The first match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup took place on September 18 at Twickenham. The game featured host nation England taking on Fiji, the initial encounter in the so-called Group of Death. Due to England progressing from their qualifying pool, they had a realistic chance of going all the way.
Of the twenty nations that competed at the Rugby World Cup, the eventual winners New Zealand were the obvious and predicted favourites.
New Zealand
Ranked the number one test nation in the world for an amazing ten years, New Zealand remain the team to beat at the next tournament. As reported in The Telegraph, the defending champions have only lost two of the 42 tests they have played since their triumph on home soil in 2011.
South Africa
Champions in 1995 and 2007, the Springboks were always strong contenders. Despite only reaching the quarter-finals the last time around, South Africa had the best overall winning percentage of any team in world cup history. Of the 29 matches they have competed in, the Springboks have won 25, which equates to a remarkable 86 percent winning average.
Australia
They were not at their best but the Wallabies can never be ruled out when it comes to the Rugby World Cup. So who knows what will happen next time. Just recently, they dropped to their lowest ever ranking of six, although they have since displaced Wales to move back up one spot to fifth position.
Ireland
As noted in the Daily Telegraph, Ireland have never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of any previous World Cup. However, after back-to-back Six Nations triumphs, next time the men in green could go all the way. How the team progresses is likely to depend heavily on Johnny Sexton, one of the world’s best fly-halves.
England
No amount of rugby drills, as recommended, can perhaps prepare England for the pressure that awaits them in any event. As the host nation in the last world cup, the expectation was huge and they were desperate not to disappoint the home crowds.
No matter what the outcome, think of the poor men before and after each match whose job it is to maintain the pitches, luckily for them they are often seen on hand propelled petrol lawn mowers sold by businesses such as http://www.chiffchaffoutdoor.com/tiger-tm4016hp-40cm-16-hand-propelled-petrol-lawn-mower.html
At least I suppose were not looking at a game from 50 years ago when there would have been a lot of tired men frantically working day and night, shears in hand, sweat in the other, desperate to get the grass ready.