JAPAN 2019
RUGBY WORLD CUP: WHO’S PLAYING WHO
This was pretty much the worst-case scenario for England head coach Eddie Jones. If not quite matching the sharkinfested waters of 2015’s Pool of Death, it was at the very least the Group of the Highly Uncomfortable Existence.
France, Argentina, Americas 1 — which will be contested by the United States and Canada — and Oceania 2 — one of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga — would be pretty high on most people’s toughest possible permutation.
The dangers that France can pose in a World Cup context are well known. After losing to Tonga in the 2011 World Cup group stage, they went on to eliminate England in the quarter-finals and should arguably have beaten New Zealand in the final. Jones has repeatedly stated that they are a force on the rise under Guy Noves.
Argentina also boast far better recent World Cup pedigree than England, having advanced to the 2015 semifinals after they thrashed Ireland in the quarter-finals.
They also ran the All Blacks to the wire in the 2011 tournament quarter-finals.
Of course, England under Jones are not hostages to the past. He immediately eliminated the hangover of the 2015 World Cup with a winning run that stretched to a record-equalling 18 matches. They have beaten France home and away in the Six Nations under Jones.
Argentina were also comfortably dispatched in last year’s November internationals despite Elliot Daly being sent off in the opening stages. Their two-test tour against the Pumas this summer will be a perfect factfinding mission. Jones’ attitude will be “bring it on”. To become the best, you have to beat everyone put in your way. That was the attitude projected by flanker James Haskell at an event in Kew Gardens. The 2015 pool draw filled the whole country with a creeping sense of ennui that culminated in their group stage elimination.
There will be no such angst this time around. Jones won’t stand for trepidation. Barring a terrible collapse in form, England will be odds-on favourites to advance to the knockout stages in 2019.
Probably the more pertinent problem will be what state England will be in when they reach the quarterfinals and a probable revenge mission against either Australia or Wales.
As taxing as the assignments are against Argentina and France, there will be no let-up in their other fixtures against a Pacific Island side that specialises in bruising bodies and egos, and a North American team who are now regularly making their mark on the sevens circuit.
There is no soft game — a Uruguay or a Namibia — in which a second XV can be fielded without any hesitation. Building depth will be crucial. Jones' mission to find three elite players in every position suddenly takes on a whole new sense of urgency.
The Celtic nations will be happier with their draw, with Ireland and Scotland in Pool A alongside Japan. The Japanese may well be feeling more confident of their chances of making the knockout rounds — which would be timely, given they are the hosts — after failing in their first eight attempts.