First off, before and cynics swoop in and say we only qualified for this World Cup because it was expanded from 20 to 24 teams, let me respond by saying ... "Who CARES?!" We are qualified and the team will be on a plane down undah in October 2027.
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| RugbyPickEm will be boots on the ground in 2027, will you? |
Now that the ping-pong balls have settled and the pools are finalized, let's see what an ideal path for the Men's Eagles looks like in our quest to uphold Project MOONSHOT. While the vision is bold, the current Rugby World Cup results can only go up. In the history of the tournament, the Men's Eagles have played 29 matches in 8 world cups. They have won 3 matches and lost 26.
A 3-26 record is pitiful. Full stop. Any win would be massive.
The men's Eagles and the fan base want nothing more than to become a team that compete on the biggest stage. Here's a preview of an ideal path toward what we would consider a successful RWC campaign:
Editors note: These are all hypothetical host cities. Official announcement comes Feb 3. Of all the host cities, these seem like some fun locations to travel to and enjoy a bit of the Aussie countryside.
Round 1: USA vs. France - Brisbane - Lang Park (Suncor Stadium)
Lang Park has great rugby history. The stadium's athletics history goes back to the 1920's and it's current for boasts a capacity of 52,500. It's best attended events are the when the Queensland Maroons host the NRL "State of Origin" match against New South Wales, and the Brisbane Broncos.
Let's start out big with our most challenging opponent! Why not? Despite a final score of 33-9, the USA actually played France hard in the first half during the 2019 world cup in Japan. Can we beat them, likely no. But this format will be about keeping our margin tight. If we can lose by 30 or less, it could put us on the path to the round of 16.
Round 2: USA vs. Samoa - Townsville - North Queensland Stadium
North Queensland, where the rainforest meets the reef! Take a trip up north, and split the days between rugby and snorkeling. Right in the heart of a Rugby League hotbed, Townsville offers a short walk straight to a new stadium right along the bank of Ross Creek. Home of the North Queensland Cowboys, who won their first and only NRL final against Brisbane in 2015, this blend of rugby league and rugby union will be as murky as the rivers spilling into the sea.
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| Canetoads vs. Cockroaches in Townesville (State of Origin, 2021) |
Will the Eagles beat Samoa? The entire rugby world knows that Samoa will field a vastly different lineup than the one we saw squeak through the repachage tournament. The new World Rugby eligibility laws will open up a path for aging test veterans to honor their lineage on new teams. Samoa, a strong producer of professional rugby talent, will surely call on their best. I don't see a USA win here, but it's all about losing gracefully (ideally single digit loss). Remember, if your point differential is decent, you just have to win ONE match to advance.
Round 3: USA vs. Japan - Newcastle - Newcastle International Sports Centre
This stadium is on the older side, and the location is not city-centric to New Castle, but I would always prefer a small stadium (20,000 or less) to any large stadium (especially if it's unfilled.). The sightlines are pristine in smaller stadiums, and you rarely feel like your being rounded up like cattle as you approach the ticket gate.
This is the match I think the Eagles can win. People will disagree. "Japan is too good, we don't stand a chance." .
It's hard to recall the last time we beat them in XVs. On the other hand, there's another way to view this matchup. What if this familiarity that's been building with the installation of the Pacific Nations Cup is actually a strength for the Eagles? The play each summer (potentially twice if they meet in a final). That means we will have two full test matches leading up to the world cup. If the core of Eagles and the coaching staff learn their opponent inside out, we will surely have a fighting chance against a familiar foe.
Round of 16: USA vs. Argentina - Perth - Optus Stadium
Wouldn't this be a "just happy to be here" type of match for us? No real pressure to win, but a bunch of "attaboys" and back pats ready if we play well and fight to the final whistle. This will be true for any of the four "best 3rd place" teams in their pools. Realistically, no bookie in their right mind would think USA has chance to win a match like this. But that's why they play the games!
The new Round of 16 will likely result in multiple 80 point blow outs, but it will also carry some exiting matches and perhaps an upset or two. The question is, can we stomach some bad matches in order to enjoy more rugby and get more fans involved? I'm likely to watch all the matches regardless of expected results ... "The More the Merrier"!
PICKEM!
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