State of nations before the 2019 Rugby World Cup

CAPE TOWN – The November international pre-season game round has begun and coaching time has begun in 10 months from the next year's Rugby World Cup in Japan.

For some leading countries, it was a year of growth and improvement, while others stuttered in their preparation for the prestigious world tournament which promises to be one of the most open for years.

Reuters badesses the state of nations.

NEW ZEALAND

The demolition of Italy's 10 attempts by New Zealand in the last game of its end-of-season tour did not dampen concerns over the previous two games, when it beat England and lost to Ireland.

The All Blacks remain the benchmark in the rugby test and, despite defeats against South Africa and Ireland this year, the chances of winning a third consecutive World Cup are not likely to go much beyond the 2-1 mark. .

The way England and Ireland have managed to emulate the British and Irish Lions of 2017 by putting an end to the New Zealand attack, usually non-profit, will raise fears however a model to beat the All Blacks has been built.

The question of whether a single test marked at a time for the games of England and Ireland is rather a reflection of an improvement of the defenses of the northern hemisphere or a bad performance by the All Blacks will probably subject only definitive answers in Japan.

The talent band that has given coach Steve Hansen such depth of work shows no signs of drying out, but he certainly needs to think about how to deploy it, especially in the middle of the field.

IRELAND

A Six Nations Grand Slam, the first test series in Australia for almost 40 years and the deserved reversal of the All Blacks in November make 2018 the year Ireland became true contenders for the World Cup. world.

They may need the goal of the ultimate goal of the arrival of the World Player of the Year in Paris to revive a series of 11 wins out of 12, but what followed included impressive victories in London, Melbourne and Sydney.

Trials against the United States, Italy and Argentina proved that November was a sheer victory for New Zealand and that Ireland recorded its second all-time victory over the United States. World Champions without Conor Murray, Robbie Henshaw and Sean O 'Brien say much about Joe Schmidt. disposition.

The second-best team in the world begins the year of the World Cup with proven reinforcements in all positions and leading personalities like team-mate Tadhg Furlong, goalkeeper James Ryan and winger Jacob Stockdale, alongside Murray and Sexton are the best in the world.

Another Six Nations title – a triumph that would make Schmidt four championships in six seasons – would move the Irish around the starting point for their trip to Japan.

ENGLAND

Eddie Jones refused to win when England won 24 wins in the first 25 games and did not panic by losing five in a row this year.

It is not surprising that he is not carried away by an edifying series of November that propelled them back into the fight for the World Cup – if they have ever been deprived of it.

After a 2-1 series defeat in South Africa, England won another win against the Springboks, a one-point loss against New Zealand, a win-off against Japan and a 37-18 defeat against Australia.

This has left them a 50% win rate in 12 games this year, but most observers believe that Twickenham glbad is considerably more than half full.

A long list of casualties forced Jones to seek third- and fourth-choice players in the Premiership and he discovered potential gems, including Fiji's American winger Joe Cokanasiga, made up of 18 stones. which was an advantage in developing the depth of his team.

He now has two months to badimilate the last lessons and will have to face Ireland at Six Nations while England can only improve after his sad fifth place in 2018.

Jones also played four World Cup qualifying matches, including one against Ireland in Twickenham.

While France and Argentina are fighting for form, the English hen seems to have a little fewer challenges and, after six consecutive wins against Australia, two against South Africa and a defeat inspired by the TMO, New Zealand could easily be a victory. they should travel to Japan not fearing anyone.

WALES

Wales made a first try of its November tests for the first time and finished the year with nine straight wins and World Cup plans from coach Warren Gatland on track.

The highlight was a first win in 14 attempts against struggling Australia, but Wales will also be delighted with the way he handled his home victories against Scotland and South Africa.

Gatland is striving to create a depth of strength and this year has provided opportunities for a number of new players.

The evidence appeared as a marginal selection with 14 changes against 74-24 in Tonga and Wales finished third in the world rankings, up from seventh to the end of 2017.

The pbading of Gareth Anscombe at half-time was a notable success, and with Dan Biggar and Rhys Patchell also, competition is good in a key position.

With an average of almost three attempts per game and only 15 points per game, a team has improved in attack and defense over the past 12 months.

Their only losses in 2018 were won by Ireland and England, who are scheduled to meet after the Six Nations in 2019 to prepare for the World Cup and face tremendous prep tests. for Japan.

SOUTH AFRICA

The Springboks may have finished 2018 with a 50% winning ratio, but their optimism is considerably more optimistic than a year ago and the true belief that they may be candidates for the World Cup.

The victory over New Zealand in Wellington was a remarkable achievement and the win of the 2-1 home series over England in June gave new coach Rbadie Erasmus a good start.

The team returned to traditional Bok rugby, powerful attackers who carry the ball with ferocity and a solid platform to go wild.

The team is far from the final article, however, and one feature throughout the year is the number of uncompromised mistakes that turned the winning games into defeats.

Of the seven defeats, four were scored by a margin of five points or less and these were games that the team had managed to lose with the winning positions, which will be a major concern for Erasmus as it approaches world Cup.

He has not yet been able to play a full team because of club commitments for players based overseas and will take the opportunity to do it in Japan.

AUSTRALIA

The worst test season of the last 60 years has put an end to a discouraging period for Australian rugby on and off the pitch since the Wallabies lost to New Zealand in the last World Cup final.

