Scots rely on foreign legion to make the play-offs
OF the three major games at the Rugby World Cup this week, none is bigger than England versus Wales.
England, after their win over Fiji in the opener, will be near certainties to make the play-offs if they win. Even defeat by the Wallabies should not stop them because their final game is against nohopers Uruguay. Wednesday Gloucester)
Even defeat against the Wallabies should not stop England
(Pool B: 3.30pm at
SCOTLAND have failed to make the play-offs of a World Cup only once. In 2011, they were pipped by England and Argentina in their pool. This time they believe they can redeem this by finishing at least second to the Springboks in Pool B.
Coached by hard-nosed New Zealander Vern Cotter, Scotland have a good lineout with the Gray brothers, Richie and Jonny. The backs are led by captain Greig Laidlaw and flyhalf Finn Russell and also feature impressive centre Mark Bennett, fleetfooted Stuart Hogg and New Zealand-born Sean Maitland.
Apart from Maitland, Cotter has not been afraid of calling up South Africans Josh Strauss at No 8 and tighthead WP Nel as well as ex-Highlanders flanker John Hardie.
Strauss and Hardie have been controversial inclusions. CONTROVERSIAL SELECTION: SA’s Josh Strauss plays at No 8 for the Bravehearts of Scotland The former Lions captain qualified only yesterday, completing his three-year residency. Hardie, who qualifies through a grandmother in Fife, arrived in Scotland only a few weeks before the kickoff. To accommodate the pair, Cotter left out John Barclay, who recently had a stormer for the Scarlets of Llanelli in their Celtic cup match against Glasgow Warriors, for whom Strauss appeared as a blindside flanker.
(Pool A: 5.45pm at Wednesday Cardiff)
THE Wallabies are the only team to have beaten the All Blacks this year and make a late start to this tournament with their opponents already having a game under the belt.
The Aussies have two players with the potential to be among the stars at this World Cup: fullback Israel Folau and flanker David Pocock. They are backed up by a talented bunch that includes skipper and hooker Stephen Moore, returning flyhalf Matt Gitau, who is in top form, Michael Hooper, Will Genia and New Zealand-born Will Skelton, a 23-year-old lock forward regarded as one of world rugby’s emerging talents.
Overall, the Wallabies will carry too many guns for Fiji and probably run the islanders off their feet in this match. Australia have a busy 11 days, meeting Uruguay on Sunday and England in October, which is likely to decide the winner of Pool A that also includes Wales.
Fiji’s defeat by England in the opener has probably eliminated their chances in this group, but Australia and Wales will remain wary of them. The Welsh, especially, will remember their 38-24 defeat by the islanders at the 2007 World Cup.
(pool A: Saturday 9pm at Twickenham)
THIS will be the second game in a week for Wales, but they won’t complain because today’s match against Uruguay will give them a chance to test their new lineup following two critical injuries to fullback Leigh Halfpenny and scrumhalf Rhys Webb.
As for England, it is the
Talk about the group being a pool of death is not exaggerated
second of three big matches (the other two having been Friday night’s opener against Fiji and the late game against Australia on October 3). Talk about the group being a pool of death is not exaggerated; it’s more like a lake of death.
If England win the group, they could theoretically make it to the final without having to meet the Springboks or All Blacks, two teams they have not beaten since Stuart Lancaster became coach. For this to happen, they will probably need to face Scotland in the quarterfinals, then France or Ireland in the semifinals.
An important step in that direction is winning the match against their Six Nations opponents this week.
In England’s favour — psychologically at least — is that they are unbeaten at Twickenham for three-and-ahalf years against Europeans.