Rugby World Cup gets close; Favourites, dark horses and the talent

Outcomes from test matches in 2022 show that predictability is no longer present. There is more freshness in the air than there was in previous World Cups at the end of the year, and projections for the World Cup become less certain as a result.

It is only reasonable to draw analogies to the RWC 2007 when the World Cup returns to in 2023. Fiji’s 2007 campaign and ‘s journey to third place will undoubtedly be discussed in 2023. Similar to how the nature of New Zealand’s results in 2022 and the 2023 draw may prompt analysts to argue for the ‘ 2007 Quarter Final exit,

Nine of the 20 nations competing in the Rugby World Cup in 2023 will come from one of the two tiers of the six nations tournaments, so the activity over the upcoming two months will provide some players with a chance to battle for a spot on the team.

We have chosen the five below players with the most significant potential and did nothing to hurt their chances of playing in France later this year.

Italy’s Lorenzo Cannone

Lorenzo Cannone, the eighth-ranked player for , may soon become as well-known to rugby fans as his two heroes, Duane Vermeulen and Marco Bortolami if he keeps up the current pace.

Cannone was a significant presence on both sides of the ball, attacking and defensively, as the Azzurri came close to starting the Championship with a spectacular triumph against France, earning only his fourth cap and his first in the Six Nations.

Cannone, a former centre, likes to get his hands on the ball. In Rome, he was successful, gaining 46 yards on nine carries. He forced a turnover while making 12 tackles on the defensive end.

Uncapped before the Autumn Nations Series, the 22-year-old appears to be a lock to join older brother Niccol in the Italian RWC 2023 roster.

Even though Italy narrowly lost to France in the men’s and U20 Six Nations, it was a successful weekend for Italian back-row players.

Following Italy U20’s 28-27 loss in Treviso on Friday, David Odiase was voted Player of the Match and later delivered an emotional interview. He declared, “We are delivering a strong message to . “All of you people, we are coming for you!”

Scotland’s Luke Crosby

Luke Crosbie, an Edinburgh flanker who was starting only his second test match, put forth a tremendous defensive effort to help Scotland win the Calcutta Cup at Twickenham. Leading ticket reseller platforms such as Seatsnet reported that the Calcutta cup matchday was one of the biggest traffic-flowing days, with thousands of fans flocking in for match tickets.

Gregor Townsend had chosen Crosbie to fill in for Hamish Watson after seeing some all-action performances in the and Champions Cup.

The 25-year-old put up a tireless effort defensively despite being unable to make an impact on the game from an offensive perspective as England dominated possession and territory.

Crosbie completed all 20 of his attempted tackles in just 58 minutes at Twickenham, second only to teammate Matt Fagerson, and three of them were dominant.

As Townsend plans for the RWC 2023, Scotland appears to be well-stocked in the back row, with Watson, Andy Christie, and Josh Bayliss not being included in the matchday 23 in southwest London. Jack Dempsey performed admirably after replacing Crosbie in the last quarter.

Wales’ Joe Hawkins

On Saturday, Warren Gatland had a challenging comeback to the Six Nations as scored three tries in the first 20 minutes to get out to a 34-10 lead in .

The performances of several of the team’s younger players, especially Joe Hawkins, were what Gatland could take away as positives from the game.

The centre may not have Jamie Roberts’ enormous stature, who Gatland favoured for a long time at the age of 12, but as he showed in the Six Nations U20 Summer Series last year, he is a very talented player and a natural leader.

Hawkins moved the ball 75 metres against Ireland on Saturday, and his fast hands allowed Dan Biggar to find a gap for Liam Williams to squeeze through for Wales’ lone try.

Gatland had mentioned giving the 20-year-old confidence before the game, and he was undoubtedly impressed with his Six Nations debut.

He displayed a lot of pleasant moments (Hawkins). Excellent footwork, Gatland remarked. When the ball is turned over after a break, “He’ll learn from some of those situations.”

Portugal’s Nicolas Martins

Another player who capitalised on the chance to shine was Portugal’s openside Nicolas Martins, who led Os Lobos to a 54-17 victory over Belgium in Lisbon.

At CAR Rugby do Jamor, Martins debuted his Rugby Europe Championship with one of his team’s eight tries.

His goal was an opportunistic effort; he snuck in to seize the opportunity after Belgium had fumbled the ball while attempting to escape their 22 after a defensive breakdown.

But earlier in the move, Martins had demonstrated his offensive ability. He had received the ball on the right wing, displayed good speed, then passed the ball to a defender and recycled the ball inside.

Martins is hoping that his Rugby Europe Championship debut will serve as a springboard to more caps and the championship event itself after making his debut during the victorious RWC 2023 Final Qualifying Tournament campaign.

Georgia’s Luka Matkava

When the Lelos’ 13-12 triumph over Wales in Cardiff last November, Luka Matkava cemented his place in Georgian rugby mythology with a last-second penalty.

After two stints on the bench, Matkava was allowed to make his debut against Germany on Sunday. He had only arrived on the field five minutes earlier, replacing Tedo Abzhandadze.

He also showed that he was a more than capable Abzhandadze’s backup, scoring a try and making ten conversions to help Georgia open their Rugby Europe Championship defence with a 75-12 victory in Tbilisi.

The highlight of his performance came in the 65th minute when he dropped a shoulder, jinked inside a Justin Renc tackle attempt, and then dashed over the goal line to score.

When RWC 2023 begins for Georgia in Paris in September, Abzhandadze will still be only 24 years old, but if Matkava keeps up his impressive play, his hold on the Lelos number 10 shirt will undoubtedly be put to the test.

Ticketing at the World Cup

As per Seatsnet, Almost 200,000 tickets will be made available for purchase, with prices for pool matches beginning at 10 euros and rising to 40 euros for the knockout round. A maximum of 6 tickets, including a maximum of 4 for a single knockout match, may be purchased by each customer.

Once more, first come, first served will govern this sales period, which will only take place on the official website tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. Fans are reminded that only tickets bought through authorised outlets will allow admission to the stadium due to the anticipated high demand for tickets.

When purchasing their tickets, fans can donate to Rugby au Coeur, the official charity of the Rugby World Cup 2023. By doing so, they can create cultural, educational, and rugby programmes that advance inclusivity and diversity through the game and its principles. See more details on Seatsnet.

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