Pool clash: England and Australia
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The draw for the 2015 Rugby World Cup has been made, with Australia, England and Wales set to collide.
Promptly named the 'Pool of Death', the host nation were pulled out of the container with the Welsh and Wallabies in the pick of the groups.
Current holders New Zealand find themselves alongside Argentina and Tonga, while South Africa meet Samoa and Scotland in Pool C.
The final Pool has a largely Six Nations feel to it as France, Ireland and Italy are drawn together.
The eight remaining teams will come from a series of global qualifying matches that started in Mexico in March and will culminate in 2014.
The quarter-final draw could see New Zealand up against either France, who knocked them out in the last eight in 2007, or an improving Ireland.
Meanwhile the winners of England, Australia or Wales will face Pool B's runners-up, who on current form are likely to be Samoa or Scotland.
Whoever wins Pool A will avoid New Zealand until the final provided the All Blacks, as they have done at every previous World Cup, win their group.
The Pool B winners will face Pool A's runners-up with the winners of a Pool D, where France will be favourites, facing the runners-up from Pool C, likely to be either Argentina or Tonga.
The 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, the eighth edition of the tournament, will run from September 18 to October 31, 2015, with the final set to be played at Twickenham.
RWC 2015 Pools:
Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Oceana 1, Play-off winner
Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2
Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1
Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Americas 1, Europe 2
At the draw it was also confirmed that the knockout phase structure will stay the same:
QF1: Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
QF2: Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
QF3: Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
QF4: Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4
Bronze Final: Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
Final: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
Comments
ben7 says...
Predictions:
QF1: South Africa v England
QF2: NZ v Ireland
QF3: Australia v Scotland
QF4: France v Argentina
Posted 23:03 03rd December 2012
trelawney says...
Does anybody understand how these pools are created?
I think that the IRB have no cohesion or agreements as to who should be where. Why don't they pick balls out of a hat?
Posted 22:53 03rd December 2012
hayj05 says...
Spare a thought for the play-off winners, the 20th & final team to qualify for the RWC. They'll be facing Eng, Wales, Aus, & Fiji & you'd have to think that it's the toughest RWC pool in history.
& if you manage to scrap your way out of the pool of death there's a chance you'll be facing South Africa in the QF's lol. That's if Pool A is lined up with Pool B & Pool C is lined up with Pool D like it has been for all the previous RWC's.
Opening game then? Eng vs Aus or Eng vs Wales, I'm sure both are equally as enticing for the England fans.
@physiodan - Na because it's the top 12 teams from the previous WC that get the automatic qualification spots.
Posted 22:32 03rd December 2012
jcahill1 says...
@ Marko72
Actually I'd say that France, historically speaking, have more to fear from Italy.
Posted 22:21 03rd December 2012
georgesmith says...
Wallabies will not win the World Cup if it doesn't sack the Kiwi clown among its ranks.
Posted 22:18 03rd December 2012
PontySurrey says...
All these brave predictions nearly three years out! You're aving a larf!
Posted 22:13 03rd December 2012
rabja795 says...
I will be appalled but not suprised (given the NH bias in the voting rights of the IRB) if the Aussies have to play the Welsh at Millennium Stadium
Posted 22:08 03rd December 2012
tuffnut says...
@OzinLondon - lol Richie McCaw was one of the people pulling the names out of the bowl... (this will please BokAvenger)
@ArmchairGeneral - being in the same pool with the ABs sometimes can be a reliable road to the final... France 2011, England 1999... can't think of any more and not feeling geeky enough right now to check..lol
@All the good England fans on this site. Congratulations on your fantastic win on Saturday, really taught the ABs a lesson. Looking forward to the rematch which I hope is another superb spectacle.... of course hope the result goes the other way next time though... lol.
I'd have to say 2012 has been a brilliant year for rugby. The games have generally been more positive IMO than I can remember with lots of attacking rugby and the vast improvement from nations such as Italy, Argentina, Tonga, and Samoa has been great to see. Not to forget the occasional upsets - Scotland beating Australia, Tonga beating Scotland, Argentina beating Wales, France thrashing Australia, and England beating... sorry thrashing :-( .. NZ.
Hopefully, things will continue to develop in the same way over the next couple of years giving us true rugby fans more to get excited about for 2015. Bring it on!
Posted 22:07 03rd December 2012
rugby_lord says...
Get a grip everyone. The WC is 3 years away. Come on.
Posted 22:03 03rd December 2012
Trader2 says...
OzinLondon
Good one mate yes the rose coloured glasses are on for the English fan's, lets just say that for them rugby history just started on Saturday.
As for the AB's, quite frankly I would rather see them in a Pool like A, they have always strolled through this stage too easy and quite frankly it hasn't done them much good, normally the 2nd team in their pool aka Scotland in 2007 and France in 2011 roll over against them in the Pool and the AB's reach the quarters hardly drawing a breath. Conceivably the final could consist of the Pool A winner and runnerup.
