With little over two weeks to go until the 2023 Rugby World Cup kicks off, it’s time to dust off the crystal ball for our predictions on how the competition will play out.
The tenth Rugby World Cup has arguably more potential winners than ever before, with host nation France a real contender for their first Web Ellis trophy. South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand are also viable candidates to be crowned World Champions, yet an uneven draw has stacked these titans of world rugby on the same side of the competition’s bracket.
Along with Scotland, these five teams represent the five top rated sides, in today’s World Rugby rankings. England, Argentina, Australia, Fiji or Wales are the top contenders to reach the final on the opposing side of the tournament, making this year’s pinnacle competition more difficult to predict than ever before.
So, with just 16 days to go until Les Bleus and the All Blacks ignite the competition in a blockbuster opener, here is our predictions for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. This is how we think the tournament will unfold, and who we believe will be standing tall with the Web Ellis trophy held aloft.
1. The All Blacks Upset France in Rugby World Cup Opener
Rugby fans across the world are excitedly counting down the days until Friday 8th September, as Fabien Galthie’s Blues welcome the All Blacks to the Stade de France. This seismic clash is set to be a close encounter between two of the world’s best teams, yet we believe that the All Blacks will just edge out Les Blues, for a victory that will stun the host nation fans in attendance.
A decisive factor in this New Zealand triumph, is the recent absence of France’s regular starting fly half Romain Ntamack. The Toulouse halfback is an integral part of the French back-line, yet an unfortunately timed anterior cruciate ligament injury has curtailed his competition before it ever began. Ntamack’s boot got caught in the Murrayfield turf, as he attempted a tackle on his opposite man Finn Russell, a fortnight ago, in France’s win over Scotland.
France’s back-up fly half is the superbly talented Matthieu Jalibert, however having played second-string to Ntamack in Galthie’s World Cup plans, the Bordeaux man could struggle to lead the way against the titanic All Blacks. New Zealand look as good as ever, and coming off the back of an undefeated 2023 Rugby Championship campaign, Ian Foster’s men want to repeat the history of the 1987 and 2011 Rugby World Cup Finals, with a victory over France.
Imposing victories over the Springboks, Australia and Argentina have set the All Blacks’ recent tone heading into the competition. Tomorrow night’s clash with South Africa at Twickenham Stadium will be a decisive tell, as to what All Blacks side is set to show up at the Rugby World Cup. Several All Blacks legends look set to hang up the black jersey after the trip to France, including Sam Whitelock, who wants to become the first ever player to win three Rugby World Cup titles.
With so much on the line for an iconic All Blacks generation, the likes of Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Whitelock and co, will want nothing more than to stamp their authority on the competition with an early win over the hosts. We believe that they can do just that, in what will be an unforgettable opening contest for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. We predict a 24-19 All Blacks victory to kick-start the competition.