Rugby World Cup 2023 – Week 1

With almost all of the teams having played (Wales and Fiji had not taken place at the time of writing) we’ve already had a few upsets and some strong performances from the favourites.

For many, the biggest upset was the opening game where home team France comfortably beat the perennial favourites, the All Blacks. Italy put in a stylish performance against minnows while Ireland handed Romania an even more emphatic loss. Australia and England performed as expected.

For South Africans, the only result that matters, along with New Zealand’s loss, was the Boks' solid victory over Scotland. The win gives the defending champions and favourites to lift the trophy again a bit of confidence and should help them calm any nerves they may have had going into the game. Many consider their pool, which contains Ireland (6 Nations Grand Slam Winners), Scotland, Tonga, and Romania to be the Group of Death. The only ‘easy’ game they have is against Romania. However, Ireland has laid down the marker beating the Romanians by 74 points, and knowing our boys, they will be looking to beat that!

Pool A

Win = 4 points, Draw = 2 points, Loss = 0 points, Bonus points = 1 or 2 points*

*1 bonus point for scoring 4 or more tries, 1 bonus point for losing by 7 points or less

Played 

France 27 – 13 New Zealand, Friday, 8 September

In a surprising turn of events at RWC 2023, an undisciplined All Blacks team suffered a 27-13 defeat at the hands of the host nation, France, in Paris. Despite a promising start with a try by Mark Telea, New Zealand's high-tempo strategy couldn't secure victory. France's forward pack dominated the second half, capitalizing on penalties and errors, with a yellow card to Will Jordan proving pivotal. This loss leaves the All Blacks in a precarious position, needing to win three consecutive games to avoid elimination from the World Cup's pool stage. France's victory brightens their chances of winning the tournament on home soil.

Italy 52 – 8 Namibia, Saturday, 9 September 

Italy kicked off their Rugby World Cup campaign with an impressive seven-try, bonus-point victory over Namibia in Saint-Etienne. First-half tries by Lorenzo Cannone and Paolo Garbisi, capitalizing on Namibia's 14-man disadvantage, set the tone. Gerswin Mouton narrowed Namibia's deficit, but Italy pulled away in the second half with tries from Dino Lamb, Ange Capuozzo, Hame Faiva, Manuel Zuliani, and Paolo Odogwu. Although Italy displayed moments of brilliance, tougher challenges await, and they must improve to contend with New Zealand and France in Pool A. Namibia showed resilience but continued their World Cup winless streak. They face the All Blacks next, while Italy's next match is against Uruguay on September 20th.

Upcoming

Thursday, 14 September - France vs Uruguay

After their impressive opening game, the home team will be looking to prove that their win against New Zealand was not down to the emotion and strong crowd support they enjoy as the home team. On the other hand, Uruguay has come on in leaps in bounds over the last few years, mostly due to their regular games against the big three southern hemisphere teams. They are a tough team with a powerful frontline and a never-say-die attitude. Look for a game of style versus grit on Thursday!

Friday, 15 September - New Zealand vs Namibia

New Zealand will look to get back to winning ways and the Namibians may be long at a long and brutal day at the office. Many All Black haters (read: South Africans) would love to write off our biggest rivals after their loss to the French but we should know better. They have a reputation for coming back so much harder after a loss. The Namibians would do well to avoid a record loss here!

Pool B

Win = 4 points, Draw = 2 points, Loss = 0 points, Bonus points = 1 or 2 points*

*1 bonus point for scoring 4 or more tries, 1 bonus point for losing by 7 points or less

Played 

Ireland 82 – 8 Romania, Saturday, 9 September

Ireland made a strong start to their Rugby World Cup campaign, securing a bonus-point victory over Romania with a dominant display. Despite an early score by Gabriel Rupanu for Romania, Ireland responded with five tries in the first half, leading 33-8 at halftime. They continued to excel in the second half, tallying a total of 12 tries, marking their largest World Cup win to date. Johnny Sexton returned with a stellar performance, contributing 24 points, including two tries, and becoming Ireland's record World Cup scorer. With this comfortable win in Pool B, the top-ranked team gears up for tougher challenges against Tonga, South Africa, and Scotland in the upcoming matches.

South Africa 18 – 3 Scotland, Sunday, 10 September

In their Rugby World Cup title defence, the reigning champions, South Africa, secured a hard-fought 18-3 victory over a resilient Scotland side. The match started as a tightly contested and physically demanding encounter, with only three points separating the teams in the first half. Manie Libbok's two penalties provided the Springboks with an early advantage. Scotland faced a tense moment when Finn Russell was injured after an attempted tackle, but he avoided a yellow card and received only a penalty.

Scotland's attack showed promise when Darcy Graham made a break down the left wing, but they couldn't capitalize. A scrum-time penalty allowed Russell to add three points before halftime. However, the momentum shifted decisively in the second half when Pieter-Steph Du Toit crashed through Scottish defenders for the opening try. Moments later, an exceptional no-look cross-kick from Libbok found Kurt-Lee Arendse, who scored the second try.

With a 15-point lead, South Africa effectively sealed the victory, denying Scotland further opportunities. The Springboks showcased their championship pedigree and reinforced their status as favourites to retain the Rugby World Cup title.

