Rugby World Cup Fixtures 2015: Bold Predictions in Quarter-Finals

Rugby World Cup 2015 reaches the quarter-final stage at the weekend with four fiercely contested matches to savour.

The most likely upset is arguably an early exit for New Zealand at the hands of France.

Argentina are perhaps favourites to beat Ireland, but with Ireland losing so many players this week, perhaps that isn’t such a bold prediction.

Wales will need the performance of their lives to beat South Africa, but the Dragons thrive under pressure and doubts linger over the Springboks.

Australia are the least likely to suffer an upset, but beware a Scotland side totally revitalised under Kiwi coach Vern Cotter.

France to Beat New Zealand

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New Zealand are fallible. What’s more, their quarter-final against France at the Millennium Stadium, Wales, represents the best chance any team will have this World Cup of beating the All Blacks.

There are two reasons for this. The first is the Kiwis’ dodgy form.

Against Georgia in their Pool C fixture, an almost full-strength All Black team made numerous handling errors and displayed a quite remarkable lack of coherence.

Andrew Alderson of the New Zealand Herald lamented the Kiwis’ “diabolical handling,” adding: “You'd have been reluctant to give anyone a starting spot in an egg-and-spoon race.”

Versus Tonga, in their final pool game, New Zealand were on the back foot in the opening quarter, conceding penalties at the scrum and looking shaken.

John Campbell wrote, via stuff.co.uk: "This victory was made by stock-taking at half-time. After a first half that, again, seemed inexplicably misaligned. After a first half in which, again, simple mistakes occurred, and occurred, a different team ran out for the second 40."

The second reason is pressure. New Zealand, famously, lost in the very same stadium at the very same stage to France in 2007. As I highlighted earlier in the week, France are the Kiwis’ nemeses.

If New Zealand are to lose at any point this World Cup, it is most likely to be at the quarter-final stage.

Argentina to Beat Ireland

Argentina are a team set up to play knockout rugby. They have a strong pack, pace in the back three—in Juan Imhoff, Joaquin Tuculet and Santiago Cordero, one of the stars of the tournament—and kicking options at 10 and 12 to manage the game in Nicolas Sanchez and Juan Martin Hernandez.

Argentina’s fine showing in Pool C would have already made them a good bet to progress, but injury worries for Ireland make the task that much tougher.

Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls were casualties from the France game and are fighting to be fit, while key back-rower Peter O’Mahony and titanic captain Paul O’Connell are out of the tournament. O'Connell's injury brings to an end his illustrious international career, per BBC Sport.

To make matters worse, flanker Sean O’Brien has been banned from the quarter-final after being found guilty of striking Pascal Pape in the final group game, per BBC Sport. Circumstances have firmly tipped the balance in the Pumas’ favour.

Ireland do, though, have in Joe Schmidt a formidable coach who oversaw a brilliant second-half performance against France despite the casualties mentioned above.

Argentina may be underdogs, but there will be no tighter quarter-final at Rugby World Cup 2015.

I predict the Pumas will edge it.

Wales to Beat South Africa

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South Africa remain perilously difficult to predict at this World Cup.

The wounded Springboks’ powerful response to their shock defeat to Japan meant they still managed to top Pool B. But while they should overcome Wales, the Dragons have proved themselves to be tricky opponents this World Cup despite their injury difficulties.

Wales will try to draw inspiration from their 12-6 win in Cardiff last autumn, and the fact they pushed the Springboks very close in Nelspruit last year—when they squandered a lead to go down 31-30 in the last minute.

South Africa start as favourites, but Wales have another upset in them.

Scotland to Beat Australia

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Scotland’s defence was too loose against Samoa, but they will not have to deal with such unstructured opponents in the quarter-final.

Fortunately for them, Scotland are a better team when they can rely on patterns and their excellent drilling from coach Vern Cotter.

Australia are formidable rivals, but coach Michael Cheika has tempered Australia’s off-the-cuff flair, instead providing a winning formula based on careful analysis and ruthless taking of opportunities.

Against Wales, Australia dominated the scoreboard but not many other statistics.

Due to Australia’s change in style, if Vern Cotter can outprepare Cheika, Scotland are in with a chance.

This is the least likely upset, but Scotland are just about in with a shot.

Scotland to Attack More Than Australia

As alluded to in the previous slide, Australian rugby used to be characterised by its exciting back play. Meanwhile, for a couple of decades, Scotland played little more than 10-man rugby.

All that has changed with the arrivals of Cheika and Cotter, however.

Cheika’s Australia retain their attacking flair but are pragmatic; their instincts checked.

Scotland, meanwhile, have been developing a more expansive game. It’s not just that the team has improved under Cotter, it’s that they are attempting things they wouldn’t have dreamed of two years ago.

Until very recently, their second-half try-fests against the USA and Japan would have been inconceivable.

With that in mind, a reversal of psyche may take place at Twickenham, London, on Sunday: Scotland may play more with ball in hand than Australia.