Rugby League World Cup 2013: Updated Tournament Predictions After Saturday

On Monday, France and Samoa will duke it out at Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, to decide who will face Fiji or England in the quarter-finals of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup from Group B.

Prior to that game, Italy will take on Tonga on Sunday with a chance to replace Scotland as the qualifying team heading into the first knockout round from Group C.

Their prize would be a game against New Zealand.

Australia already know who they must defeat in order to reach the semi-finals having been matched up with the tournament's surprise package, the USA.

Looking at the potential draws, those who have already secured a place in the quarters look set best placed to continue on into the latter stages of the tournament.

Based on their form, team strength and opponents in the next round, that would make for a semi-final featuring Australia against Fiji and host nation England against New Zealand.

Those results would likely lead to a Trans-Tasman final between the Kangaroos and the Kiwis unless home advantage could lift England to an even more impressive performance level than Ryan Hall and Co. have achieved so far.

Likely quarter-finalists Italy, along with France, Samoa and the USA, are unlikely to be able to hold a candle to the heavyweights on the other side of the draw.

Toa Samoa would harbour the best chance of upsetting a tie in the first round of knockout games, however, and could make their brute force count if the conditions are right against England or Fiji.

The Fiji Bati would be preferred opponents, and it's likely that Samoa will beat France to finish second in Group B and secure the easier draw going into the final stages of the tournament.

Below is a rundown of the remaining group stage fixtures followed by a diagram of how the rest of the competition could play out.

Date and Time (GMT)			Group	Outcome
Sunday Nov. 10, 2 p.m.	Wales	Cook Islands	D	Nothing. Both teams are already out.
Sunday Nov. 10, 4 p.m.	Tonga	Italy	C	If Italy win they will replace Scotland in the QF.
Sunday Nov. 11, 8 p.m.	France	Samoa	B	The winner qualifies as the second placed team in Group B. The loser qualifies as the third placed team.

Quarter-finals	Semi-finals	Final
QF1: New Zealand vs. Scotland or Italy, Nov. 15, 8 p.m. (GMT)	SF1: QF1 vs. QF3
QF2: Australia vs. USA, Nov. 16, 1 p.m. (GMT)		SF1 vs. SF2
QF3: England vs. France or Samoa, Nov. 16, 8 p.m. (GMT)	SF2: QF2 vs. QF4
QF4: France or Samoa vs. Fiji, Nov. 17, 3 p.m. (GMT)

Quarter-finals	Semi-finals	Final
New Zealand (Italy)	New Zealand (England)
Australia (USA)		New Zealand (Australia)
England (France)	Australia (Samoa)
Samoa (Fiji)

The loss of Luke Lewis to injury will weaken Australia with any further injuries compromising their title bid, with New Zealand then taking on the mantle of the team most likely to go all the way.

England would likely push them hard in the hypothetical semi-final suggested above, but the Kiwis are looking ominous.

While the other sides would have to make do with only a quarter-final appearance, Scotland miss out due to Italy winning against Tonga, who head into their final game in Group C having been already knocked out of the tournament.

France are likely to finish third in Group B, setting up a knockout match in which England would be favourites to win amidst a backdrop of historical rivalries being tramped out once more in the media.

That would hand a quarter-final clash with Fiji to Samoa, although neither of the two Pacific Island teams would have enough to prevent Australia from reaching the final with or without Lewis.