Every four years, a colossal man along with a team of equally towering men, raises a golden cup called the Webb Ellis Cup, with thousands of people to witness the same. It is the Rugby World Cup. There is a buoyant mood around the camps of the contenders and the faith and support of fans behind their talented players. The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament. The world cup has always been dominated by New Zealand’s All Blacks. They are the only team to have won the World Cup 3 times in 1987, 2011 and 2015, followed by Australia and South Africa who have won it twice and last but not the least England, the only country from the Northern Hemisphere to have won it once in 2003.
The idea of organising the Rugby World Cup had been raised repeatedly in the 20th century but was consistently brushed off. However, it was in 1985 that the concept was proposed to the IRFB(International Rugby Football Board), where it was passed by a vote as a result of which the first tournament was held in 1987. Undeniably it was the All Blacks that lifted the trophy for the first team, beating every team they faced throughout the course of the tournament. Four years on, the tournament was held in a variety of countries like England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and France.
This year’s tournament is expected to be the most open since the beginning of the World Cup, with several nations capable of getting their hands on the coveted Webb Ellis Trophy. Here’s how the big trio will fare in the World Cup
New Zealand
As has been the case for every World Cup since its inauguration the All Blacks remain to be the favorite contender to raise the trophy. Steve Hansen’s outfit ripped Tonga to shreds in their final warm-up, sending a clear message to all their doubters. The All Black squad is studded with players like Nepo Laulala, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett, TJ Perenara and more, under the guidance of their charismatic captain Keiran Read. It gets more and more terrifying as you scroll down the squad list and the depth of the All Black squad seems more and more daunting with each passing name.
It is difficult to say whether the All Blacks will be able to make it a hat-trick of crowns to take back home from Japan, since they will face several indomitable foes throughout their World Cup quest. The odds seem to be stacked against their favour and their luck runs out in the semi-finals.
Australia
The Wallabies find themselves in a rather tricky pool going up against Wales, Georgia, Fiji, and Uruguay. They have managed to fare well against the Welsh in the past, but the question arises whether Australia has the ability to finish first in their table. A glance at the Wallaby squad list makes it abundantly clear that Head Coach Micheal Cheika has a lot of individual talent in his outfit. The fact that they vanquished the All Blacks, 47-26 in August exhibits the quality this side possesses. Although the Australians have not been able to perform consistently, South Africa bested Australia at Ellis Park Stadium 35-17 and the All Blacks exacted revenge in a landslide victory against them at Eden Park beating them 36-nil in the Bledisloe Cup.
Cheika and his men have been under immense scrutiny, they will be unable to show their best at the World Cup but will be an exciting side to watch. Their current state will probably see them through to the Knockouts but no further.
England
England come into the world cup with a string of inconsistency with respect to their form. The Lions emerged victorious twice when they came up against the Irish, which is currently the number 1 ranked side in the world. The English were shown up twice by the Welsh as they were beaten 21-13 in February in the Six Nations Championship and 13-6 in August during the World Cup warm-up. Another major disappointment for the Lions came at the hands of the Scottish, against whom they bottled a lead and ended the match as a 38-all draw.
When it comes to their style of play, Head Coach Eddie Jones has successfully restored the hallmarks of the former English rugby outfits- precision set-pieces and elite physicality. However, they are not just a side with raw power, they have a beautiful sense of the game thanks to their robust midfield proficient at making plays. Elliot Daly, George Ford, Owen Farell are some names to keep an eye out for. They are a highly versatile outfit combined with destructive physicality and pose a serious threat to their competitors.
The Lions seem to be the top contender for the World Cup title, anything short of the semi-final will be a major disappointment since they do have what it takes to make it to the top- the Rugby World Cup might just be "Comin' Home".
