Early Team Power Rankings for 2015 Rugby World Cup
The warm-ups are under way, and it is nearing that time for coaches to make their final selections for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
In addition to the current preparation games, we have a Six Nations from the spring and a shortened Rugby Championship from the summer on which to assess the form of the main contenders for the Webb Ellis Cup.
It can be hard to know how much of their game plans coaches are giving away in these current "friendly" contests and who exactly might force their way into the teams, but let’s have a look at where teams stand as the countdown continues.
1. New Zealand
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Defeat to Australia in the Rugby Championship saw the trophy leave the All Blacks’ hands for the first time since it became a four-team competition.
It was perhaps the dig in the ribs Steve Hansen's men needed should any complacency have set in.
They have been the game’s dominant force since lifting the World Cup on home soil in 2011 and remain the team to beat in this tournament.
They came roaring back to beat the Wallabies in their second Bledisloe encounter, the 41-13 thumping sending “a message to those who had begun to question their Rugby World Cup credentials after the defeat in Sydney seven days before,” according to ESPN.co.uk
2. South Africa
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Three defeats, including a shock reverse at home to Argentina, painted a worrying picture for the Springboks in the Rugby Championship.
They have repaired the damage somewhat with a 26-12 win over the Pumas in Buenos Aires. ESPN.co.uk picked out the new man in the No. 10 jersey as the key to this success:
"Pat Lambie was magnificent after replacing Handre Pollard as the Springboks' starting fly-half, and his cool playmaking and flawless goal-kicking was key to the South African victory.
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South Africa will recover from that turbulent Rugby Championship and still have bodies to return.
3. Ireland
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The Six Nations champions are ranked No. 2 in the world and picked up where they left off by beating a second-string Wales in Cardiff in their first warm-up, then coming from behind to beat Scotland 28-22.
It was a much changed team from that first warm-up game, which may have accounted for the drop-off in performance level.
All the same, Joe Schmidt’s squad is looking deep, and the Irish have a genuine shot at the semi-finals.
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4. England
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England showed they have dangerous wide men, with Anthony Watson dancing around his man for their first try and combining with fellow wing Jonny May for his second.
Some strong stuff from Sam Burgess with big hits and ground-making carries. His yellow card was more a part of his learning curve than evidence of a major flaw.
England’s forwards blew hot and cold in the scrum until the latter part of the night, when they dominated both scrum and line-out.
They will not fear anyone at Twickenham and must come out all-guns-blazing against Wales and Australia.
5. Australia
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The Wallabies surprised everyone with their Rugby Championship title, but it’s worth remembering it was a shorter tournament in which their only away game was against Argentina.
They lost to the All Blacks heavily at the weekend, but Australia have shown the world they are a dangerous outfit even with a scrum that can sometimes fall to pieces.
They're capable of beating anyone.
6. Wales
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Wales took a pummeling in the first three quarters of their warm-up against Ireland, but don’t read too much into that.
It was largely a second-choice lineup that had never played together before. They are fit, as their late rally showed, and they have a huge amount of experience in their ranks.
Jonathan Davies' absence will be felt, but they can cope if they get George North’s potency levels back to their 2013 high.
7. France
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The French scrum looked in the mood against England, and they showed glimpses of how deadly they can be out wide.
After a shambolic Six Nations, this was better from les bleus, as the Guardian’s Eddie Butler wrote:
"They have been promising that the chaos of their Six Nations campaigns will be replaced by a new sense of order and fraternity. They did indeed look honed and close-knit. Not perfect by a wide margin but they seem on course to keep their promise.
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8. Argentina
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The Pumas played their cards close to their chest in the Rugby Championship until unleashing a full-strength side against South Africa and beating them.
They might have lost the return a week later, but it was encouraging to see that their front-line troops can mix it with the best.
They have the All Blacks first up and will hope to catch the champions cold.
Their back row can compete with any in the world, and they may just have benefited from a return to form in the No. 10 jersey of Juan Martin Hernandez.
