Rugby World Cup 2019 winner predictions and odds: who will lift the Webb Ellis Cup?

Will New Zealand make it three Rugby World Cup triumphs in a row or can South Africa, Ireland, England or Wales break the Kiwi stranglehold?

That’s the question rugby writers and pundits are trying to answer ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Friday 20 September in Japan.

Five of The Guardian’s rugby writers have tipped the All Blacks to hold aloft the Webb Ellis Cup on 2 November.

Ben Ryan, former coach of the England and Fiji sevens teams, said: “England are genuine contenders but I can’t see past the All Blacks although Beauden Barrett needs to avoid the Kiwi World Cup fly-half curse.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Will Greenwood, who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with England, has picked South Africa to be the champions this year. He said: “Power, pace, a great goalkicker and lineout gurus. Springboks look the full package.”

Owen Slot, chief rugby correspondent at The Times, also tips South Africa as the favourites. Slot said: “Could lose to New Zealand in the first match and then build momentum. They have no fear of the All Blacks anyway.”

Here we look at the winner predictions and betting odds…

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Predictions: who will win the RWC?

Nick Evans, The Guardian: New Zealand 

“Despite injuries, form of some senior players and a belief from everyone outside New Zealand that they are in decline, the All Blacks are still in the box seat to three-peat the World Cup.”

Rob Kitson, The Guardian: South Africa

“South Africa, unless they are flattened in the final by a free-wheeling England team boasting even more dynamic power. The side that hits hardest for longest – with and without the ball – will ultimately prevail.”

Andy Bull, The Guardian: South Africa (maybe Wales)

“Given the form the smart answer is South Africa, so my head’s annoyed with my heart for persuading me to commit to this in print but I just wonder if the Welsh may pull it off.”

Austin Healey, The Daily Telegraph: New Zealand 

“I think New Zealand will win the World Cup unless England can manufacture a second place in the group. If England lose to France in the final game they go into the better side of the draw become eventual winners.”

Ian McGeechan, The Daily Telegraph: New Zealand 

“Far from invincible but the All Blacks will have learnt lessons from recent defeat by Australia and draw in South Africa. Still the team to beat.”

Ben Kay, The Times: South Africa

“For the best part of four years I’ve said New Zealand but I’ve started to question that as I think South Africa may be coming good.”

Sam Warburton, The Times: South Africa

“Always in good shape for Lions tours and World Cups. Draw and win in past year against All Blacks will add confidence.”

Stuart Barnes, The Sunday Times: South Africa 

“They have the full range to win it. A solid defence, a pack with strength in depth, an in-form set of half-backs, a goal kicker and a little bit of magic in the back three.”

Stephen Jones, The Sunday Times: South Africa

“The Springboks have form and a talented and well-balanced team in their favour.”

Lawrence Dallaglio, The Sunday Times: England or South Africa

“They could meet each other in the first semi-final but both are coming to the boil nicely.”

Peter de Villiers, Planet Rugby: New Zealand 

“Despite their indifferent form of late, I still think New Zealand stand the best chance to win this World Cup because the rest of the world are not really playing a good brand of rugby. The All Blacks delivered a very good performance in their last match against a top team – in Auckland against Australia in the second Bledisloe Cup Test – and showed that a good team can play badly [like the previous week against the Wallabies in Perth] but will bounce back and still return to their high standards. I’ve been impressed by England’s standard of play and expect them to go far in this World Cup.”

Paul Cully, Sydney Morning Herald: New Zealand 

“As for my overall pick? At the start of the year it would not have been the All Blacks. But while most have gone lukewarm on New Zealand in recent months, to my eyes they have addressed some of their big areas of concern. In wingers George Bridge and Sevu Reece they have two players who could set the tournament alight and Richie Mo’unga’s powers at No.10 will grow the longer he spends in the hot seat. It is New Zealand, then, by a handful of points against South Africa in the final.”

Sir Clive Woodward, Daily Mail: England

“My gut feeling is an England v New Zealand final, which is the match-up much of the rugby world would like to see. England would probably have had the toughest route to a final in history, but they have the squad to cope with it and they will be battle-hardened. If they reach the final, I’m backing them to win it.”

Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll, Extra.ie: England 

“If it was put to me to pick one team, I think England are a team, right now, I would probably fancy for it. I think they are gearing up brilliantly, they’ve had a good run of form in 2019 with some really impressive displays. I just feel they have the game and the versatility of game to cope with anything that is thrown in.”

