‘Pools of Death’ loom over World Cup draw

RUGBY’S leading nations will be hoping for a big slice of luck in today’s 2019 World Cup draw, where seedings stacked with dangerous teams could throw up more than one “Pool of Death”.

More than two years before the tournament in Japan, the draw ceremony in historic Kyoto could go a long way to deciding who will lift the trophy in Yokohama on November 2, 2019.

England fell victim to a nightmare scenario at the last World Cup, where the hosts failed to reach the knockout stages after being drawn against Wales, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.

This time around, for the tournament’s first edition in Asia, New Zealand, England, Australia and Ireland make up the top seeds to be divided among the four pools of five.

The second band of seeds is Scotland, Wales, South Africa and France, while the third contains dangerous f loaters in Argentina, the 2015 semifinalists, Georgia, Italy and hosts Japan.

Another eightight teams from Oceania, Europe, ope, the Americas and Africa will be added after qualifying, fying, with 10th-ranked Fiji, Tonga and Samoa among the leading contenders.enders.

It raises the he possibility of New Zealand, nd, the twotime defendinging champions, South h Africa, A r g e n t i n a a n d Samoa all landanding in the same ame pool, along with a host of other her t r e a c h e r o u s combinations. ns.

A strong showowing by Japann is considered crucial for attend- end- ances and atmosphere as the World Cup arrives, for the first time, in a country where rugby isn’t a mainstream sport.

‘First game will be key’

But the Brave Blossoms, who stunned South Africa at th the last World Cup, are bullish, with w winger Akihito Y Yamada saying he hoped to draw EnglandE and their fo former Japan c o a c h E d d i e Jon Jones. “I’d like to g get Eddie’s team, England. I want h him to see Jap Japan’s new style of rugby after f four years,” Yamad Yamada insisted. Capt a i n Shot a Hor ie s a id : “A l l the teams will be strong so I don’t have any rea l preferred opposit ion. The f i rst ga me will be key so we will prepare for t hat as if our lives depend on it.”

Steve Hansen’s New Zealand are striving to complete a hattrick of World Cup victories after captain Ritchie McCaw lifted the trophy in 2015 (pictured, AFP) and winning in 2011, while England, up to second in the rankings under Jones, are dreaming of ending the All Blacks’ dominance.

South Africa, Australia, Wales and France are likely to be revamped and revitalised by 2019, while Argentina and Japan will look to build on their successes of 2015.

Rugby is st r iv i ng to make inroads into Asia, including China, where World Rugby last yea r a nnounced a $100 million investment from Alispor t s, a n of f shoot of t he ecommerce giant Alibaba.

Participation in Asia has almost doubled since 2009 to more than 500,000 players, according to the governing body, which hopes to have 1 million new players in the region by 2019.

The World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums across Japan, with 75 percent of the population living within an hour’s drive from a match venue, organisers say.

Seedings for today’s draw