The last four Rugby World Cup tournaments have been won by southern hemisphere teams, as New Zealand and South Africa have dominated the quadrennial event over the last two decades.
England are the only European team to be successful in a World Cup final but there is a great chance there will be another winner from Europe this year. Here is a look at who has the best chance of World Cup glory this year.
France
With Rugby World Cup odds of 13/5, France are the favourites to win this year’s tournament, and after victory over New Zealand in their opening game of Pool A, they have shown why they are the team to beat.
The hosts top the rugby betting for the leading international event in the sport ahead of South Africa and New Zealand respectively. They have had an excellent two years, with success in the 2022 Six Nations and wins over many of the world’s leading teams in that period.
Fabien Galthie’s side play an expansive brand of rugby which is very attractive to the eye. They have pace in their team, and they can score points fast. In Thomas Ramos, they also have one of the leading full-backs in the tournament. He is likely to prove reliable with his kicking. That is a big weapon to have, especially in close games in the knockout stages of the competition.
Ireland
As the number one ranked team in the men’s world rankings, Ireland will believe this is their best chance of winning the Rugby World Cup this year. They were victorious in Six Nations back in March, winning the Triple crown in the event after prevailing in all five of their matches, including a 32-19 success against France at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Ireland have never gone beyond the quarter-finals of the World Cup before. They hammered Romania 82-3 in their opening game this year. Their toughest test in Pool B is expected to come against defending champion South Africa, with both of those teams likely to qualify for the last eight.
England
As the only European team to have won the Rugby World Cup, a lot of hopes of Europe often rest on England in this tournament. They came close to a second success four years ago when they reached the final in Japan, but they were beaten by the Springboks 32-12.
England’s form since the last World Cup has not been great. They are down to sixth in the world rankings, and they lost three of their four warm-up matches for the tournament in August, including a loss to Fiji at Twickenham.
Steve Borthwick’s side will be buoyed by their victory over Argentina in their opening game. They were down to 14 players after Tom Curry picked up an early red card. However, they rallied well to win 27-10, with George Ford scoring all 27 points with his foot.
The 2023 World Cup final will take place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris on the 28th of October. However, it will be a European team lifting the trophy at the end of that game.
Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by kalidaspandian
