Exclusive: Stuart Hogg tips hosts France to win World Cup as ‘they’ve got the best talent in world rugby’

The Rugby World Cup gets underway this week, with hosts France kicking the tournament off against three-time winners New Zealand in Paris on Friday, September 8.

France will hope to finally end their World Cup hoodoo after tasting defeat in all three finals they’ve featured in, while the All Blacks will want to right the wrongs of Japan 2019 where they failed to make the final for the first time since 2007.

But before either team can think about October’s grand finale, they have to navigate their way out of a tricky pool for a chance to face some of the tournament’s other big hitters.

Former Scotland international Stuart Hogg has been speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the World Cup and has explained why he is "hugely excited about" about France.

“New Zealand, you can never, ever write these guys off,” Hogg told Ugo Monye when analysing Pool A, which includes the All Blacks and France, along with Italy, Uruguay and Namibia.

“They’ve got a huge amount of quality. They could have two or three different backlines and every single player would do a job, they’re quality.

“But this France is a team I’m hugely excited about. They’ve got the best talent in world rugby and if they get it right, they’ll go far.”

But what does Hogg make of a strong Pool B?

Scotland will have to fend off competition from South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania if they are to reach the quarter-finals, but Hogg doesn’t think they’ll have enough to do so.

“I would hate to be playing in this, genuinely hate to be playing in this,” Hogg said.

“They [South Africa] have to win [the tournament]. For me, anytime you go to defend anything, you’ve got the wrong mindset in my eyes. You’ve got to go and attack everything and you have to go and play.

“There is an incredible amount of physicality in this team and they have a game plan that suits them down to the ground. I can’t see any team beating South Africa in this pool.

“They squeeze the life out of you. They apply as much pressure as they possibly can whether it’s their kicking game or in defence, that’s what they’re renowned for, and they’re very good at it.

“They squeeze you and squeeze you and suffocate the life out of you.”

Ireland are the top-ranked team in the world but that hasn’t always helped them in their bid to lift the World Cup.

They were also No. 1 in 2018 and won the Six Nations that year, but fell at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup the following year - a stage they’ve never progressed beyond.

“Ireland, when they play at their best, are incredible,” Hogg said of Andy Farrell’s team. “Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton - that partnership is up there with the best in world rugby as a nine and 10.

“I think from the Northern Hemisphere, especially the home unions, Ireland are your best bet.

“They’ve got unbelievable rugby players. As I said earlier, the likes of Murray, Sexton and Peter O'Mahony in the back row, if they get things right, they could go very, very far.”

Wales will come up against Fiji and Australia in their pool, which also includes Georgia and Portugal.

Hogg reckons Wales will escape the group alongside Australia and can become much improved under Warren Gatland after a disappointing Six Nations campaign.

“Never write this lot off. Gatland is unbelievable, he knows how to make these Welsh boys tick, and they’re in some shape at the minute.

“The Australians, with the quality they’ve got, we’ve not seen the best of them in the past couple of weeks but again as you said, it’s pointless peaking now.

“They’re always there or thereabouts. As soon as these guys get into these stages [the knockouts], that’s when they come into their own.”

Another team that can go far in Hogg’s eyes are England, who are in Pool D with Japan, Argentina, Samoa and Chile.

“When these guys [England] decide to play rugby, they’re unbelievable,” Hogg said as he previewed Steve Borthwick’s side.

“You give the likes of Henry Slade and Henry Arundell the ball, you’re talking a lot of damage.

“If they’re going to kick the life out the ball, they’re good at it, but I’d genuinely like to see these guys chuck the ball around and play to their strengths, and if they do that they’ll get it right.

“As for Japan, their catch pass is up there with the best. The cohesion in that team is one of the best I’ve ever come across.”

Hogg predicts New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and Wales will fall at the quarter-final stage while Australia join Northern Hemisphere sides Ireland, France and England in the semi-finals.

No team from the Northern Hemisphere has won the World Cup since England in 2003, but he fancies France to be the ones to go all the way at their home tournament.

“I’m going to go with France [to beat Ireland in the final],” he said.

“I think we probably won’t see the best of them leading up to it, but in the quarter-finals and semi-finals [you will], and they’ll save the best until last [for the final].”

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