Rugby World Cup Wrap: 5 Takeaways

The Rugby World Cup is over and there was so much to take away from a wonderful tournament in France. Bet Central narrowed it down to 5 points.

South Africa Are Deserved Champions

It wasn’t so much superior tactics that won the Springboks the Rugby World Cup for a record 4th time, but rather an unreal mental toughness that saw them refuse to lose throughout the tournament.

Their route to the title was incredibly tough having had to beat France in the quarterfinal, England in the semis, and eventually downing the All Blacks in the final. It would have been the sweetest of victories on Saturday in Paris taking into consideration who they had to beat. The Springboks have earned a well-deserved title.

New Zealand Should Be Optimistic

Despite losing out in the final of the World Cup, the All Blacks should not be disheartened after a campaign in which they defied all odds in going to the World Cup final when not many gave them a chance of beating Ireland in the quarterfinals.

They went all the way and were a few missed kicks away from the title. They have lost a number of experienced players, but they have a good core to build around as a number of these players will feature in 2027.

Not Quite There For The North

The people who would have been most disappointed with how the World Cup went are some of the Northern Hemisphere teams that were expected to do well. Wales and England did better than most expected, but it was France and Ireland who ended up not going as far as most had envisioned.

There is still plenty to be optimistic about for both France and Ireland, they will continue to improve and both teams still have the core of the teams. Both sides will still be a force in Test rugby, this World Cup just went to the team that knew how to navigate knockout rugby better.

Pacific Islands Will Have A Say In Australia

When Bet Central compiled its Team of the Tournament, there were 2 players who featured from the Pacific Islands, Fijian captain and centre Waisea Nayacalevu and Samoan star, Theo McFarland. That is a clear indication that rugby in that region is on the right track.

The inclusion of Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby has certainly helped build consistency and depth. Further participation in this competition both strengthen the Pacific nations which should make an even bigger impact in 4 years’ time at the 2027 World Cup.

Quarterfinals, Greatest Weekend Of Test Rugby?

It was a weekend that left the Northern Hemisphere in shock as 3 of their teams lost out to Southern Hemisphere sides to make it a predominantly South semi-final stage once again, but the games that decided the semi-finalists were all humdingers prompted the suggestion that the quarterfinal weekend was the greatest weekend of Test rugby in history.

The thrills and spills across those 4 games added to the excitement of the tournament, all 4 games were closely contested and were packed full of drama. Whether or not it truly was the best weekend of Test rugby – it was certainly a great advert for the game of rugby union.

BET Contributor