SCRUM Magazine – September 2019

URUGUAY

FIJI

GEORGIA

There have long been calls for Georgia to

be added to the Six Nations, and if they

can get any more than one win out of this

pool, those asking for the Lelos to join

European rugby’s top table may have a

point.

With a host of their more experienced

players now among top clubs in England

and France, it’s important the Georgians

keep their first choice XV fully fit

throughout the tournament if they are to

challenge.

SCRUM Prediction

Australia and Wales provide stern

opponents, while Fiji are rapidly-improving.

Victory against Uruguay is a must, but

it could be a long few weeks for Milton

Haig’s men.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup could be a

watershed moment for Fijian rugby - the

national team has been steadily on the rise, and

recorded a first-ever win over France in Paris last

November, before beating the Maori All Blacks in

early July.

They go into the World Cup full of confidence

and with greater cohesion than before having

played together in the Pacific Nations Cup - don’t

be surprised to see Leone Nakarawa, Bill Mata

and Co. push the top two teams in Pool D all the

way in Japan.

SCRUM Prediction

Their first-choice side is world class, but depth is

still an issue and the Fijians may run out of steam

against the top two sides, but they should see off

Uruguay comfortably, while victory over Georgia

would also represent a successful World Cup

campaign in an extremely challenging pool.

The pool’s whipping boys, unfortunately.

The majority of Los Teros squad play in

North America or in the lower echelons of

French rugby, and they simply do not have

the resources to challenge the other teams

in this pool.

Hard to see any other outcome than

them propping up the Pool D table by

mid-October.

SCRUM Prediction

For Uruguay, simply being at the Rugby

World Cup is a huge achievement. In a pool

featuring two of the world’s best sides, and

two of the quickest-improving, their chances

of adding to their World Cup wins are slim.

More likely, they will be hoping to avoid any

really embarrassing scorelines.

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ISSUE 116 2019 • WWW.SCRUMMAGAZINE.COM • 107

RUGBY WORLD CUP - POOL GUIDE