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
ArmchairGeneral says...
@OzinLondon: thanks for providing stats to prove Johosofats argument. Last 3 = wins and you have to go back to 91 since Oz last win over England.
Posted 10:34 04th December 2012
ATG77 says...
@Ben 7... I like it... would give Scotland a realistic chance of making the semis or further if we can maintain our win record against Australia!
Posted 09:41 04th December 2012
jontheref says...
jaystarr
"Samoa also stands a very realistic chance of making their first QF!"
Been there, done that!
Err, 19.10.1991
Scotland 28-6 Samoa.
Posted 09:08 04th December 2012
Trinats2 says...
Waz4before
"beating them at Twickenham when they're hosting the damn thing will be even harder! "
Last time Aus played England at Twickers....................Aus won (with a second string side)
Last time Aus played England at Twickers in a RWC................Aus won
The only nation to win the RWC on UK soil (Twice 1991 Eng - 1999 Wales).
Posted 09:03 04th December 2012
celticspirit says...
Ben7, like to see you believe in Scotland beating Samoa. Cant see it right now, which is admittedly very early days.
But anyway, draw could have been a lot worse, both for Scotland and overall.
England with Wales in a WC is mouthwatering, adding AUS against whom both should at least have a chance (unlike vs the ABs) makes this pool absolutely intriguing. Then we have Ireland once again with France which calls for some revenge (2007 and oh so many a 6Nations) and a nice Pool with South Africa, Samoa and Scotland, which seems easy enough for the Boks, though it really depends on their form that year and Samoa's progress, too. Scotland definitely have a chance against Samoa, while ABs and Argentina or England an Wallabies would have been worse...
Posted 08:56 04th December 2012
Trinats2 says...
bigb6969:
"If Ireland beat France, and they could especially as they should be playing in UK".
The UK is an away fixture for Ireland (not part of the UK) as much as it is for France. Not much of an education in your part of the world ?
Posted 08:35 04th December 2012
rugbylover says...
Whilst I am still on cloud 9 after Saturday [pinch me, someone], let us not get carried away. Er - too late in some quarters I fear.
The RWC is three, I repeat THREE years away. And for all those 'experts' in the British sporting press, NO, England has not actually won it.
Posted 08:03 04th December 2012
BradS says...
Wonder who will play in the tournament opener at Twickenham... probably England and Wales - They'll save the Wallabies until the 3rd pool match?
Posted 08:01 04th December 2012
BradS says...
Australia, England, Wales, Fiji and Russia/Portugal?
Assuming that Oceania 1 will be Fiji, they could also cause some problems "if" they can assemble a team of similar class to the one they had in 07 - They did upset Wales and came within 10 minutes of beating RSA too! 2011 just wasn't their year!
Posted 07:54 04th December 2012
Waz4before says...
Ha ha jonesy2 ... Australia to win the group "as you'd expect" ... Who exactly would expect, Australian supporters presumably?? Beating England at a RWC is hardly Australia's forte is it, beating them at Twickenham when they're hosting the damn thing will be even harder!
Here's how I'll call this one: Poms to knock over the Wallabies, the Wallabies to beat Wales, Wales to beat England. Who goes through will be down to who picks up the most bonus points and assumes no on slips up against Fiji. Hate to say it, but on past form that's probably Wales and Oz going through ...
Thank god there's nearly 3 more years to evaluate all the permutations in this group ;-)
Posted 07:48 04th December 2012
Startledwombat says...
@georgesmith
I think Mike Harris has made the position his own. I say keep him.
Posted 06:57 04th December 2012
ferdie says...
I'd far rather have seen NZ in a pool with eg England and Wales, better imo to have tough games right through a RWC, little to be gained except injuries from some of the 50-point plus wins in he past. A champion team should be able to beat all the others, a week apart, real test rugby.The winner of this Pool A will have proven themselves early , better than playinga second-string side against a 16th-20th qualifier
Posted 06:53 04th December 2012
Trinats2 says...
Easy draw for the Wallabies, they beat Wales and England at home with a 2 string side. Tough one will be the French in the semi.
Posted 06:52 04th December 2012
bigb6969 says...
If England go out in the Pool that would be a financial disaster far greater than if France had gone out in the quarters of 2007!.
I don't really know that this is the best thing could have happened for NZ. If Ireland beat France, and they could especially as they should be playing in UK, it could mean after a romp in pool, NZ couldl have to France , South Africa in the quarters and semi, hardly a cake walk
Posted 05:02 04th December 2012
jonesy2 says...
this is good for australia. if they finish top which you would expect they get a potentially easier run to the final. you would expect england to miss out on the quarters which would be hilarious. as usual south africa get there free ride to the finals, what the hell is up with them getting samoa and ABs getting the pumas?
Posted 04:34 04th December 2012
driffter1976 says...
The biggest farce is why the draw has been made three years before the tournament. Why can't they wait until every team has qualified? It makes Rugby look minor and insignificant. Is there any explanation?
Posted 04:05 04th December 2012
SoftPom says...
Tough draw for NZ - they have the team that beat the RWC2011 runners-up (Tonga) and the third placed team from RWC2007 (Arg) in their pool, then if they get through they face either the RWC2011 runners-up (Fra) or the team that beat Australia in RWC2011 (Ire) in the QF. All with the boos of England supporters ringing in their ears for 80+ minutes of each game. They'll be extremely lucky to get to the semis...
Posted 03:44 04th December 2012
cuw3100 says...
I would appreciate if anyone or Editor PR could say why this draw is held now almost 3 years from the event?
Further the balance 8 participants will be decided only next year after some play offs. So why not wait till all finalists are known and then rank and create pools?
There is a chance that the rankings may change between now and then .... especially down the list as the form and performance of the lower ranked nations tend to be erratic. (like Samoa and Fiji who can be brilliant one night and abysimal next 4 nights!)
Posted 03:25 04th December 2012
Oceansnz says...
With all due respect to other teams in Pool C, Argentina is NZ's only real test and this kind of situation doesn't favour teams because its not good preparation for the quarter finals (as happened in 2007).
Teams need a balance of difficult AND not-so difficult teams to play. Not completely one or the other.
Posted 03:09 04th December 2012
Fatflanker says...
A draw this early is a bad joke.
Posted 02:36 04th December 2012