This is going to be the most entertaining and unpredictable group at the World Cup!
If someone were to ask who would be the top 2 teams in this group 4 years ago, the answer would have been simple: Wales and Australia.
That was then and this is now and this group is wide open!
4 of the 5 teams can realistically top Pool C and it would only require a single upset for that to happen.
Let’s have a look at the teams:
Portugal – they have been out of the World Cup for a while now but they picked up an interesting result in mid-2022. They lost by 31-38 against Italy, which gives them a bit of credibility!
Will they slay one of the other 4? Not likely. They will be hoping for competitive games and to still be in it in the last 10 minutes of the game and then hope to pull off an upset.
Wales – the once dominant 6 nations team has fallen from grace BUT they can still cause an upset. They beat South Africa. Beat Scotland a week after Scotland beat England. Lost by 4 points respectively to England and France in a week’s time… but had some embarrassing losses to Italy and Georgia.
They have however been impressive in the last few World Cups. Not sure though that they will be able to make the step up for the 2023 edition.
If they make it through the group stage, it is likely going to be on the back of a few VERY narrow wins.
Georgia – they bring the power! With the majority of their players playing in France professionally and their u20s getting better at their championships every year, they are emerging as a contender! They picked up wins against Uruguay, Italy, and Wales in recent times!
I am really looking forward to seeing them pull off a potential upset against either Wales or Australia.
They can beat Fiji but will need to beat one of the other two to get through. It would be a massive statement from them.
Fiji – they are going to entertain all over the park! They have also benefited from the same World Rugby ruling as Tonga and Samoa. They will be competing against an unsettled Wales and Australia and I will not be shocked if they cause at least one upset.
With the type of game they play and the amazing team that they will bring to the tournament, they would just need a few kind bounces of the ball to get them through to the knockouts.
It would be a massive achievement for the island nation and help their 15s team to live up to the non-stop hype their 7s team delivers.
Australia – they have been a far cry from the sides that won the World Cup, made it to the finals, and won the Bledisloe Cup in the early 2000s. They have enough high-caliber players but in a very incohesive group.
Their ace: Eddie Jones. He worked miracles with England and if anyone can turn Australia around it is going to be him.
Their first few games of the Rugby Championship have been woeful but you can’t read too much into that.
They will be a completely different and improved team by the time the World Cup kicks off.
My prediction for this group is by far the most uncertain one!
I will go:
- Australia
- Fiji
- Wales
- Georgia
- Portugal
…and that top 4 can almost be in any order.
No one is safe and that makes this my favorite group in the whole tournament!