Rugby World Cup – How Are The Ambitious Longshots Competing In Japan?

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Sat. Oct. 5, 2019: The 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan is well and truly underway and it’s proving to be a right cracker for fans of the sport, serving up fantastic competition along with a few poignant moments, none more so than Uruguay’s historic win over Fiji.

Of the 20 nations that descended on the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Uruguay is one of the competition’s longshots, with future odds of +400000 (or thereabouts) at most top betting online portals, including nitrogen sports.

They are the quintessential underdogs, which translates to a no hope bet to get their hands on the William Webb Ellis trophy.

Sometimes though it’s not about winning the ultimate World Championship title; sometimes it’s just about participating. Doing your nation proud on the biggest stage in sport.

So, Los Teros gave us one of the most touching moments of the group stage when they shocked Fiji 30-27 in Kamaishi, Japan. The game betting odds were +1500 for Uruguay to mastermind the upset over a team that ranked nine places above them in the standings.

Not surprisingly, team captain, Juan Gaminara was overcome with emotion when asked to describe what the victory meant to him, to his team and to his county.

One of the most emotional post-match interviews you will see at #RWC2019 ?

Uruguay captain Juan Manuel Gaminara, breaks down. ?#FIJvURU

pic.twitter.com/yxJS330uUg
— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) September 25, 2019

Alas, since that momentous victory, Uruguay fell at the next hurdle, losing to Georgia 33-7. The loss puts Uruguay at the bottom of pool D with just 4 points, well behind group-leaders Wales, who are at the top of the pool with 9 points following two victories. (Wales rank amongst the competition’s top contenders, now priced at +900 to win outright at nitrogen sports.)

It also puts qualifying into the knockout stages for Uruguay a distant hope with just two more matches to be played before the quarterfinal line up takes shape. Uruguay are priced at +50000 to reach the quarterfinals.

Of course, the tournament isn’t over and there’s still everything to play for yet, but Uruguay will have to win out the last two games and hope for some help in the group if their sojourn in Japan is to continue.

Another competition longshot is the USA, a side that from the start was deemed to need a minor miracle to punch above its weight class. The Americans were dubbed longshots in part down to pedigree in the sport and in part down to where they fell in the competition’s group stage.

The Eagles were drawn into the proverbial ‘group of death’ with three of rugby’s strongest nations including England, France, and Argentina.

Contained within such a stalwart company, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the U.S national team, who are streets behind the game’s standard.

Two rounds into the competition and the Americans are yet to provide a banana skin for the top sides. The Eagles opened their campaign with a 45-7 loss to England, the second-best bet to win the tournament after the famed All Blacks. They then followed up with a 33-9 loss to France on Wednesday, October 2.

With zero points in two matches, the USA team are under the cosh and needs to win out in the last two rounds and hope their group rivals upset the apple cart. Argentina and England are set to collide on Saturday, October 5, at 4 AM EST.

The Americans are priced at +250000 to win outright and at +20000 to reach the quarterfinals. Beating those odds is a stretch, but the Americans can well fancy their chances when they take on Argentina on Wednesday. October 8 and then Tonga on Saturday, October 12.

In USA’s last game against France, there were enough positives for coach Gary Gold to take into the last couple of rounds, which could send the Americans on a wave of optimism and provide another shock upset or two for the tournament.

It might not be enough to send the Americans into the knockout stages of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but it could very well serve up another poignant moment in the tournament to rival that of Uruguay’s opening victory and give the Americans a sense of accomplishment and pride.