First the results:
Scotland 12 Australia 14
USA 30 Japan 17
France 7 England 13
Italy 12 Canada 22
Wales 12 New Zealand 56
Fiji 21 South Africa 17
Here are the top 2 in each pool:
A. NZ 10 pts; Australia 4
B. Canada 10; Italy 5
C. England 9; France 6
The two other nations who will qualify for the quarter-finals are as yet impossible to predict with certainty.
Only one runaway victory – good. Every side scored points – good. Only France were limited to a single score, against the top-ranked nation whose recent average total is over 50.
NZ: their big win was expected; their problems at the set-scrum will hearten their main rivals.
Australia: once more we can only wonder how good they could be if given proper backing.
France: their potential lies way above their 11-loss run against England, but Darracq must still prove his ability to get them playing at their best. Two injuries to top players are cruel luck.
Canada: so close to being more than just a leading outsider on the world stage.
USA: very similar case to Canada; massive potential, but no money to throw around.
Japan: always enthusiastic, always at a grave disadvantage in the size-and-strength stakes.
Italy: a powerhouse for the future; came within 10 points of unseating the 3rd-ranked nation..
Wales: a slow rebuild after total neglect; pathways and player-pools remain obstacles.
Fiji: the star turn thus far; their first RWC win raises the profile of their 15s side; funding urgent.
South Africa: this loss a setback; it will probably take a decade before they can unleash their considerable potential.
Scotland: the word ‘Heartbreak’ is being applied to their fate all too often. Their problems lie very deep, starting with the tiny player-numbers the sport enjoys there. Next the historical nature of the SRU, which has long been the most amateur-minded, the most conservative, of all the home unions and least likely to espouse the cause of women’s rugby with a full heart. Times are at last changing.
England: most comments centre on their ‘failings’. These lie at the heart of their own analyses of games.
