The Rugby World Cup action is well underway and already there have been some hugely surprising results which have swung up the predictions for the overall winner of the event.
Going into the tournament, the likes of New Zealand and South Africa were the biggest favourites, which is not a surprise considering both are three-time winners and boast extremely strong squads at present.
However, there are several teams that have yet to win a World Cup, but have emerged as genuine competitors for this year's prize. The initial favourites may have the edge in terms of prestige, but there are a number of teams that could upset them in the latter stages of the current event.
The World Cup is taking place in France this year, and coincidentally the hosts harbour ambitions of going all the way on home soil. France's emphatic opening triumph against New Zealand saw them rise to 13/5 tournament favourites in Rugby World Cup betting. South Africa are currently predicted to provide the strongest opposition in the rugby odds offered at 11/4.
France has yet to achieve World Cup victory in the history of the competition. They have finished as runners-up on three occasions, but this year the perfect conditions are in place for them to finally get over the line.
The French will enjoy the advantage of home support, where fans will lift the roof each and every time they enter the pitch at the World Cup.
???????? Deuxième match pour nos Bleus dans cette #RWC2023 et un succès au bout de l'effort à Lille ?? #UnisPourUnRêve
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) September 15, 2023
?? Tout savoir sur la rencontre #FRAvURU d'hier soir ??https://t.co/PPsns5Hzsv
France's win against the All Blacks is also a strong indicator of their quality this year. New Zealand were the pre-tournament favourites in the eyes of many, but France's upset victory has allowed them to truly outline their tournament credentials. They not only defeated what is arguably the strongest team in the world, but they came from behind and won comfortably.
Les Bleus have shown that they have the potential to beat some of the strongest teams on the planet. Their team has reached somewhat of a peak at the perfect time, as they could win their first World Cup honour on home territory this year.
Ireland is another top-class nation competing at this year's tournament that have never won a Rugby World Cup. The Irish thrashed Romania in their opening fixture 82-8 and followed it up with another huge victory 59-16 against Tonga.
We’re ready! ??#TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/6TL2TewQ15
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 16, 2023
They may not have faced top-level opposition just yet, but their scoring potential has been remarkable. Ireland have beaten all of the tournament favourites in recent years including France, who they notably defeated in the Six Nations competition earlier this year.
Ireland defeated New Zealand and South Africa in their meetings of 2022. Like France, they have shown they have the ability to topple the prestigious teams in international rugby.
If the domination of the All Blacks and the Springboks is to be brought to an end this year, it will surely be at the hands of France or Ireland. The former has a home advantage, and the latter has had success against all of the top nations in recent times.
The Rugby World Cup has been excellent so far, and with the possibility of crowning a new champion for the first time since England won in Australia in 2003, there is lots of excitement to come.
