Will the Northern Hemisphere Teams Fear what they saw of the Southern Hemisphere 4 Nations?

Ireland, Wales and England could be forgiven if they felt bullish going into the World Cup?

1. The All Black pack is average.
2. The Boks backline is sterile as a unit, limited to individual opportunism.
3. Argentina do not seem capable of a few consecutive matches with good form
4. Australia was beaten comfortably than a Bok B-team- even if some of the B-team players are perhaps better than the first choices?

Go on dreaming - we had the same stories prior to the 2015 WC and none of the NH teams were in the semi's,   The Springboks will have their best team and backups in the WC and so will the AB's,   It would no be a squad comprised of duds like in 2015 like in 2015,  

The same story circulated before the English matches last year and  was discounted in the games against the Springboks and England as well.   The English was very, very lucky to win the  Twickenham test,

And then we have the Scotland team who is building up some SA originated players in their team.

In 2015 the Wallabies were the best attacking side in world rugby, the Welsh had the best defence, totally stifling and shutting down that potent attack. 

In 2015, the All Blacks had a rather slow start and grew in potency as the competition progressed. In the RC they looked like a meandering rabble. Don't be surprised to see them do likewise this year, even if they don't win it. 

This WC is there for a NH to take. Australia and South Africa are beneath England, Wales and Ireland and now New Zealand look their most vulnerable since 2004. I foresee some interesting shifts in power in world rugby over the next cycle.

Sure - there could be changes in world rugby with all the players the NC Unions contract from SH rugby,  But history proof that the shift may be far less than the idiots predict.     

Australia and South Africa are not top teams. New Zealand is in decline. Uncharted waters. The balance of power is shifting north. 

Dr Moz please also take the loss against England out of Rassie loss column and put it in the win column as you know very well Farrel deserved at best a penalty if not a yellow or even red. 

Take out the drwars and also the loss in the USA out as well. 

Your 50% ratio is nonsense. 

If Damian doesn't fiddle around the ruck, England don't score the penalty that wins the game. J-Raz needs to have the tractor serviced or put out of service. 

Stupid Mike, 

Firstly, no need to call someone an idiot if they do not believe in your biased take. 

It is the first time in the professional era that the Northern Hemisphere has 3 teams in the top 5 of the IRB rankings. It is stupid and arrogant to not consider this

How exactly does history prove anything, if the Southern Hemisphere have been in the top 3 positions for most of the professional era? 

If they are not consistently winning, the fact remains they are not in the top 3 teams in the world.

 It is stupid and arrogant to not consider this 

Both perfect descriptions of the Oom!

Sure - but let me assure you that Idiot Speak is not a total requirement for posting on this site.  The idiots are out i n full force and makes deductions like they really know wat is going on ion rugby,

The players they insisted on are substandard and they cannot take that fact without bleating out BS,

Results is what counts and two years ago England was according to them the top team in world rugby, quickly followed by Ireland and now Wales.   The same members preached then how poor SH rugby is - same as they did before the 2015  WC.   

We have all heard ts before and they were ALWAYS wrong - so what else is new?       

Sure - but let me assure you that Uduit Speak is not a total requirement for posting on this site.  The idiots are out ion full force and makes deductions like they really know wat is going on ion rugby,

The players they insisted on are substandard and they cannot take that fact without bleating out BS,

Results is what counts and two years ago England was according to them the top team in world rugby, quickly followed by Ireland and now Wales.   The same members preached then how poor SH rugby is - same as they did before the 2015  WC.   

We have all heard ts before and they were ALWAYS wrong - so what else is new?       

Haven't watched too much NH rugby. From what I saw though, Ireland is in decline and England have not quite cracked it.

How many world cups have these oaks from the NH won. One.

We may have to beat NZ and Ireland to get to final I hear. BUT we are in with a shout. Cant see us being bested at forward if the rIght pack is played. Great halfback combo and some attacking strength out wide. Great defence as we saw agaInst the wee abs.

