspire to be btwin the best 10 in the world.
I cannot see this team winning Japan next weekend. If something have been proven by the Japanese this WC is that they do the basics right. From what both teams have shown till the moment Japan is the clear fav to win the match. Their game has been brilliant excluding the last 30min. against Scotland (mainly because the fatigue the Japanese players had after an enormous game against SA only 4 days before).
If Japan win, their only match remaining is against USA so they will very probably end up with 3 wins.

On the other hand, SA will face Scotland and these lasts won't be the soft team Samoa have been. In the late years the Scotish have challenged the boks who aren't confortable at all playing them. Scotland is another team that do the basics right, their set pieces are btwin the bests and IMO quite better atm than those of the boks. When the boks cannot dominate the set pieces and get penalties from them their game collapses. I can see the Scotish winning the game and being the first in the pool.

If SA lose against Scotland, they will have only 2 wins but they have chances of qualifying for the next rounds thanx only to the bonus points. This would be really sad.
But the most probable scenario IMO is that Scotland and Japan will be playing the QF. This would be a huge upset with the main favs of the pool, SA and Samoa, taking the way home.


England now have to win against the aussies but their defeat today means that their home advantage has mainly or even totally disappear. In this conditions the aussies are IMO great favs to win, they are superior as a team.

Today as the most convincing win between 2 team's top 10 teams at the world cup. We crisheed them. . We bulled the Samoans with a physical backline. If the game had gone on another 5 minutes the Boks would probably have had another 2 tries. Ouir forwards were throwing the Samoans around at will

I would not write off England either. They did look the better team but Wales took their few chances better. Wales were playing out of their skins and things clicked for them on the day.
The England pack when it gets going can be a juggernaut. I would put more faith in England beating Australia than Wales beat Australia
As the host nation all the pressure has shifted from SA to England

Well, England and Wales are rivals and have yet to face each other in a World Cup since 2003, where Wales were beaten, so that adds some significance. Don't write off England at all. They have the tools to hit  Australia where they are weakest. So that group could go down to the wire.

 Hey AB, where about do you hail from in Un Zed?

So plank tell us, who do you think is going to make the QFs in the Boks pool.  

 @poi-e,
"in Un Zed"? I don't know what this means

@moz,

do you understand English? or is it that you don't even read the post that you respond to? it was very clear in my first post, you "plank":

"But the most probable scenario IMO is that Scotland and Japan will be playing the QF. This would be a huge upset with the main favs of the pool, SA and Samoa, taking the way home."

this need of insulting without any reason usually hides sick behaviours

 ABF: Moz will use any means to be provocative. He can't help himself

Well the Samoans missed 4 penalties when the score was 24-6...those goalable  penalties  would have made 24-18 and it would no doubt been a different game altogether...SA needed cushion to go on the try scoring  spree...anyway good effort SA

 That's all we need, another prophet of doom.

The Boks were dominating every facet of play. Had they been on the ropes I would agree, but they weren't.

 @cloudy and poi-e,

I'm not a NZer, I'm Basque. And though there's a part of the Basque country which is now in France, I come from and now live in the part of the Basque country in Spain.
Here there's only one sport, football (soccer), and rugby is almost non-existant.

When I was playing, the only tournament broadcasted here was the 5 Nations. At that time I was backing France coz their expansive game (against the English 10 men rugby) and coz there always have been Basques playing there (at that time, e.g. Serge Blanco).
But then the WC arrived and with it the more expansive game of the AB. I was instantly coverted into an AB fan. I quited watching the 5 Nations as it got more and more boring and the only rugby that I watched for some time were the WCs each 4 years. Untill after the 2007 when I began to follow the Tri-Nations through internet and backing the expansive game of the AB against the SA defensive and simple game.

Around 2009-10 I began to follow the Super Rugby comp. Though I like to watch all the kiwi teams, the one that was playing the most similar game to that of the AB (who always have played the best and more entertaining rugby, except may be, the aussies of the late 90's and first 2000's) were the Crusaders, besides McCaw and Carter were playing there so it's not dificult to guess what team I back. Now I follow even Canterbury in the ITM cup, very entertaining rugby.

 It could be a disappointing RWC for ab ass.

 Mr. Been,

well, for the moment all goes smoothly,.......... the AB winning as it couldn't be otherwise,.... England with one foot out of the competition,......the boks embarrassing themselves losing against Japan,...... and with their clasification still unresolved

I wouold say that it couldn't go better

All depends on our injury sit uation and Meyer booting out pap victor.we definitely have the beating of the abs.
England can beat OZ so dont count your chickens yet ab ass. 

Dinna worry I read your little gotcha post Basque and just wanted a clear cut prediction.  I'd say that you were irritated with the Boks win over Samoa. It didn't support you coming on here and gloating about how bad we are. So you thought you would try this angle.   Transparent as glass.

 I forget what your prediction was Moz.

 What prediction?

Who will make it to the QF?

 Allow me to help JW. Scotland and South Africa.

 Thanks Beeno, just goes to show even helpful people can be wrong

 In contention so far

A Austr Wales Eng
B SA Scot Japan
C NZ Arg
D Fra Ire

Possible but unlikely upsets in C Tonga might surprise Arg...they did to Fra in 2011 and gave SA  a fright in 2007

I think Fr and Ire are safe and obviously NZ are bankers

 

 Glad to see you rely on the wisdom of the duck beeno.

  @moz,

"I'd say that you were irritated with the Boks win over Samoa."

not at all,.... I never get irritated because of rugby, it's just a game and it's not more than a game for me,.... I enjoy watching it, the good rugby, and enjoy watching my teams win but irritated? not at all,..... I was dissapointed with the Samoan game,..... I expected a lot more from them


@Mr. Been,

"England can beat OZ so dont count your chickens yet ab ass."

I'm not counting anything, I just said that England have a foot outside the comp,.... and they have it,...... which doesn't mean that they're out, they still have the other foot in and they could end up winning the WC,..... I cannot see now this happening but it could happen.
For this to happen they first have to beat the aussies next weekend but with what they have shown till the moment I see it as almost impossible.
They are playing the same uggly phisycal game the boks like to play. They both play with 2 blindside flankers, no openside, to increase this phisycallity but Japan showed how to counteract this, targetting the breakdowns. With Pock0ck on the field, and also Hooper, they will have the same problems they had against the Welsh or even bigger ones.
Against Scotland the boks will also suffer in this aspect

Reminds of the  ditty we used to sing as lighties..."Be kind to our Web-footed friends....'cause a Duck could be somebodys mother ...lol

 You're posts read a lot like some of Rooinek's posts, and another poster called Blackadder, who claimed to be a Kiwi, AB and C rusaders supporter but also posted just like Rooinek.