One Month to Go -- I Can’t Wait!

Hello, Tackleman here with a brain fit to burst with things to say and comment upon. Rugby World Cup 2015 is one month away, the Rugby Championship recently concluded and Fiji were crowned victors of the Pacific Nations Cup. I might struggle to cover everything but I’ll give it a good crack.

The Rugby Championship
First up; The Rugby Championship. What have we learned? New Zealand are fallible…just. They could, and perhaps should, have lost two games. South Africa had them on the ropes but couldn’t finish them off whereas the Aussies managed to seal the trophy in the crucial decider in quite impressive style. Michael Cheika stuck to his tactic of employing two open sides, Hooper and Pocock, and it worked superbly throughout the Championship.

Following last weekend’s Bledisloe Cup defeat to NZ where the Aussie pack was soundly beaten, Cheika will surely revert back to this line-up. I have no doubt that come Tournament time it will work, but only if Australia can maintain parity up front in the set piece. This was the big plus for the Australians ahead of RWC 2015. They appear to have found a scrum. Yes, that’s right. The Aussies have a scrum. Big, big news.

For the AB’s there would have been disappointment following defeat in Sydney, but after Saturday’s resounding victory over Australia, the loss won’t hurt them too much. The damage will be in the Springbok camp; three defeats. They should be the champions. Instead, they got mugged by the Kiwi’s and Aussies and were then humbled by an inspired Argentina in Durban. Remember them? RWC third place finishers in 2007 and for me the most impressive rugby nation. Although South Africa exacted some revenge at the weekend, Argentina’s win the week before was a timely reminder that their favourite stage is being prepared and they intend to strut their stuff.

Fiji's Pacific Cup win
Speaking of forgotten nations, Fiji has increased the turmoil in “The Pool of Death”. If Australia’s victory over New Zealand didn’t have English and Welsh hearts trembling, Fiji’s Pacific Cup Final win over Samoa will have amped things up. Samoa was the first nation to declare their Rugby World Cup squad, publicly stating that the aim is to pick players who can smash their way to victory. Well, Fiji took the hits, played sublime attacking rugby and ran out 39-29 winners. Tough opener for England ahead.

And what of the Northerners?
Well, the scene up north is a bit like the classroom before a big exam. Everyone bluffing and no one giving anything away. The Welsh are adamant they selected the right height for altitude training whereas the others are claiming superior preparations.

With one month to go, now is the time for those important final squad selections. As the teams’ fine tune their squads, I have to mention South Africa’s unearthing of two absolute gems in Jesse Kriel and Damian De Allende. With Rugby World Cup selection up for grabs, those two have risen to the occasion and left me shouting at the TV with excitement. 

The greatest rugby show is nearly upon us, I just can’t wait! Make sure you join me next time when I’ll be offering up my pre-Tournament thoughts and maybe a few predictions ahead of the opening weekend.

Yours in rugby, 
Tackleman