View From The Bar

1			New Zealand		+1		169	(168)
2			South Africa		+8		157	(149)
3			Australia		-1		155	(156)
4			France		+7		142	(135)
5			Wales		+9		142	(133)
6			England		+2		141	(139)
7			Ireland		+7		136	(129)
8			Argentina		+5		131	(126)
9			Scotland		0		123	(123)
10			Lions		0		122	(122)

We’re all aware that New Zealand have raced off into the sunset with the Webb Ellis trophy but how have they and the other teams fared on the Openside Rankings?

Not a massive change for the ranking leading and new world champions, New Zealand gaining a solitary point to stay top with 169 points. However the biggest change in ranking goes to surely the biggest surprise of the tournament with Wales gaining 9 points to go equal fourth along side France on 142 points. A well deserved elevation in ranking alongside a great world cup performance. Perhaps surprisingly another large increase in ranking of 8 points goes to South Africa who exited in the quarter-final. This strangely allows them to steal second place in the rankings back from Australia who dropped a point, largely due to their loss to Ireland in Pool stage. Runners-up France gained seven points to end up in equal fourth with Wales, with Ireland and Argentina also gaining large numbers of points but remaining where they were pre-tournament.

So Wales and, strangely, South Africa appear to be the biggest gainers out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, otherwise it’s pretty much as you were. The Southern teams still have the top three spots, although three teams from the north, France, Wales and England are within 8 points of Australia in third place. The gap appears to be closing, but when will a northern team finally claim a spot in the top three? Keep checking the latest Openside Rankings to find out.

Prediction – New Zealand 36 France 13

Four years ago New Zealand was a nation in mourning. They had been favourites to lift the 2007 Rugby World Cup and yet some how they exited the tournament in the quarter-finals, some say because of bad refereeing, others due to lack of leadership in the dying minutes of the game. Whatever the reason, the stunned look on Dan Carter’s face as he sat on the sidelines whilst the game clock wound down reflected the emotions of the rugby-mad nation. Well here they are up against the old foe again, Les Blues. Despite the incredible trans-Tasman rivalry between New Zealand and Australia, a loss against Australia last weekend in the semi would have been a lot easier to take than a loss against the French next weekend. Surely not again, having beaten them once already in the tournament, seeing them lose to a brave Tongan team, surely there is no way the All Blacks will lose next weekend. Au contraire, mon ami. Rugby is a funny old game and the ball is oddly shaped for a reason. The rugby ball is designed to have a cruel bounce, sometimes popping up into your arms but at other times careering off at an impossible angle into your opponent’s. All the indicators say an easy All Black win, with the Openside Predictor stating a 36 to 13 romp for the men in black, but when you play with a rugby ball anything can happen, any team can win on any given Sunday.

New Zealand v France results since the Rugby World Cup 2007

15 Jun 2013
New Zealand	30	0	France	(27-10)
8 Jun 2013
New Zealand	23	13	France	(29-8)
23 Oct 2011
New Zealand	8	7	France	(36-13)
24 Sep 2011
New Zealand	37	17	France	(40-17)
28 Nov 2009
France	12	39	New Zealand	(14-21)