Upcoming

Saturday, 16 September - Ireland vs Tonga

The Grand Slam Champs will be looking to follow up on their crushing performance against Romania with yet another try-fest. A big win would surely improve their odds of being crowned champions and only the second northern hemisphere to do so. That being said, Tonga is made of far sterner stuff and are experienced RWC campaigners Much like Samoan, the islanders are known for their bone-crunching tackles and explosive plays. They can be devastating on the counter. Ireland would do well to respect them. We see the Irish winning here but whether they can secure the bonus point is another thing!

Sunday, 17 September - South Africa vs Romania

This is the easiest group game the Boks have but, knowing the competitive spirit in the team, they’ll want to hand the Romanians another big loss, hopefully outdoing Ireland’s previous performance. However, the Bok management may decide to rest key players and hopefully avoid any injuries and give their backup players an outing. On paper, a second-string Boks should comfortably coast to a bonus point win here but the Romanians will be giving it their all against the champs and will look to be salvaging some pride of the drubbing they had in their opening game.

Pool C

Win = 4 points, Draw = 2 points, Loss = 0 points, Bonus points = 1 or 2 points*

*1 bonus point for scoring 4 or more tries, 1 bonus point for losing by 7 points or less

Played 

Australia 35 – 15 Georgia, Saturday, 9 September  

In their Rugby World Cup Pool C opener, Australia, led by returning coach Eddie Jones, secured a commanding 35-15 bonus-point victory over Georgia at the Stade de France. Within minutes, Jordan Petaia scored Australia's first try, while Luka Matkava's penalty briefly narrowed the gap. Australia extended their lead with Mark Nawaqanitawase's try, converted by Ben Donaldson, who also added three penalties. Tate McDermott's injury led to Nic White's substitution. Georgia's Mirian Modebadze was sin-binned. Despite Georgia's Luka Ivanishvili scoring early in the second half, Australia remained in control, with Donaldson scoring twice, securing the bonus point. Beka Gigashvili grabbed a late consolation try for Georgia. This win marked Eddie Jones' first victory in his second stint as Australia's head coach, providing a strong start to their World Cup journey.

Upcoming

Saturday, 16 September - Wales vs Portugal

Australia and Wales are expected to advance in the Rugby World Cup in a seemingly straightforward group. Wales, known as the Red Dragons, is likely to dominate against newcomers Portugal. However, rugby's unpredictability leaves room for surprises. Portugal could earn a valuable bonus point by either losing by less than seven points or limiting Wales to fewer than four tries. This would be considered a moral victory, potentially adding pressure to the Welsh dressing room. While Wales remains the favourite, the beauty of sports lies in its surprises, and Portugal has a chance to make a memorable impression in this World Cup clash.

Sunday, 17 September - Australia vs Fiji

The Aussies are one of the favourites and are dying to match their biggest rivals, the Boks and the All Blacks, with a third World Cup title. Their outing against Georgia was solid enough, even managing to secure the bonus point. Fiji, much like Tonga and Samoa, have talented players and are a physical team with a backline that hangs with the best of them. Fiji has a good chance of making it to the knockout phase

Pool D

Win = 4 points, Draw = 2 points, Loss = 0 points, Bonus points = 1 or 2 points*

*1 bonus point for scoring 4 or more tries, 1 bonus point for losing by 7 points or less

Played 

England 27 – 10 Argentina, Saturday, 9 September  

England's 2023 Rugby World Cup journey commenced with a resilient 27-10 victory over Argentina in Marseille, despite an early red card for Tom Curry. George Ford was the hero, scoring all 27 points, including three first-half drop goals. England faced adversity early, with Curry's yellow card upgraded to red, but Ford's remarkable performance shifted the momentum. England dominated the second half, with their forwards securing penalties and extending their lead to 21 points. Argentina's rare attacks were thwarted by England's resolute defence, epitomized by a turnover on the try line. Rodrigo Bruni's late try provided little consolation as England secured a memorable win.

Japan 42 – 12 Chile, Sunday, 10 September  

Japan commenced their Rugby World Cup campaign with a commanding 42-12 bonus-point victory against debutants Chile, who managed two tries of their own in sweltering conditions. Chile's Rodrigo Fernández opened the scoring with a try, and Alfonso Escobar added another, converted by Santiago Vila. Japan capitalized on Chile's two yellow cards, scoring tries through Amato Fakatava, Jone Naikabula, Michael Leitch, Ryoto Nakamura, and Warner Dearns, all converted by Rikiya Matsuda. Chile displayed spirited play initially, but basic errors and penalties hampered their performance. Despite moments of resilience, Japan's efficiency and execution prevailed, securing a convincing win in Pool D.

Upcoming

Saturday, 16 September - Samoa vs Chile

The average rugby fan doesn’t know much about the team from the foot of the South American continent and this game could tell us a lot. After this match, we will have a much better view of whether they are the next Uruguay and could legitimately become a force in international rugby or if they are just here to make up the numbers. On the other side of the field, we have Samoa, known to be one of the most physical and hard-tackling teams around. This is going to be a RWC baptism of fire for the Chileans! Expect Samoa to pick up a win but, will they secure a bonus point?

Sunday, 17 September - England vs Japan

This is going to be a good one! Japan seems to save their best performances for their biggest stage. However, they have also suffered some of the biggest defeats in the competition. However, on their day, they can be a challenge to any team with their fast and unorthodox style of play. England should dominate upfront with a vastly stronger and more experienced frontline gaining them that extra meter or two to release their back. On paper. England should warp this up comfortably and gain the bonus win. But, if one of the smaller teams is going to pull off a surprise, it would be the Japanese While they may not be able to match the English up front, their speedy and skilful backline could score a few tries on the counter.