The path to the 2027 Rugby World Cup final is set!
The next men’s Rugby World Cup will expand for the first time since 2003 to be the biggest tournament in its history — seeing a record 54 matches.
The draw — which took place in Sydney on Wednesday, placed the 24 teams into six Pools of four teams.
Other headline clashes in Pool play include hosts Australia and New Zealand in Pool A, Fiji and Argentina in Pool C and Ireland and Scotland in Pool D.
The eventual winners will have to play seven games to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, although it will feature one less pool-stage game and one extra knockout game.
Here’s how it all shakes out.
Pool A
Dan Carter called it. Hosts Australia will face their ultimate rivals the All Blacks in the pool stage of the World Cup.
Neither team will have much difficulty against Chile and Hong Kong China, but it will be the old Bledisloe Cup encounter which will be the marquee match of the entire pool stage to decide who tops the group, just as Carter called in the pre-draw preamble.
All Blacks are favourites to top the pool, but beware the Wallabies on home soil.
Pool B
South Africa are clear favourites here, but Italy-Georgia will be a fascinating scrap for who gets the runner-up spot. The Boks have enough depth (as things stand) to rotate two different XVs through the pool stage, but Italy, Georgia and Romania in the same group is a brilliant set of match-ups.
Italy will be favourites to join the Boks in the quarters but Romania and Georgia will be looking to upset the applecart. And this draw means we could see All Blacks vs. South Africa in the quarterfinals as the winners of Pool A and Pool B meet at that stage.
Pool C
Argentina should top this pool, but beware Fiji, while Canada and Spain will also give it their all.
Fiji always find a way to peak for World Cups and have the ability to knock over nearly any side in the world if they put together an 80-minute performance.
As we’ve seen over the past year, the Pumas are the coming force in the sport and will be aiming for a final four finish at least.
You expect Argentina and Fiji to go through and the winner of this pool will face one of the two best-placed teams who finish third.
Pool D
Ireland and Scotland were paired together for the past two men’s Rugby World Cups and meet again here.
Ireland are Scotland’s nemesis, so there will be few smiles in and around Gregor Townsend’s camp at this draw. Uruguay and Portugal will be fancying an upset here, but you expect it will be Ireland and Scotland vying for the top spot.
It should be Ireland who top things here.
Pool E
France are in the same side of the draw as the All Blacks and Springboks so would be on track to meet one of those two in the semifinal.
France will finish top of Pool E here, but Japan are improving by the month under Eddie Jones. Beware Samoa, too. They may have Manu Tuilagi in their ranks by then, and though they laboured through qualification, they always pack a punch in the World Cup.
Pressure is also on the USA to show some improvement ahead of hosting the tournament in 2031.
Pool F
England will take this but they will certainly be battle-hardened by the time they reach the knockout stages.
By the time 2027 comes around, Wales will surely have improved under Steve Tandy, while Tonga and Zimbabwe will also cause some trouble.
You expect England to win three from three, with Wales joining them in the knockout stages.
The draw means if England win the group, they will avoid another pool winner until the semifinals, but it looks likely to be New Zealand or Australia in the quarterfinals.
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