2023 Rugby World Cup Preview and Predictions

The 2023 Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday the 8th of September as host nation France takes on the favourites New Zealand in Paris. With France currently sitting as second favourites for the tournament, what better way to start the tournament than with this showcase match?

The World Cup will be played across 8 French venues, with the final also taking place at Paris’ Stade de France on Saturday the 28th of October.

The winners of the 2019 Japanese Rugby World Cup were South Africa, who find themselves as joint third favourites for the tournament with Ireland. The reason for their drop in popularity amongst bookies could be due to the number of injured players, as noted when the side recently announced their squad for the World Cup.

The home nations are seen as relative outsiders in the tournament. Many bookmakers listed with SafeBettingSites in the UK are giving odds of around 10/1 for England, and between 33/1 and 40/1 for both Wales and Scotland. Bettors can find the best value by comparing odds and checking for signup bonuses when betting on the outright winner of the World Cup or on individual matches leading up to the final.

England’s opening match is set for 8pm (BST) on Saturday, September 9th. They face up against Argentina in Marseille. The bad news for England fans is that Captain Owen Farrell has been ruled out of the first two matches and Billy Vunipola will also be missing from the first match because of bans.

While England are odds-on favourites for the match, it is worth remembering that Argentina won the last game between the teams, with a close 29-30 victory in London.  This was their first triumph over England since 2009 and stopped England’s 10-game winning streak against them.

The home advantage of France could see them a popular choice for many during this tournament. They also boast an extremely strong squad with players like Antoine Dupont, Virimi Vakatawa, and current captain Charles Ollivon driving them on.

Damian Penaud and Romain Ntamack also have the potential to be key figures in the French team’s campaign this year. After failing to lift the trophy in the three times they reached the final in 1987, 1999, and 2011, fans will be hoping they go one better to finally be crowned the world champions.

The New Zealand All Blacks have a proud history that has seen them win the Rugby World Cup three times in 1987, 2011, and 2015. The experience of Sam Whitelock, who has 145 caps, will be invaluable to the team during the tournament.

Despite being third-favourites for the tournament, Ireland are currently the top-ranked national team in the world with 91.82 points, ahead of New Zealand in second with 90.77. The furthest they have progressed in the World Cup was a semi-final in 2015, and many feel this could be the year for them to make the biggest impact on the international stage.

The French Rugby World Cup is spread across 51 days and sees a total of 48 matches being played by the best countries in the world.

Supporters will be backing their home nations as they take to the world stage, but the smart money looks like it will be on France who have a strong team and home advantage.