Rugby

Early exit for a top five team at RWC

September 2, 2023 4:54 pm

One of the top five teams in the world will not make this year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

Currently, Ireland, South Africa, France, New Zealand, and Scotland are in the top five of the latest world rankings.

However, the five sides are in pools A and B, meaning only four will make the top eight, two from each group.

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New Zealand and France are in pool A while Ireland, South Africa, and Scotland are in group B.

1987 All Blacks winning World Cup captain David Kirk believes one of the important things for Ireland to overcome will be the psychology of knowing they have never made it beyond the quarter-finals before.

Kirk is confident the All Blacks won’t be too mentally scarred by their all-time record defeat against South Africa 35-7 last Friday, despite the embarrassing scoreline.

The Rugby World Cup kicks off next week and Fiji will play Wales on September 11.

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