World Cup Warm-Ups: Round 4 Predictions

It’s the final round of fixtures this weekend before the main event kicks off in just a fortnight!

Here are my predictions for week 4 of the Rugby World Cup warm-up matches.

New Zealand v South Africa

What a great fixture this should be at Twickenham! They could well meet again in the Quarter-finals of the World Cup in a few weeks, and both teams will want to win this for a psychological edge. On paper, the Springboks look slightly weaker without Handre Pollard at fly-half, and that could be the difference for this friendly - and by the sounds of it, he could be back for the actual tournament. New Zealand by 6

England v Fiji

England really ought to beat Fiji at Twickenham, so there’s not much to be gained here for England supporters. Anything but a comfortable win will be another disappointment, but perhaps they can give some indication that they are working on an attacking game. England by 18

Italy v Japan

I suspect with home advantage, Italy will be too strong for Japan here, and the Azzurri will go into the World Cup looking to cause problems for France and the All Blacks, with whom they share a group. Italy by 13

Scotland v Georgia

Georgia have had a couple of good wins here, but this should be a home win, whilst avoiding injury or suspension will be the main objective for the Scots. Scotland by 16

Spain v Argentina

The Pumas will be looking to build some momentum going into their opening pool match with England, where they’ll be expecting to win and go on to top the group. With that ambition, a win over Spain should be fairly straightforward. Argentina by 18

Ireland v Samoa

This is another game where avoiding injury will be a priority, and the Samoans are notoriously physical. The world’s number one side are obviously favourites, but it’s unlikely to be full bore and that could impact the winning margin. Ireland by 13

France v Australia

Eddie Jones insists everything is going swimmingly well in the Wallabies camp, but they don’t look like a side that can beat France in Paris at the moment. Recent matches have been close - the last 6 meetings have been decided by 3 points or fewer - but France will want a good victory here to boost confidence ahead of facing the All Blacks on the opening night. France by 9

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