Japan RWC 2019

[Bada-Bing!]

That pool draw in full ...

• Pool A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Europe 1, Play-off winner
  
• Pool B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Africa 1, Repechage winner
  
• Pool C: England, France, Argentina, Americas 1, Oceania 2
  
• Pool D: Australia , Wales, Georgia, Oceania 1, Americas 2

 

[MarkyH]

It's games we (Eng) can mess up in, however under EJ, with the strength we're developing I can't see us getting knocked out in the group again! Rather that what was a potential group with SA and Wales

 

[Bada-Bing!]

That pool draw in full ...

• Pool A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Europe 1, Play-off winner
  
• Pool B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Africa 1, Repechage winner
  
• Pool C: England, France, Argentina, Americas 1, Oceania 2
  
• Pool D: Australia , Wales, Georgia, Oceania 1, Americas 2

 

[TRF_heineken]

Pool A

Ireland, Scotland ,Japan, Europe 1, Play-off winner

Pool B

New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Africa 1, Repechage winner

Pool C

England, France, Argentina, Americas 1, Oceania 2

Pool D

Australia, Wales, Georgia, Oceania 1, Americas 2


So it's us and the AB's.

Well, I'm not too bothered, because even if we lose to the AB's in the Pool, and still qualify to the playoffs, we'll only see them again in the finals...

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Ireland v SA QF? And i can see Ireland choking again.

 

[ncurd]

Don't know why you'd rather face Ireland than England.....

Ended up with the hardest group again. I mean I'd expect us to top it but in the next 2 years France and Argentina could both improve enough to make me reverse that opinion. I don't see us regressing to expect losses in their present state however.

Apart from that Ireland have a nice easy route to the QF's, Group D has the potential to be a head scratcher over who tops it if Wales improves. And NZ have a real hurdle to face in their group in SA get their act together.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

I just hope Japan can get up against Scotland, that would be massive!
It would also be quite amusing if England don't get out of the pool again... could very well happen lol

 

[TRF_heineken]

Don't know why you'd rather face Ireland than England.....

Ended up with the hardest group again. I mean I'd expect us to top it but in the next 2 years France and Argentina could both improve enough to make me reverse that opinion. I don't see us regressing to expect losses in their present state however.

Apart from that Ireland have a nice easy route to the QF's, Group D has the potential to be a head scratcher over who tops it if Wales improves. And NZ have a real hurdle to face in their group in SA get their act together.

How is it a hurdle?

The top 2 teams in each pool go through. So if SA and NZ beat Italy and the 2 Qualifying teams, then they both get through. We have Africa 1, so that would be most probably Namibia, and Repechage Winner, which could be anyone from the Americas or Asia...

Luckily we miss the Pacific nations. Which is a first for SA in pool stage. No Tonga, Samoa or Fiji...

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

No attritional game in that pool, we should be one of the fresher sides in the QF, SA are a side I'm always confident against when we're confident. Dont slip up in the pool and I expect us to finally reach our semi, or just get NZ at a neutral venue, comfortable 11 point win!

 

[ncurd]

How is it a hurdle?

The top 2 teams in each pool go through. So if SA and NZ beat Italy and the 2 Qualifying teams, then they both get through. We have Africa 1, so that would be most probably Namibia, and Repechage Winner, which could be anyone from the Americas or Asia...

Luckily we miss the Pacific nations. Which is a first for SA in pool stage. No Tonga, Samoa or Fiji...

Nobody has won a world cup by losing a group match. I don't think that's ever really going to change.

 

[MarkyH]

Is it winner C vs runner-up in D? If so potential QF Vs Wales? Shaping up pretty tidy. Not to bothered how the groups have panned out. If we're not good enough to get out the group we're not good enough to win the thing

 

[MarkyH]

Also, England are likely to get one of USA and Canada and one of Samoa or Tonga. We've got the hardest group, and we shouldn't be racking up 50/60+ points in any of our games. We're good enough, we won't be under-cooked but we won't be able to total up a cricket score either. Fine by me!

 

[TRF_heineken]

Nobody has won a world cup by losing a group match. I don't think that's ever really going to change.

Well 2019 could be the first. It's basically the first Neutral Ground for the ***le contenders so who knows.

I'm just glad we're not in Pool C.

England
France
Argentina
Americas 1 (Which will most probably be USA)
Oceania 2 (Fiji, Samoa or Tonga)

Even the 2 qualifying teams have the potential to make it to the playoffs.

 

[SomeOke]

Nobody has won a world cup by losing a group match. I don't think that's ever really going to change.

It's too small of a sample size to rule it out for all eternity.

Let's say we lose to you in the pools, then you guys have a rare slip up agaisnt England/Ireland/Aus, I would back us to be competitive agaisnt most other teams in the finals.

 

[ncurd]

Well 2019 could be the first. It's basically the first Neutral Ground for the ***le contenders so who knows.

I'm just glad we're not in Pool C.

England
France
Argentina
Americas 1 (Which will most probably be USA)
Oceania 2 (Fiji, Samoa or Tonga)

Even the 2 qualifying teams have the potential to make it to the playoffs.

I doubt it whilst I can see one the three (Eng, Fra, Arg) losing to a PI team (don't see any losing to USA) I don't think two will slip up and both would have to do it against the same team.

Whoever comes out will be utterly bruised however.

 

[ncurd]

It's too small of a sample size to rule it out for all eternity.

Let's say we lose to you in the pools, then you guys have a rare slip up agaisnt England/Ireland/Aus, I would back us to be competitive agaisnt most other teams in the finals.

I'm Eng mate not NZ,

And I wouldn't back SA to get far in their present state they have 2 years to sort themselves out.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I doubt it whilst I can see one the three (Eng, Fra, Arg) losing to a PI team (don't see any losing to USA) I don't think two will slip up and both would have to do it against the same team.

Whoever comes out will be utterly bruised however.

Well, If USA manages to make the same strides in their XV team as they have in their 7's team, I can see one of those teams losing to them. Especially if it's a midweek game where they just played against one of the big teams in their pool and only have 3 days to prepare...

 

[ncurd]

Well, If USA manages to make the same strides in their XV team as they have in their 7's team, I can see one of those teams losing to them. Especially if it's a midweek game where they just played against one of the big teams in their pool and only have 3 days to prepare...

Have the USA ever beaten a 6 Nations/RC team?

In 2011 they couldn't even beat Italy.....

 

[TRF_heineken]

Have the USA ever beaten a 6 Nations/RC team?

In 2011 they couldn't even beat Italy.....

Well nobody expected Japan to beat SA in 2015...

 

[smartcooky]

Nobody has won a world cup by losing a group match. I don't think that's ever really going to change.

Could easily have happened in 2011 - France lost two pool matches.

New Zealand are the only team in RWC history to have never lost a pool match, that could change in Japan.

Pool C is the Pool of Death!