Rugby World Cup 2023: Pool by pool guide
POOL B
Real target: Retain the title — anything else is failure.
Reason to be cheerful: The bomb squad has grown in size and power and all is right with the Bokke bottom line.
Losing sleep over: The choreography around getting Handré Pollard off standby and into the tournament. Will he be based in France? They’ll also worry in case some night the bomb squad is defused by a shortage of scrums, a very high tempo game and a referee with an eye for the back foot.
Form: L, W, W, W, W
World Ranking: 2
Indo World Cup Daily VIDEO - latest from the Ireland squad in Tours
Ireland
Real target: A semi-final. New territory and it would mean beating France or NZ. If that comes to pass then it will need a shift in mindset to deal with the expectation and a healthy injury report.
Reason to be cheerful: Dan Sheehan’s declaration he’ll be alright on the night.
Losing sleep over: Dan Sheehan’s night not coinciding with the one in question, and getting away without being exposed by the absence of Cian Healy. Finally, will Johnny Sexton be able to park the setbacks of 2023 for a stellar finish?
Form: W, W, W, W, W
World Ranking: 1
Scotland
Real target: Quarters via a shock upset of South Africa or Ireland. Offered a ton of money and the holiday of their choice or a win over Ireland and a diet of bread and water for a week, you know which one they’d go for.
Reason to be cheerful: Zander Fagerson is on deck and Finn Russell is flying. And they’re winning games.
Losing sleep over: A change to either of the above
Form: W, W, W, L, W
World Ranking: 5
Romania
Real target: To keep score down v Ireland and South Africa.
Reason to be cheerful: Aside from being part of a big show, none.
Losing sleep over: Everything, starting with the absence of a backbone of players accustomed to a decent standard of rugby.
Form: W, L, L, L, L
World Ranking: 19
Tonga
Real target: Beat Romania and take a lump out of the big three.
Reason to be cheerful: The influx of returned players, like Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa, changes their capacity to score tries.
Losing sleep over: The prospect of a load of points conceded before they get to South Africa in round three.
Form: L, L, W, W, W
World Ranking: 15
FIXTURES
Saturday Sept 9: Ireland v Romania, Stade de Bordeaux, 2.30
Sunday Sept 10: South Africa v Scotland, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, 4.45
Sept 16: Ireland v Tonga, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, 8.0
Sept 17: South Africa v Romania, Stade de Bordeaux, 2.0
Sept 23: South Africa v Ireland, Stade de France, 8.0
Sept 24: Scotland v Tonga, Stade de Nice, 4.45
Sept 30: Scotland v Romania, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, 8.0
Oct 1: South Africa v Tonga, Stade Vélodrome, 8.0
Oct 7: Ireland v Scotland, Stade de France, 8.0
Oct 8: Tonga v Romania, Stade Pierre Mauroy, 4.45
POOL A
New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia
Hosts France versus three-time champions New Zealand provides a blockbuster opening fixture in Paris. The All Blacks come into the tournament on the back of winning the Rugby Championship but also a sobering defeat by South Africa. The bookies say one of these teams will lift the Webb Ellis Cup. Italy will bid to help inflict a shock early exit on one of the pool’s leading nations and can take confidence from 2022 victories over Wales and Australia. Namibia, who have never won a World Cup match, and Uruguay, who have never reached the knock-out stages, complete the group.
Friday Sept 8: France v New Zealand, Stade de France, 8.15
Saturday Sept 9: Italy v Namibia, Stade Geoffroy Guichard,
Saint-Étienne, 12.0
Sept 14: France v Uruguay, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, 8.0
Sept 15: New Zealand v Namibia, Stadium de Toulouse, 8.0
Sept 20: Italy v Uruguay, Stade de Nice, 4.45
Sept 21: France v Namibia, Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, 8.0
Sept 27: Uruguay v Namibia, Parc OL, Lyon, 4.45
Sept 29: New Zealand v Italy, Parc OL, 8.0
Oct 5: New Zealand v Uruguay, Parc OL, 8.0
Oct 6: France v Italy, Parc OL, 8.0
POOL C
Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal
Wales and Australia are the favourites to progress, despite turbulent build-ups during which each brought back a former head coach. Warren Gatland rejoined Wales, who have won just three of their last 13 Tests, in December to replace Wayne Pivac and he is bidding to better the fourth-placed finishes he achieved in 2011 and 2019. Eddie Jones took Australia to the 2003 final and returned to the role in January shortly after being dismissed by England. Georgia stunned Wales in the autumn and will be looking to do so again, while Fiji also pose a threat. Portugal are seeking a maiden World Cup win.
Saturday:Sept 9: Australia v Georgia, Stade de France, 5.0
Sunday:Sept 10: Wales v Fiji, Stade de Bordeaux, 8.0
Sept 16: Wales v Portugal, Stade de Nice, 4.45
Sept 17: Australia v Fiji, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne, 4.45
Sept 23: Georgia v Portugal, Stadium de Toulouse, 1.0
Sept 24: Wales v Australia, Parc OL, Lyon, 8.0
Sept 30: Fiji v Georgia, Stade de Bordeaux, 4.45
Oct 1: Australia v Portugal, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, 4.45
Oct 7: Wales v Georgia, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, 2.0
POOL D
England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile
England have endured a rocky ride in Steve Borthwick’s short reign but could not have wished for a kinder draw. The 2019 runners-up, whose underwhelming form from the end of the Eddie Jones era has extended into Borthwick’s tenure, face their biggest test first: Argentina in Marseille. Los Pumas pulled off a shock Twickenham win in the autumn and a repeat result, in the absence of suspended pair Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola, would leave England playing knock-out rugby against their other opponents. Samoa, Japan and tournament debutants Chile are ranked 12th, 14th and 22nd in the world respectively and none of them have ever beaten the 2003 champions.
Saturday Sept 9: England v Argentina, Stade Vaélodrome, Marseille, 8.0
Sunday Sept 10: Japan v Chile, Stadium de Toulouse, 12.0
Sept 16: Samoa v Chile, Stade de Bordeaux, 2.0
Sept 17: England v Japan, Stade de Nice, 8.0
Sept 22: Argentina v Samoa, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne
4.45
Sept 23: England v Chile, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille, 4.45
Sept 28: Japan v Samoa, Stadium de Toulouse, 8.0
Sept 30: Argentina v Chile, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, 2.0
Oct 7: England v Samoa, Stade Pierre Mauroy, 4.45
Oct 8: Japan v Argentina, Stade de la Beaujoire, 12.0
Oct 8: Fiji v Portugal, Stadium de Toulouse, 8.0
ON TV
RTÉ and Virgin Media will broadcast all 48 World Cup matches. The games will be equally aired across both broadcasters from Friday September 8, with hosts France taking on the All Blacks on RTÉ2.
Ireland's tournament begins on Saturday September 9 against Romania, kicking off on Virgin Media at 2.30pm, while on Saturday Sept 16, Ireland v Tonga will air on RTÉ2, followed by South Africa v Ireland on Sunday Sept 23 at 8pm. Ireland v Scotland will then air on Virgin Media on Sunday October 7.
Virgin Media will show Ireland’s quarter-final, should they reach the last eight, along with the other game that day, with RTÉ showing the other two quarter-finals.
RTÉ will broadcast Ireland’s semi-final if they reach the last four while Virgin Media will show the other semi-final and both channels will then provide coverage of the final on Saturday October 28.