Mark Orders, WalesOnline: Springboks to beat All Blacks in final

“A strong case could be made for either of these two being crowned world champions. But the Springboks may just have the edge, with the game’s best scrum-half in Faf de Klerk, the best hooker in Malcolm Marx, the most formidable scrum, the best rush defence [take a bow the outstanding Damian de Allende] and arguably the top blindside flanker in the world in Pieter-Steph du Toit, plus other stellar performers such as Duane Vermeulen, Siya Kolisi, Willie Le Roux, Handre Pollard and Eben Etzebeth. From here, they look the side to beat, All Blacks or no All Blacks.”

Chris Rattue, New Zealand Herald: three teams in contention

“And then there were three. The closer the Rugby World Cup gets, the further away an upset result feels. It will come down to New Zealand, South Africa and England – all previous winners – surely. Wales? Ireland? Australia? No, the stars aren’t aligned that way.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland, speaking after their Six Nations win

“I promise you that these guys will give 100% in every game at the World Cup and, if we play as well as we have for the last year, then we can bring home the World Cup. We’ve got a very special group of players at the moment. We enjoy each other’s company, we challenge each other on a lot of things, but once we make a decision, we back each other 100%.”

Mark Agnew, South China Morning Post: South Africa 

“South Africa have been going from strength to strength. They have a young team that look to be peaking at the perfect time. In fact, it’s so young, that even if they win the World Cup, they’ll probably peak afterwards just in time for the 2021 Lions Tour. Prediction: second in the pool but winners in the World Cup final.”

Gareth Jones, Sporting Life: New Zealand to beat Wales in the final

“Take out the quality of each side, the All Blacks experience of competing in the previous two finals could be the deciding factor here. Wales, or any other nation, appearing in the final will see every one of their players competing in their first World Cup final, and that could prove debilitating for some, which will swing the match in favour of the much more experienced All Blacks favour.”

Alex McLeod, Rugby Pass: Ireland

“It’s increasingly difficult not to see one of either Ireland or New Zealand claiming the title in Japan. It almost seems certain that the fight for world supremacy is set to come down to these two nations on 2 November. For a team that has never progressed past the World Cup quarter-finals, it’s possible that there will be no better time for the Irish to mount a challenge for the Webb Ellis Trophy than in 2019. If they can’t secure it this year, then it would beg the question if they ever will.” 

Bryan Habana, World Cup winner with South Africa: too close to call 

“It is probably the tightest World Cup we’ve ever had to call. Whoever’s at their best for that eight-week period, winning games against the best teams in the world will need to go on to win it. But given the current status of world rugby, I might actually put more money into cryptocurrency because that’s probably an easier bet at the moment.”

Bleacher Report’s prediction made in 2015: South Africa

“After crumbling to the Cherry Blossoms in arguably the biggest Rugby World Cup upset ever [in 2015], doesn’t it only seem fate-like that South Africa should storm back to grab redemption on Japanese soil in 2019?”

Mike Starling, sports editor, TheWeek.co.uk: Ireland

“At the start of the year I predicted that Ireland would secure a Six Nations and World Cup double in 2019. I was wrong with the Six Nations, but I am going to stick with Ireland as my choice to lift the World Cup in Japan. Of course, you should never bet against New Zealand in rugby union, but this year I feel that the All Blacks’s grasp on the Webb Ellis Cup will be over… for four years at least.”

Rugby World Cup betting odds

Prices provided by Oddschecker. 

RWC winner odds

• New Zealand: 6/4 
• South Africa: 9/2 
• England: 9/2  
• Ireland: 10/1  
• Wales: 12/1  
• Australia: 20/1  
• France: 33/1 
• Argentina: 50/1  
• Scotland: 80/1  
• For the full price list see Oddschecker.com   

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
For analysis of the biggest sport stories – and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news – try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues free
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

About the RWC

• When: 20 September to 2 November  
• Where: 12 locations across Japan 
• Teams: 20
• Number of matches: 48
• UK TV channel: live on ITV
• Fixtures and start times

RWC guides and features

• Fixtures, dates, UK start times, knockout schedule, TV guide
• Winner predictions and betting odds: who will lift the Webb Ellis Cup?  
• Squads: who will be playing for the 20 teams in Japan?
• Manu Tuilagi says ‘special’ England are raring to go
• Scotland team profile, pool A fixtures, squad
• Ireland team profile, pool A fixtures, squad
• England team profile, pool C fixtures, squad
• Wales team profile, pool D fixtures, squad 
• England at full-strength for ‘ferocious’ Tonga test