Why Australia won’t survive rugby’s first ever group of death

WHILE football World Cups regularly feature a group of death — remember the finals in Brazil last year, where England were drawn with Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica? — it has never occurred at rugby’s showpiece before this year. Pool A comprises three teams ranked in the top six in the world — hosts England (fourth), Wales (fifth) and Australia (sixth) — and should prove the most difficult from which to progress. Here, rugby correspondent CHRIS JONES runs the rule over England’s opponents and predicts where they will finish behind the hosts in the group...

WALES

WALES should have reached the 2011 final but the semi-final sending-off of captain Sam Warburton against France was a severe blow from which they never recovered. Many of those players are still in the squad and they carry real threats in wing George North and centre Jamie Roberts. It is up front where Wales could be exposed, particularly in the front row, where injuries have hit hard, along with the retirement of Lions prop Adam Jones. Coach Warren Gatland will try to unsettle opponents with his famous verbal “grenades”, while playing at Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium is a major bonus. PREDICTED POSITION: SECOND DANGER MAN: GEORGE NORTH

AUSTRALIA

THEIR outstanding World Cup record — winning in 1991 and 1999 and finishing runners-up in 2003 — shows how the Wallabies manage to peak for this tournament. Their worst showing was as joint hosts in 1987, when the game was amateur. They have changed eligibility rules to allow the return of key men such as Matt Giteau and have loose cannons in their armoury — Quade Cooper and Will Genia — which make them a very difficult proposition with ball in hand. Up front is their weakness and even Fiji will hope to put pressure on their front row, which is adequate at best. Their lack of firepower upfront will cost them a place in the knockout stages. PREDICTED POSITION: THIRD DANGER MAN: ISRAEL FOLAU

FIJI

THEY produce some of the most devastating runners the sport has ever seen. The World Cup has provided the backdrop for moments of sheer magic since 1987, when they reached the last eight— a feat repeated in 2007, thanks to a 38-34 win against Wales. Fly-half Josh Matavesi plays for Ospreys and most of their Test pack play in Europe, with 19st 5lb centre Nemani Nadolo charging around for the Crusaders in Super 15. Fiji captain Akapusi Qera, who left Gloucester to join Montpellier, said: “People call it the pool of death but to me it is the brilliant pool.” PREDICTED POSITION: FOURTH DANGER MAN: NEMANI NADOLO

URUGUAY

HEAD coach Pablo Lemoine played in the 111-13 defeat against eventual tournament winners England in Brisbane in 2003 and his squad will contain just one full professional — Castres second row Rodrigo Capo Ortega. Los Teros will play in Cardiff, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Manchester and see themselves as representing the amateur nations of the sport in this most professional of rugby competitions. They beat Spain in 1999 and overcame Georgia four years later but are unlikely to register a win this time. PREDICTED POSITION: FIFTH DANGER MAN: RODRIGO CAPO ORTEGA