Anyway far too early too draw any conclusions, my only prediction that a SH team will win it.
Posted 21:34 03rd December 2012
LondonWasp says...
according to BBC sport website, the Welsh are trying to get the EngvsWales match to be played at Millenium Stadium! WHAT THE HELL??!!!
Posted 21:11 03rd December 2012
Startledwombat says...
France has been the spoiler in many world cups. They'll lose a pool game, topple a #1 seed, and generally have everyone scratching their heads saying ' sacre bleu'. 1999 was typical - thumped the all blacks in a sublime performance that bears comparison to england's effort on saturday, then having made their point they got bored and left the final for others to fight out.
Will the pool for the all blacks be tough enough to set them up for a win against France?
There's no doubt the tournament has come of age. You must win seven tests in a row (except if you're france, who have proved you can drop a game on the way to the final).
Posted 20:58 03rd December 2012
dezz says...
Loving it already. Roll on 2015. Would rather Australia and England than Samoa and South Africa. Looks like the next world cup is going to be a corker.
Posted 20:56 03rd December 2012
SilverSurfer says...
A few years ago there would have been one strong team in each pool, and then genine second and third tier teams with no real chance of winning. Looking at that draw the top three teams in each pool are a lot stronger than they ever have been, which is great to see. It would be hard to pick the second place getter in any pool, and even the favourite in each pool will still have a couple of tough matches. Makes being a rugby supporter all the more entertaining.
Posted 20:55 03rd December 2012
Chubbylugs says...
It's 3 years away so impossible to predict. I think the winner from this group of eng aus and Wales will be well positioned having played two tough games. An easier passage usually leaves a team undercooked for the qfs
Posted 20:28 03rd December 2012
Lucasrg says...
Tbh guys they are all "pools of Death" and you will soon realize this after the first games in each pool. If u guys are scared or worried about it then u got problems.
Concerning "my pool"...Ireland can beat anyone on it's days. If they do then It's gonna be another NZ vs FRA at the quarter-finals for some shiz and giggles.
Italy can only dream for a tasty second spot...but that's it unfortunately :-(
As I keep saying, the team with the "longest" bench will go through.
My prediction on Pool D:
1st France
2nd Ireland
3rd Italy (sigh sigh)
4th USA
5th Russia/Romania
Posted 20:10 03rd December 2012
Ripzy007 says...
Its a long way away 2015; Wallabies could be on the move as well as the Boks, but for England one win does not convince me that they are good enough yet to win their pool but like I said 2015 is three years away...
Posted 19:41 03rd December 2012
j615 says...
As a welsh fan I'm bored of hearing how many "world class" players we allegedly have and tired of seeing them play dare I say it very averagely. By 2015 the majority of the squad may be at the peak of their powers and will have to step up massively to get out of this group, England and Australia have fine world cup pedigree. Knowing Wales they'll be a few more dramas before 2015 but hopefully this dismal autumn will be long forgotten alongside future successes, I can dream right......
Posted 19:37 03rd December 2012
JayStarr says...
Amazing draw!
Funny you didn't mention them as favourites to win their pool, but this worked out brilliantly for the Springboks! After being in the pool of death last time around, we undoubtedly have the "easiest" group this time - and should be expected to play in QF1 against the runners-up of Pool A... which is probably the most deadly pool of death I have ever seen!
Poor Australia - they're in a group with two teams who are playing at home! Predicting who will win this pool will remain absolutely impossible until the last game is played! England is as much likely to drop out in the pool stages as they are to top their group... For the neutral viewer, that's exciting! As a supporter of these teams, I will be a nervous wreck! Any one of these three teams can beat each other... It's a cold hard FACT that either Wales, England or Australia WILL fall out at the pool stage! Yet, if you manage to top this group you are practically guaranteed a SF spot and will not face the All Blacks or the Springboks until the Final! Wow - what drama.
Now that Bryce Lawrence has retired, I don't really mind the Springboks playing any one of these teams in the QF - our young team have already shown that they can beat all of them, even when they weren't playing anywhere close to their potential... So I'm feeling very good about our chances of getting the SF.
My only big concern would be facing NZ in the SF - and it's a pity a SA v. NZ final is again not realistically possible. However, if Ireland manages to beat France in their pool game it will be NZ v. France in QF2 - which would mean NZ could realistically fall out at the QF stage! More drama!
Samoa also stands a very realistic chance of making their first QF! And with NZ and SA on one side of the draw, the other side will be wide open!
This is going to be a very dramatic World Cup! Which the Springboks will win. :P
Posted 19:07 03rd December 2012
Stellenbosched2 says...
Hi OzinLondon,
Sorry about this, but I have to point out a mistake in your last post. The one where you suggest that we think before we type. Well the RWC happens to be in 2015 and not 2013 as you typed ;)
Posted 19:02 03rd December 2012