In-form England were drawn in the toughest pool for the second Rugby World Cup in a row when they were grouped with France and Argentina for the opening round of the 2019 tournament yesterday.
New Zealand, who will be bidding for a hat-trick of titles in 2019, face fellow southern hemisphere power South Africa and Italy in Pool B, while hosts Japan will take on Ireland and Scotland in Pool A.
Australia, twice champions and runners up two years ago, will become reacquainted with Wales in Pool D, which also includes 11th ranked Georgia.
Only 12 teams were in the draw at Kyoto’s State Guest House with the other eight nations yet to qualify from various regional tournaments.
England went on an 18-match winning streak after being knocked out of their own tournament at the pool stage in 2015, when they were grouped with Australia and Wales.
The 2003 champions face another tough start against old enemies France and Argentina, who have reached the semi-finals at two of the last three World Cups, but coach Eddie Jones scoffed at the idea it was anything like a deadly draw.
“Who is calling it a group of death?” he asked. “It’s simple. Prepare well. It’s a prospect we are excited by.
“We want to win the World Cup in 2019, and to win it we need to be ready to play and beat anyone.”
France coach Guy Noves said it was a “balanced” group.
“We are aware that the game against Argentina will be decisive,” he said. “We have two years to get ready.”
Pool C will be rounded out by the United States or Canada as well as one of Fiji, Tonga or Samoa with only the top two teams qualifying for the knockout stages.
“We are in a very tough group, and England and France will not be the only teams in that group to watch out for,” said Pumas coach Daniel Hourcade.
Pool challenges
South Africa’s slump to seventh in the world means the 1995 and 2007 champions face the All Blacks for the first time in the pool stage of a World Cup.
Steve Hansen, whose All Blacks were barely tested in their pool at the 2015 tournament, said he was pleased to be in a group that would provide “some challenges”.
“(South Africa) are a team that knows us very well, we know them very well and there’s a lot of good history between the two teams,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll both play really great rugby and inspire the tournament to go to a higher level.”
Another African team, most likely Namibia or Kenya, and the winner of the repechage round of qualifying, who will be among the weakest teams at the tournament, will complete the pool.
Japan will be reunited with the Scots, who they lost to as they exited in the pool stage in 2015.
The Brave Blossoms stunned South Africa two years ago in England, however, and will certainly not view reaching the knockout stages on home soil as mission impossible.
Twice champions Australia will be confident of topping their pool having won their last 12 games against the Welsh, even if the Georgians will present a huge physical challenge, as will whichever of the Pacific island trio is in the pool.
The ninth Rugby World Cup, the first in Asia, takes place from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, 2019.
The Draw
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, Americas 2, Oceania 1.