A quick look at past scratch teams of this nature reveals a tight correlation between the fortunes of teams, and their stars selected.
If your side is knocked out in the pool stage, only tier two standouts get a nod. If a heavyweight fails to make the semi-finals, their men aren’t generally named to the XV. Right or wrong, this is the convention I will seek to follow. rwc live
Thus, selecting a rwc live 2023 all-tourney team requires the observer to make some sense of the car smash on one side of the draw: host France, perennial favourite New Zealand, awkward Ireland, and reigning champion South Africa seem destined to clash in the quarters.
On recent form, the All Blacks won’t be overconfident against any of that trio. South Africa will prefer to play the home team. Ireland will have to overcome a forever barrier: winning a quarterfinal, ever. I don’t see enough depth in the Irish team to win 5 or 6; history tells me France will thrill, and then falter, perhaps because of a lack of nous.
Therefore, expect more Springboks and All Blacks in this team than French or Irish.On the other side of the draw, I only see Australia and England being capable of making a deep run into the final four. I also am predicting Fiji to finish ahead of Wales in a shock, and Argentina ahead of Japan. My selections will reflect these views.
Ginger successor to the Beast, the Springboks loosehead will be at prop prime in 2023. He is seldom beaten at scrum, but offers far more than that.
The Boks will likely spoil French dreams, and if so, it’ll be a pack battle royale. Angus Bell might be just behind, as the Wallabies challenge for the final. The Irish looseheads will also go well in the five matches they play.
South Africa’s Duane Vermeulen hopes to play in 2023 Rugby World Cup
Springbok number eight Duane Vermeulen is hopeful of representing South Africa, the reigning World champions, at the Rugby World Cup in France next year despite coming towards the end of his career.
The 35-year-old veteran said he believes his recent move to Irish outfit Ulster will be good for his game as he aims to remain in contention for selection for the three-time World champions.
“I still want to play for the Springboks as well. So if I can push towards the next World Cup as well, that’s my marker. That’s a big thing,” Vermeulen was quoted as telling The Ulster Rugby Show.
“If I can play and contribute I want to keep going as long as I can.”
Vermeulen has been capped 60 times for South Africa and is still regarded as the Springboks’ first choice number eight. One of the most influential forwards in e was voted the Player of the Match during the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, which South Africa won 32-12 against England.
While injury prevented him from representing South Africa during the British & Irish Lions series, he played for most of South Africa’s Rugby Championship campaign in addition to the Autumn Nations Series.
He was one of three South African World Cup-winners who were called up to the world-famous Barbarians side to face Samoa for the Killik Cup at Twickenham last month. That match was, however, cancelled just hours before kick-off due to a number of coronavirus cases in the invitational side.
South Africa is in Pool B with Ireland, Scotland, and will be joined by qualifiers from Asia/Pacific 1 and Europe 2.