Not so much the NH teams should we be concerned about as the SH players augmenting those teams...as in the case of the last RWC with Japan's SH mercenaries sinking SA..

...mainly though am referring to the threat the Kiwis dotted through  opposition teams pose  .....for example would Wales now be 6 Nations champs without the addition of star 1st 5 Gareth Anscombe ?....Bundi Aki has added potency to the Irish backline and set up the try for Ireland to take out their last win against the ABs.... England will have a few Kiwis as will 9 other countries....

Thorn in our side and it's Kiwis like Russel Coutts that have been the death of us...more recently  Ben Stokes voted NZ sportsman of the year ...but there has been many = rugby league there are many examples of waka jumpers...

Lets not also forget that many of the NH international teams are coached by SH coaches so we could potentially be the architects of our own demise

SB

The ratings are distorted by the fact that the NH play tests in  February - March each year and  the SH only play games in June-July and in August-September-October.  Each year -  only ratings really working is a the end of each year,  

At one stage in 2015 the NH also had three teams in the top 5 and where did they end in the WC?

I am not saying anything that it would be impossible for a NH team to win the WC - but the history indicates that the only Union that win the WC was England once, the other seven times it was won by SH teams.

After the 2015 WC some of the major NH unions got in SH coaches who started to implement SH strategies and game plans which enhanced the quality if rugby played in accordance with the 2008 law changes and therefore became more competitive  .  SA never got to that point before 2018.

The NH taste of the year varied frim England to Ireland to Wales and some makes wild claims that SH rugby is poor compared to NH rugby without having any really proven basis to do so - that is the main problem.   However the main problem is it is a repeat of the same stories before each WC and never really happened,                     

SB

By the way have you got my permission to put a photo of me on site?  

CleverMike, it was you who originally arranged for this photo to be posted on this website. Since that time, it has appeared a few times over. It should be included as one of the smiley options 

https://www.world.rugby/rankings/mru?lang=en#!

Men's Rankings 

Updated: 05 January, 2015

• (1)

 
• NEW ZEALAND

• (2)

 
• SOUTH AFRICA

• (3)

 
• IRELAND

• (4)

 
• ENGLAND

• (5)

 
• AUSTRALIA

SB

No it was not - After winning 3 and losing 7 the ratings after the Japan disaster  put the Springboks at 6 - look at the ratings before the start of the WC and SA was at 4 because of Meyer's RC disaster and it slipped to 6 after the Japan disaster.   

At that stage the following teams were ahead of SA in the ratings:-

New Zealand, Australia, England Ireland, Wales

The heroics of the despised players like  De Allende, Kriel and De Jager helped in getting us back to 3 after the WC.   The 8 flops Mayer picked - who played minimal rugby after that japan game was the reason for the ultimate flop.

SB - I never gave permission for the  photo to be posted - Mozart did so and as per normal he lied about giving permission.  Please stay away from the Mozart and co BS on site,.    

Here are the ratings as of today - with only one test and a few warn up games to be played before the WC:-

• (1)

• NEW ZEALAND

• (2)

• ENGLAND

• (3)

• SOUTH AFRICA

• (4)

• AUSTRALIA

• (6)

• WALES

• (7)

• IRELAND

• (9)

• FRANCE

• (8)

• SCOTLAND

• (5)

• ARGENTINA

So you have lied again, by omitting the 5th placed team- which proves 3 out of the top 5 are Northern Hemisphere teams. This has been the case for the average of 4 years preceding the world cup. 

I am talking about the 4 years preceding a world cup. The average "form"- not what it was after an upset during the world cup when the Boks lost to Japan.

And you have screwed up the margins

The top 9 ratings are as follows:-

• (1)

• NEW ZEALAND

• (2)

• ENGLAND

• (3)

• SOUTH AFRICA

• (4)

• AUSTRALIA

• (6)

• WALES

• (7)

• IRELAND

• (9)

• FRANCE

• (8)

• SCOTLAND

• (5)

• ARGENTINA

are you unable to count past 4?