Skip to main content

Supercomputer predicts powerful start to the Rugby World Cup by the Home Nations

By Sandra Villanueva
Senor Media Relations Manager

A supercomputer used by catastrophe planners at QBE Business Insurance is predicting that all four Home Nations will breeze into the quarter-finals

England, Ireland and Wales are predicted to win all four of their group stage games while Scotland is predicted to lose only one of their games to Six Nations rival Ireland.

According to a complex mathematical formula created for the supercomputer by actuaries at QBE Business Insurance, whose day job is predicting the impact of catastrophes such as earthquakes and floods, the Home Nations will secure some impressive victories en route to the quarter-finals.

In the pick of the round, Wales are predicted to narrowly overcome rugby giants Australia 21 – 22 to nip them to top spot in Pool D. England will make easy work of France in their toughest opening fixture and Ireland will score their record haul of points at this stage of the tournament, mustering an impressive 144 points as they dominate their early fixtures. Scotland’s progression will come down to a nervy final group stage fixture as they will need to overcome the host nation Japan to book their place in the quarter -finals, which they are predicted to do with aplomb beating Japan 18 – 28.

The predicted scores in each game are based on 10 years of historical data and how well each team has played in the past against opposition of similar ranking, as well as the success ratio for kickers, the impact on each team of playing at home or away, and the international experience of each team captain.

Each simulated match uses probabilities and random numbers to generate an outcome. Modelling the entire tournament 3,750 times gives an idea of how far each team will go in the tournament and the chances of this happening.

However, despite early success in the tournament, the Supercomputer predicts that the Home Nations will find life much tougher in the latter rounds, with Ireland having only a 1% chance of winning the tournament. England and Wales fair slightly better, with Wales second favourites to win the tournament with an 11% chance of winning their first ever World Cup and England not far behind with an 8% chance of repeating their 2003 glory. However, it will come as no surprise that the Supercomputer has predicted New Zealand are overwhelming favourites to retain their place as world champions, with a 50% chance of making it three on the trot.

MATTHEW CRANE, Executive Director of Market Management at QBE, said:
“We live in unpredictable times and while we can put all the science in the world into predicting the future, we can never be 100% sure. The Home Nations have a real chance of going far in the tournament and a final against the All Blacks is not a foregone conclusion. Anything can happen, which is why with the right preparation the title is for the taking.”

The tables below show the predicted outcomes of the competition:

Probability of winning the tournament

Nation

Probability

New Zealand

50%

Wales

11%

England

8%

Australia

4%

South Africa

3%

Ireland

1%

France

1%

All others

0%


Week 1 predicted results

Match

Result

Japan vs Russia

40 - 12

Australia vs Fiji

36 - 11

France vs Argentina

22 - 20

New Zealand vs South Africa

28 - 17

Italy vs Namibia

36 - 11

Ireland vs Scotland

23 - 16

England vs Tonga

33 - 11

Wales vs Georgia

30 - 9


Home Nations chances of progressing through the tournament

England

 

Wales

Qualify for Quarter finals

90%

 

Qualify for Quarter finals

94%

Qualify for Semi finals

46%

 

Qualify for Semi finals

62%

Qualify for the Final

18%

 

Qualify for the Final

26%

Winner

8%

 

Winner

11%

         

Ireland

 

Scotland

Qualify for Quarter finals

93%

 

Qualify for Quarter finals

67%

Qualify for Semi finals

46%

 

Qualify for Semi finals

12%

Qualify for the Final

26%

 

Qualify for the Final

4%

Winner

1%

 

Winner

0%

         

<ends>

For further information and interviews please contact:

Mike Houghton

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7256 8912
Mob: +44 (0) 7789 167009
Email: Mike.Houghton@jeffersoncommunications.co.uk

David Felton

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7256 8912
Mob:+44 (0) 7803 214682
Email: david.felton@jeffersoncommunications.co.uk

Sandra Villanueva, Corporate Communications
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7105 5284
Email: Sandra.villanueva@uk.qbe.com

Visit us on the web at www.QBEeurope.com
Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/qbeeo


About QBE

QBE European Operations is part of QBE Insurance Group, one of the world’s leading international insurers and reinsurers and Standard & Poor’s A+ rated. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, QBE’s gross written premium for the year ended 31 December 2018, was US$13.7 billion.

As a business insurance specialist, QBE European Operations offers a range of insurance products from the standard suite of property, casualty and motor to the specialist financial lines, marine and energy. All are tailored to the individual needs of our small, medium and large client base.

We understand the crucial role that effective risk management plays in all organisations and work hard to understand our clients’ businesses so that we offer insurance solutions that meet their needs – from complex programmes to simpler e-trading solutions – and support them in minimising their risk exposures. Our expert risk management and rehabilitation practitioners focus on helping clients improve their risk management so that they may benefit from a reduction in claims frequency and costs.

Your contact

Your contact

Sandra Villanueva

Sandra Villanueva

Head of Media Relations & Content, QBE International