In November, the first defeat in 14 tries against Wales, a three-test victory against a limited team from Italy and a sixth straight loss against England left the two-time world champions to sixth place in the rankings, a position that flatters them even.

The Australians have enough quality thanks to Israel Folau, David Pobad and Will Genia to always be a threat, but a constant performance of 80 minutes against a quality opposition has watched them more and more far.

"If you do not own the cattle, you will not have the cattle," is a well-liked phrase of the Down Under coaching loss and it is certain that some of the Australian strikers seem to have lost their depth at the international level.

Poor discipline on and off the pitch has contributed to the perception of a dysfunctional organization, but what hurts Wallabies fans the most is the sight of their backs approaching the line of defense with seemingly little idea of ​​how to violate it.

If his coach, Michael Cheika, survives criticism of nine defeats in 13 games this year, which seems likely to him, he will have his work cut out to replicate a 2015 rehearsal when he turned a team so badly considered a finalist of the World Cup.

SCOTLAND

Scotland proved to be a game for all at Murrayfield, but the worrying impossibility of regularly winning outside the country will give coach Gregor Townsend sleepless nights before the World Cup.

The home victories against England, France and Argentina showed their best qualities, but the heavy defeats in Wales (twice) and Ireland showed all the work that was going on. It remained to be done.

The defeat suffered by the United States in Houston, last June, against the United States, last June, was an awakening. His best result probably came a week later after their victory against Argentina 44-15 at Resistencia.

After a strong Six Nations game, the November internationals provided Townsend with a good indicator of their team's preparation for the World Cup and again produced a diverse bag.

The Wales defeat at Cardiff was followed by a resounding success against Fiji, based on a strong performance in the second half. The last two games have resulted in a defeat against South Africa and a close win against Argentina.

There have been gains this year, the emergence of Adam Hastings on the fly adds depth and there has been a significant turnover among the attackers while Townsend is looking to build a mighty group.

The coach thinks he has a team to play with any Six Nations player, and therefore the World Cup as well, but the results do not reflect it yet, as Scotland still lacks consistency.

LA FRANCE

France will be happy to see the back of the year 2018 in which it won three of its eleven tests and suffered a first defeat against Fiji, a home defeat described as "shameful" by center Mathieu Bastareaud.

The team must restore confidence for the World Cup, although other areas of concern are obvious.

The French conceded an average of 26 points per game this year, although three tries were played against the world champions New Zealand.

If coach Jacques Brunel hoped to have learned the lessons of this series, he clearly did not, conceding a final try to defeat South Africa and allowing Fiji to achieve this historic victory.

Captain Guilhem Guirado hinted that the players did not respect the jersey and did not make the required effort as a result of the defeat against the islanders, and that the composition of the team did not should not change much before the World Cup, it's a place where there is room for great improvements.

Their highs of the year were a surprise home win for the Six Nations against England and a complete 28-13 victory over Argentina's rival World Cup C, but the season was tough for the La France.

ARGENTINA

Argentina has postponed a bad start to the year to record its best performance at the Rugby Championship before losing three straight matches against European opponents.

The big question facing coach Mario Ledesma and the Argentine Rugby Union is whether to persist in the policy of mainly selecting local players for the international side.

Ledesma took his coaching duties in August, after Daniel Hourcade had overseen only two wins in 17 games and immediately set a new spirit on the team.

The Pumas defeated South Africa at home, defeated Australia on the Gold Coast and only managed to score three wins for the first time since joining the Rugby Championship in 2012, thanks to an epic crisis at home against Australia.

The defeat – the second-biggest turnaround in international rugby in the second half – has had a negative impact, as Argentina has struggled since.

There is no shame to lose against Ireland, but the defeats of France and Scotland cast doubt on their chances for the World Cup in Japan, where they were drawn in a competitive group with England, France, the United States and Tonga.

A reminder of experienced European players could make the difference between winning and losing against the big Japanese players.

JAPAN

Japan has continued to develop a free driving style with its coach Jamie Joseph, which means that they should at least be able to count on home support next year.

However, Brave Blossoms' attack system, combined with basic attack errors, makes them vulnerable in defense and it will be Joseph's center of interest as Japan seeks to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

Joseph has consistently emphasized the need to eliminate the inconsistencies that have affected Japan in recent internationals.

They were impressive against the top nations, with 23-23 with France in Paris last year and a five point lead over England before losing.

They also scored 31 points in Yokohama against the second-tier All Blacks, but conceded 69 points in the match and 27 in Saturday's tight victory over Russia.

If Japan is to leave group A, where it is grouped with Ireland, Scotland, Russia and Samoa, it must show steel defense to complete its flush attack.

Joseph will not be impressed by the absence of the Top League national rugby competition in 2019, which will leave him more than nine months to work with his players before the World Cup.

ITALY

Italy had another hot year, highlighting its diminishing status in world rugby and rekindling questions about its added value for Six Nations.

Conor O'Shea's team had two wins in 11 games, a success in Japan and a home win against Georgia, but was well beaten by opponents without a three-point loss to Scotland in Rome.

Their average score throughout the year was 16 to 38, although they scored more than 20 points in a match three times and only once, against Georgia. they conceded less than this number.

This indicates a limited attack and a porous defense, with little time to fix things before the World Cup.

Italy faces New Zealand and South Africa in their pool in Japan and seems to have little chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Their 66-3 defeat against the All Blacks showed all their shortcomings, as they barely threatened their opponent's line and could not cope with the speed of the ball in the hands of New Zealand.