Sadly Japan on Oct. 11 is USA’s Best Chance for a Win

Life is made of so many beginnings and they always come at the end of something. Last week I picked the last of my mango crop. Next week I’ll be in England covering the Rugby World Cup for DeepSouthRugby.net. You can follow the DSR.net crew: publisher Fran “The Man” Thompson (tour alias Sir Francis of Birmingham), photographer Mike “Spacer” Thompson (tour alias Mickey O’Thompson), and reporter Tom “Croz” Crosby (tour alias tbd) on Facebook or Twitter and at www.DeepSouthRugby.net.

Link to article on pagan prediction of England vs Ireland World Cup Final. http://www.deepsouthrugby.net/rugby-world-cup/pagan-signs-predict-england-v-ireland-rwc-2015-final/

Three articles down is the article where I have read the signs and predicted the Final, so if you only want to know how the story ends read this article and skip the rest.

On Sept. 20th the USA Eagles kick-off their quest to lift the Webb Ellis trophy vs Samoa. On March 14th of 2014 I predicted a 21-12 Eagle victory on their way to their first quarterfinal appearance. I am much less optimistic now. Samoa looks like all their stars will be released from club obligations. They will have the A-team that only lost to the world champ New Zealand All Blacks by 9 points a little over two months ago. The Samoans will be coming with a good deal of confidence that they can get through to the quarterfinals. Scotland stopped the Samoans first visit to the quarterfinals in 1991 and once again thwarted quarterfinal dreams in a 1999 play-off match. This Samoan side has the best chance of a quarterfinal visit in a long time and they are looking at Scotland as the bump in their road, not the USA. Samoa vs Scotland on Oct. 10th will be the decider of second place in Pool B. South Africa will be pool winners. A little over a year ago the Springboks beat Scotland 55-6. Yes, this is a better Scottish team, but they will have to weigh their chances of losing critical people a week before the more likely win vs Samoa. As much as this is denied in these sorts of matches, I think it has become a wink and nod accepted strategy. I’m not judging it either way. As a coach picking players if I had a very good player with a niggling injury that would definitely improve if they sit out a week, this would be a good match for him to miss.

The recent USA team has the advantage of having played together quite a bit over the last couple of months, but their best showing against a higher ranked team was against Japan in Sacramento in July. Samoa played a side with only 5 players from their match vs the All Blacks against the Eagles in California in July and won fairly easily 21-16. The USA’s best hope for a win in this World Cup is against Japan. It will take wise use (wink-nod) of Eagle reserves vs South Africa on Oct. 7th to equal their 23-18 Sacramento victory when they face Japan in Gloucester, England, on Oct. 11th.

I was reading Uruguay’s release of their press events for the whole World Cup. At the bottom of the list of trainings, press conferences, captain’s runs, … was Oct. 11th departure. In their pool with Australia, England, Wales, and Fiji that is a very realistic view of their probability of making quarterfinals. I wonder if the Eagles will soon issue a press event schedule with October 12th departure.

I think my tour alias should be Cuzin Tilis (Tellin It Like It Is).