Article by rugby union;
In 2011, there were only one or two results that one would consider upsets. There were a few close-calls, but the tournament wasn't nearly as unpredictable as '07. Do you expect to see a few more this time around?
It's a bit of a cliché, but I can see Fiji pushing Wales in Pool A. Mostly because the fixture falls on the Thursday, 5 days after the big clash with England. Thinking we might see them roll out a second string side there, especially since they'll still have Australia to come.
I can see Pool B being pretty competitive, with Scotland, Samoa, Japan and USA all capable of giving each other a decent game. I'd like to see Japan upset someone, but I can't help but feel that they 're being over hyped, just a little bit. Scotland vs. Samoa is likely to be the big one. Would a second pool stage exit in two World Cups be disastrous for Scottish Rugby? Samoa didn't seem nearly as dangerous as they did 4 years ago in November, but there's still a bit to go.
I honestly can't see any upsets occurring in Pool C. I've heard some people batting around the idea of Tonga and even Georgia upsetting Argentina, but I just don't see it. On a side note, I am looking forward to seeing how the Georgians go against the All Blacks. Conversely, I'm slightly scared of seeing how Namibia go against the All Blacks...
I'd like to see Italy qualify out of Pool D along with Ireland, maybe upsetting France along the way, but based on their performance in the Six Nations... Again, there is still a lot of rugby to played before the World Cup. Hate to mention it, but we saw how Ireland went from Six Nations contenders to barely beating second string Georgia in '07. Romania and Canada could also be competitive, particularly against Italy. I've heard mixed things about Canada over the past four years, but a few of their professionals seem to be doing well in the Pro 12.
