"Early Ireland exit" - Dan Cole predicts the entire 2027 Rugby World Cup
Rugby NewsFriday, 26 June 2026 at 13:51
In December, Dan Cole and Ben Youngs discussed the World Cup draw on the For The Love of Rugby podcast, sharing their predictions for how they think the tournament will play out.
For the pool stages, they focused on expected points totals for each team rather than individual scorelines. The former England internationals offered some bold takes, particularly on their old side.
With the tournament not taking place until next autumn, these are early predictions that could easily change. Even since the episode was recorded in December, teams have shifted in form and outlook following the Six Nations and the rest of the current season of rugby, meaning many sides now look different to how they did at the time. Video here.
Pool A
Ben Youngs began with a bold prediction, backing Australia to defeat New Zealand thanks to home advantage. In terms of points, they awarded Australia four points from the match, while New Zealand were given a losing bonus point.
The rest of the pool followed a more straightforward pattern, with Chile predicted to take the full five points against Hong Kong China, while both Australia and New Zealand were backed to claim maximum five-point hauls against Chile and Hong Kong China in their remaining fixtures.
Their final standings saw Australia top the pool on 14 points, ahead of New Zealand on 11, Chile on six and tournament debutants Hong Kong China on zero.
Pool B
Cole predicted South Africa to begin by defeating Italy, earning five points while denying the Azzurri any. Georgia were then backed to beat fellow Rugby Europe Championship side Romania, taking four points to Romania's one.
South Africa were predicted to secure maximum five-point victories against both Romania and Georgia, while Italy were expected to do the same against Romania. The final fixture saw Italy edge Georgia, earning four points while Georgia collected a losing bonus point.
Pool C
Argentina were tipped to dominate Pool C, with Youngs predicting the Pumas to take the full five points against Fiji, Canada and Spain.
Fiji were still expected to remain comfortable runners-up, collecting two bonus points in defeat to Argentina before securing maximum-point wins in their other matches. Spain were backed to finish third after convincing victories over Canada.
Pool D
Pool D produced the closest prediction of the draw. Cole and Youngs spent considerable time debating Ireland versus Scotland, each initially favouring a different side.
They eventually settled on an Irish victory worth four points, with Scotland collecting two bonus points in defeat.
Youngs also predicted the tournament's first draw, between Uruguay and Portugal, with both sides earning a bonus point alongside the points awarded for the draw.
Ireland and Scotland were otherwise expected to record comfortable five-point victories over both Portugal and Uruguay. The final standings had Ireland top on 14 points, with Scotland second on 12.
Pool E
Several one-sided results were predicted in Pool E, with France expected to claim maximum five-point wins against Japan, the USA and Samoa.
Japan were tipped to secure bonus-point victories in their other two matches, while Samoa were backed to edge the USA without a try bonus point.
The Americans, however, were still predicted to earn a losing bonus point. France were projected to finish first on 15 points, ahead of Japan on 11.
Pool F
England were predicted to be clear winners of Pool F, taking maximum five-point returns from all three of their matches. However, both Tonga and Wales were backed to earn losing bonus points in defeat to England.
Wales were expected to collect five points against Zimbabwe and then narrowly defeat Tonga, taking four points while Tonga earned two bonus points. Tonga were tipped to finish third after a maximum-point victory over Zimbabwe.
Round of 16
Georgia are the notable team to miss out on the knockout stages due to points difference.
Australia vs Spain
Australia to win, which they answered quickly and with little explanation.
South Africa vs Tonga
South Africa to win, again with little explanation needed.
Fiji vs Wales
Fiji are backed to beat Wales, mainly because this is the one opportunity for the squad to train together fully and reach their potential.
France vs Scotland
One of the standout round of 16 matches. Youngs noted that France can sometimes struggle against Scotland because of contrasting styles, but still sees France as too strong not to progress. It was also described as a possible banana skin.
New Zealand vs Japan
New Zealand to win. If Australia top their group and Japan finish second, Australia could instead face Japan here, with Eddie Jones potentially returning to face Australia on Australian soil.
England vs Italy
England to win, with little questioning. This prediction may have changed since the recording, given that Italy managed to get their first-ever win over England at the 2026 Six Nations.
Argentina vs Chile
Cole described it as a passionate encounter but backed Argentina to come through.
Ireland vs Samoa
Expected to be a test, but Ireland are still tipped to win. He suggested it could be more physically preparing compared to other fixtures, contrasting it with games like Australia vs Spain that may not offer the same challenge.
Quarter-finals
Australia vs South Africa
Youngs predicts a South Africa win, but expects a tight match with Australia pushing them hard. Both discussed the pressure of a home World Cup, drawing on their experience from 2015 in England, where the hosts exited in the pool stage.
They suggested the lack of pressure on Australia could help them, while South Africa would carry the expectation to win.
Fiji vs France
Cole expects France to win, but not without difficulty, especially with strong Fijian support likely in the crowd.
New Zealand vs England
A major quarter-final. Both Youngs and Cole back England to win, possibly influenced by their experience as former England players.
Argentina vs Ireland
Cole tips Argentina, and Youngs agrees. He pointed to Ireland’s history of struggling to get past the last eight, while Argentina are seen as an improving side and Ireland potentially in decline.
Semi-finals
South Africa vs France
Youngs believes South Africa would have a psychological edge after recent wins over France, including the 2023 World Cup and the Autumn Nations Series.
He also questioned whether France’s leadership group would remain intact, suggesting France may struggle to overcome that mental barrier.
England vs Argentina
Youngs confidently predicts an England win, citing their recent record and psychological edge.
Bronze final
France vs Argentina
Cole thinks France could be more affected by the disappointment of a semi-final defeat, while Argentina may approach the game with more motivation, leading to a Los Pumas bronze medal.
He referenced their experience against England in a similar situation in 2023, where they both played as they beat Argentina.
Final
England vs South Africa
They found it difficult to call and went to an ad break to decide. It would be a repeat of the 2019 final, which both played in, with Youngs starting and Cole coming on after two minutes due to Kyle Sinckler’s early injury.
England lost that match 32–12 in Yokohama. Youngs ultimately backed South Africa, but for an unusual reason.
He said that whatever he predicts tends to be wrong, so as a former England player he chose South Africa in the hope of reversing the outcome. They both suggested South Africa could go on to win a third consecutive title.
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