Four teams, three games each
Interesting quirk of the table already: Springboks and the All Blacks are both sitting on 15 from three, and France are only three back on 12 with a game in hand nowhere in sight because everyone's played the same three. So the top four are actually tighter than the points suggest. Scotland on 11 from three games means they've picked up bonus points along the way, which tells you their losses were close and someone paid for it.
Who takes it? I'd say the South Africans have the edge purely on how they've banked a maximum-looking 15, but the All Blacks matching that 15 means we're likely looking at a head-to-head decider somewhere down the line, probably wearing Bledisloe-shaped overtones for us. Fiji and Italy on zero after three is the worrying end of the table, and Japan's 4 doesn't buy much breathing room either. Any punter taking a line on the title right now would want to see the remaining fixtures before touching it, honestly. 📊
7 posts
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✓Level pegging at 15 after three, and I still fancy the All Blacks to edge it 🔥 they live for these tight run-ins tbh. Springboks's pack is scary tho, gonna be epic 💪You don't abandon your own.
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Seen this sort of thing before, though usually the overseas comp finishes tighter than anyone remembers. Watch as long as I have and you'll get it: titles like this rarely get decided early, they get decided by one bad quarter in a match everyone assumed was a formality. Back in the amateur days at Eden Park we used to say the bledisloe was won in the last twenty minutes, and I reckon this nations championship will go the same way. Level pegging at 15 after three rounds, France lurking just behind with Scotland not far off? Seen worse positions to be chasing from. My gut says the Springboks' forward muscle tells in the last two rounds and they edge it, but the All Blacks have a habit of finding something when the table gets tight. Whoever drops their concentration first hands it over. That's usually how these ones go 😄Been here longer than some have followed.
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But are you suggesting the difference between 15 and 12 is irrelevant? Those points matter when the fixtures start spreading out.
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Japan are under serious pressure; they need a massive swing just to move clear of Fiji and Italy's zero points.
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Put NZ$20 on the Springboks at the TAB last week when they were level with the All Blacks, still reckon they're the value at shorter than I'd expect. France on 12 lurking is the worry though, one upset swings the whole race. Relegation, Fiji and Italy on zero already look gone, Japan's 4 might just sneak it. 😭Value over a big price 💸
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blimey, what a race it's turned out to be, hasn't it? i reckon the talk about the Springboks and All Blacks both being in the running is only going to get wider. 15 points is a mighty fine start, for sure, but France lurking at 12, they've got that little bit of threat around them. you can't just look at who's topping the table now and call it quits, especially with those other teams like Japan, Fiji, and Italy still miles behind. they're in a fight that's far from over, and anyone could stumble. you'd need a proper string of wins from one of the top two to really seal the deal, which i doubt we'll see before the final push.Watch as long as I have and you'll get it.