If the magic has returned to the veteran playmaker, great things may happen for the South Americans.
9. Scotland
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Scotland achieved the curious feat of losing every game in the Six Nations yet somehow coming out as an improved side.
They showed it again in another defeat to Ireland this past weekend. They have danger men from the Pro 12-winning Glasgow Warriors outfit and will pose problems for South Africa.
Furthermore, this was far from their first choice, as the Scotsman’s Allan Massey wrote:
"I reckon that seven of the Ireland side might be in Joe Schmidt’s preferred World Cup XV, perhaps no more than three or four in Vern Cotter’s. So a lot of players on both sides were competing for a place in the 31-man World Cup squad. A fair number of Scots did their chances no harm.
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10. Italy
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The Azzurri are yet to play a warm-up game ahead of the World Cup, which speaks volumes for the power of the bigger nations and their preference for filling stadia with contests between each other.
They do have two fixtures against Scotland home and away to come.
Sergio Parisse and Co. beat the Scots in Edinburgh in the Six Nations, but they were soundly thumped by every other side.
They are in a pool with France and Ireland and will be long odds to upset either side.
11-20: The Outsiders
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11. Fiji
Fiji are currently ranked ninth in the world after a summer that has seen them beat Samoa, Tonga and Japan while only narrowly losing to New Zealand Maori.
The Islanders upset Wales in 2007 and have them in their pool again this year. Their back line is deadly, with the danger men including Napolioni Nalaga and Metuisela Talebula, while No. 9 Niko Matawalu helped Glasgow to the Pro 12 title this season and earned a move to Wasps.
They are led by canny No. 7 Akapusi Qera and will be nobody's fools. AAP (via ESPN.co.uk) called their recent 39-29 win over Samoa a "Rugby World Cup warning to England, Wales and the Wallabies with a sparkling attacking performance."
12. Samoa
A close contest with the All Blacks in Apia has galvanised the Samoans for the coming World Cup. With talent scattered in Europe and Super Rugby, if they can find the right level of cohesion, they will cause higher-ranked nations some problems. Scotland will be the scalp on their radar in a pool that also contains South Africa.
13. Tonga
Tonga have a three-game winning run behind them after conquering USA, Japan and Canada this summer, and they only lost by eight points to Fiji. Old stager Nili Latu is still going strong in his 34th year. A tough pool with the Pumas and New Zealand as well as the durable Georgians looks a bridge too far.
14. Georgia
You know what you get with Georgia: a scrum made of granite and not much else. Their gnarled forwards can sometimes be enough to shackle better teams and drag them into the trenches, but Argentina and the All Blacks can arm wrestle with the best of them. Their final will be against Tonga.
15. Japan
Former Wallaby coach Eddie Jones will have boosted Japan's street smarts, no doubt, and they beat Wales in 2013, but they lack the muscle of the Pacific Island nations. They do not lack the heart.
16. USA
The Eagles have jettisoned talisman Todd Clever for what their governing body called multiple conduct violations, per stuff.co.nz, so go into the tournament without their best player. As such, they are a weaker outfit and will make little impression on Scotland and South Africa in Pool B.
17. Romania
The Oaks have beaten Namibia and Spain this summer, but these results will not trouble Pool D big dogs Ireland and France. The men in yellow could, though, provide a banana skin for Italy.
18. Canada
The Maple Leaf men have lost their last four games. With France, Italy and Ireland to come, it would seem their best chance of a win will be in Pool D's wooden spoon decider with Romania.
19. Uruguay
Uruguay qualified by beating Russia late last year and have played low level opposition since then in preparation. With England, Wales, Australia and Fiji to face, they could break all records for points conceded at this tournament. Their best chance of picking up a point will be if they get caught speeding on a sightseeing trip.
20. Namibia
The familiar, battle-worn visage of Saracens' Schalk Burger will lead out the Africans for his last World Cup. They have yet to earn a point in World Cup play, and their best chance will come against Georgia.
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