England through after Scotland fail to take chances in tough battle

Had Nick De Luca picked the ball up five yards from the try line it may have been so different, but England will line up in the quarter finals after a 16-12 win over Scotland.

Scotland’s only hope of staying in the competition is if Georgia upset Argentina in the final Pool B game tomorrow morning, but as the Georgians are 11/1 to win, it seems unlikely.

But for England the journey definitely continues and the side will be eagerly awaiting the quarter final against France after the French lost to Tonga earlier this morning.

The loss to Tonga means it’s two defeats in a row for France and Marc Lievremont’s side have been pushed out to 14/1 to win the World Cup.

England, meanwhile, are 8/1 to win the World Cup and should they beat France next Saturday, a semi-final potentially with either Ireland or Wales would be considered a very winnable game for the English.

Ireland and Wales still have to secure their passages into the quarter finals and tomorrow morning sees Ireland take on Italy after Wales play Fiji.

Wins for both would see them play each other in the quarter final and considering Wales are 1/16 to win and Ireland are 1/8 to win, the odds suggest a northern hemisphere semi-final is on the cards.

For England there is plenty to improve upon and on the basis of their performances thus far, there won’t be many takers of the 8/1 for England to win the World Cup.

However, in 2007 England were struggling to play well but still managed to make the final, and this current campaign is mirroring the 2007 one.

The way the results are panning out mean England have an easier route to the final with Australia likely to finish second in Pool C, and while the side aren’t playing at their best, the opportunity is there to make the final.