Tough Pool: Stuart Lancaster
England boss Stuart Lancaster knows his side have been dealt a tough hand in the RWC 2015 draw after being pooled with both Australia and Wales.
Pool A has quickly been called the 'Pool of Death' as, with only two going through to the quarter-finals, one of these big nations will miss out.
"It's a tough pool," Lancaster said.
"I guess it is fate that Wales and England would be put together.
"To get through the pool, you will need to be consistent. Wales, I've got a huge amount of respect for what they've done recently.
"To win the Rugby World Cup you have to win big games. We will look forward to it, it is unbelievably exciting.
"Australia have just beaten us and are an incredibly competitive nation."
Skipper Chris Robshaw added: "It's going to be tough isn't it? But all the pools are. A lot of people have had been saying England and Wales have never been in the same pool together at a World Cup so you start to think 'here it comes'."
"We'll cross paths with Australia next autumn and we've got a couple of Six Nations (tournaments) with Wales."
On the possibility of Fiji taking the Oceania spot in the group, he added:
"They always raise their game for the World Cup, they've taken down a couple of big names.
"Obviously we can't confirm that until we know but we won't take whoever that is lightly."
Wales coach Warren Gatland says the team who do qualify from Pool A will be well set to go all the way: "Our experience of 2011 is that if you come out of a tough group, it sets you up for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. The tougher the group, the better."
Wales captain Sam Warburton told Sky Sports News: "We had a group of death in the last World Cup so we are used to the situation.
"It's a fascinating pool. Wales against Australia has always been a good game.
"As for England v Wales, there is enough rivalry there without it being the World Cup.
"From a players' point of view we are guaranteed to play in front of a packed house against England which is really exciting."
Comments
kybone says...
There's not point in harping on about 'pools of death' and what not. In the end if you're not good enough to get out of a pool, you were never gonna be good enough to win the thing.
Artherfish- Its alright saying that but if England had beaten Australia in november we would probably be third now and they would be 5th, in other words we'd have swapped positions. That obviously means that we would have been top seed and could still have been in the same pool with the same teams. Thats why i never got drawn in by this race for ranking points thats been going on for the past month, because it means little. You get who you get. End of story.
Posted 14:25 05th December 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Not worried about Wales at all. They may beat England but in so doing will lose big to Oz and maybe Fiji too. It's all about the Oz vs England game and who of these two does better against Wales to go through top. Also England can beat Oz but still go through second due to a close game where Wales squeeze it.
Posted 12:00 04th December 2012
jontheref says...
NHSaints
Ask Samoa if they thought it was a pool of death.
If France could lose two games, and still get to the Final, hardly a pool of death there!
So whilst Fiji were "mediocre" in 2011, you are rating them for 2015?
Also, you do not have to beat them all to get out of the group, you have to come at least 2nd in the group.
By wins and draws, so why the gripes?
Posted 10:00 04th December 2012
NHsaints says...
We do get the tough pool but there hasn't been a team (in the pro era at least) defeated on their way to the WC final and eventually claiming the WC. Seriously Warburton? You think you got a 'pool of death' with Samoa, an off sorts SA and a mediocre Fiji and Namibia? Especially when Samoa had the short turnaround for the game...you had it easy compared to Nz's pool in the WC with Nz, France, Canada, Tonga and Japan(?). Now we've got Oz, Wales and Fiji (plus one) to beat to get out of the pool stages. Tbh I think we'll do it though, with a full crowd at Twickenham cheering on the England lads (already the best England side in years, not by results alone but also by effort and skill).
Posted 08:36 04th December 2012
Centre12 says...
I am happy with this Pool and echo what Gatland has said in terms of it being best preparations for the knockout stages, the team that wins the WC should be capable of playing and beating anyone and shouldn't need an easy route to the final
Posted 04:30 04th December 2012
Artherfish says...
Can anyone explain why the draw has happened so far out from the start of the competition? The IRB rankings are volatile at the best of times with the likely hood that the present relative positions of the teams being well out of wack with we're they will be in 2015. A few points of victory in two November tests puts us( eng) in the toughest pool and France get a easier ride, how so? We could be clearly the best in the NH in three years time or Wales could for that matter. If pool seedlings are to make sence then they must be more accurate than these pools read. That said world champs must show they can win against all commers so you have too whoever is in your pool.
Posted 19:30 03rd December 2012
SwiftyHUZZAH says...
No offence to Wales, but as a Wallabies supporter, I really don't wanna play them again until at least this next WC. We've played each other 6 times in a year - enough already! Let's agree to disagree and have a break from one another until 2015.
Posted 18:41 03rd December 2012
Wooden_spoon says...
If you want to win the world cup you have to beat everyone. A raw deal - shame!
Posted 18:11 03rd December 2012