Rugby World Cup 2023

The biggest event in world rugby returns on Friday evening as France host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. This year’s renewal looks to be to most competitive in the tournament’s history – with four sides at the top of the market with real ambitions of taking home the Webb Ellis Cup.

The opening game sees France take on New Zealand in the biggest curtain raiser in the competition’s history – a game that will be crucial to shaping the knockout stages and the routes the major nations will take towards the final on 28th October.

Rugby World Cup Predictions

Rugby World Cup Winner – South Africa to win

South Africa arrive in France as the defending champions after their triumph in Japan four-years ago, and they look primed to join the great New Zealand side of 2015 as the only side to successfully defend their title.

They have the deepest set of forwards in world rugby, with the infamous “Bomb Squad” front-row, backed up by an impressive group of back five forwards, many of whom would be starting for most teams at the tournament. Inspirational captain Siya Kolisi has been in superb form in the warm-ups showing no signs of rust after missing several months with a knee injury.

While the forwards are a known commodity, the emergence of Manie Libbok and Canan Moodie in the backs could prove to be the difference later in the tournament. These two youngsters give Jacques Nienaber’s side an attacking dimension we haven’t seen before.

They have the toughest group to negotiate, but they have the right mix of youth and experience to see them through those opening stages. Come the knockouts we know they have the street smarts to make their way to a final – a best price of 9/2 (generally 3/1) looks the best outright bet to me.

Rugby World Cup Quarter Final Predictions – Fiji to qualify

Fiji have always been World Cup darlings, producing several big performances and memorable moments over the years – and this autumn they can progress further than any other Fijian side.

They head to France as the most prepared and talented side ever sent to a major tournament by the Pacific Islands. They completed their preparations in fine style with a well deserved win over England at Twickenham, having already swept past Japan, Samoa and Tonga in the Pacific Nations Cup.

They are grouped up with Wales and Australia, both of whom enter the competition with major question marks over their heads. A win against either of these sides would surely see them qualify and I can see them winning both match ups if they keep their composure.

The disparity between the three sides in the qualifying market looks too big and I’d take the 13/8 on the Flying Fijians to make the quarter-finals.

Rugby World Cup Early Exit – Wales to fall at the group stage

Having tipped Fiji to make the knockouts, it’s only natural to look at the same group for a team to make an early exit – and I think Warren Gatland’s Wales could be that side.

Wales enter the tournament on the back of just two wins since Gatland returned to the helm (beating Italy in the Six Nations and England in the first warm-up game). They were completely dominated by South Africa a couple of weeks ago and failed to take advantage of numerical superiority against England at Twickenham.

On top of that it appears as though they still don’t know what their best side and combinations are especially in key areas such as the front-row, half backs and centres. In a group with a emerging force in Fiji and a young Australian side (who could be anything), Wales just look to be the least talented of these and an opening round loss to Fiji will put them on the back foot immediately.

11/4 for them to exit at the groups as they did in France 13 years ago (when they were also in a group with Fiji) looks a good bet in this market.