RWC Draw

[Scarfman]

We're getting closer. The draw will happen at 2am EDST. Who will be first to post?

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:

The teams in the top three bands are as follows:

Band 1: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina
Band 2: Wales, England, France, Ireland
Band 3: Scotland, Fiji, Italy, Tonga

The final two positions in each pool will be allocated to the eight qualifying places still available for RWC 2011. The banding of these eight teams is as follows:

Band 4: Americas 1, Europe 1, Europe 2, Oceania 1
Band 5: Africa 1, Americas 2, Asia 1, Play Off place

The teams in each band will be drawn randomly into one of the four pools.

... AND ...

Rankings changes following Saturday?s matches

England?s 32-6 defeat against New Zealand means that they drop to sixth in the latest IRB World Rankings, which will be published on www.irb.com on Monday at 12 midday UK time.

Had England defeated New Zealand, they would have moved above Argentina into fourth, and into the top band of teams for the RWC 2011 Pool Allocation Draw.

Wales will move up to fifth in the IRB World Rankings on Monday thanks to their 21-18 win over Australia. Had they beaten Australia by more than 15 points, Wales could have moved into fourth and the top RWC Draw band, at the expense of Argentina.

... AND FINALLY ...

RWC 2011 knockout structure

Following the RWC 2011 pool matches, the knockout rounds will follow the same structure as RWC 2003 and RWC 2007. The full structure is as follows:

Quarter Final 1: Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
Quarter Final 2: Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
Quarter Final 3: Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
Quarter Final 4: Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C

Semi-Final 1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
Semi-Final 2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4

Bronze Final: Loser SF1 v Loser SF2

Final: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2

 

[mark_s]

Does this mean that not all 3 of Fiji, Tonga and Somoa can make it?

 

[Scarfman]

Fiji and Tonga are in. Samoa will qualify as Oceania 1.

 

[mark_s]

Woops, I thought it would be a major stuff up if one if those nations missed out but, say, Uruguay got in.

Anyway the draw has been run and won:

Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1

Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, Final Place Playoff

Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2

Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1

Australia and Ireland are pooled together again. Hopefully BOD is still playing by 2011, as we may get the crowd support in NZ for that game.
I'll bet the Kiwis are happy to have the frogs in their pool. It eliminates the possibility of them running into them again until the final.

Assuming games go to seed (which is a big assumption not least because I suspect at least one of the pacific island teams to outperform in what is essentially a home tournament for them and who knows if the Argies will keep their form up)

Quarter Final 1: Winner Pool B (Argentina) v Runner-up Pool A (France)
Quarter Final 2: Winner Pool C (Australia) v Runner-up Pool D (Wales)
Quarter Final 3: Winner Pool A (NZ) v Runner-up Pool B (England)
Quarter Final 4: Winner Pool D (South Africa) v Runner-up Pool C (Ireland)

Semi-Final 1: Winner QF1 (Argentina) v Winner QF2 (Australia)
Semi-Final 2: Winner QF3 (NZ) v Winner QF4 (South Africa)

 

[Scarfman]

Here it is:

The RWC 2011 pools are:

Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1

Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, Final Place Playoff

Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2

Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1

So, Australia have the easiest pool. We've got two absolute dirt-track games, plus two games that we'd be expected to win pretty solidly.

If we win the pool, we play the runner-up in Pool D, which I imagine will be Wales (or Samoa / Fiji).

Then, we'd play the winner of ARG/ENG v FRA.

Then on to glory.

Edit: just beat me, mark!

 

[Scarfman]

FROM iRB

We bring you reaction from teams in Pool C following the Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool Allocation Draw in the heart of London on Monday.

Robbie Deans, Australia Coach

"We know now what's ahead of us in three years so I guess it will allow a bit of intrigue and interest for the viewing public and the playing group but to be fair beyond that it won't be something we are focusing on yet.

"The reality is you have to live day to day and we will continue to build in the knowledge that if we do that it will serve us well in the long run."

Stirling Mortlock, Australia Captain

"I was watching but it was an amazing pool match. Ireland were very close to winning and almost deserved to win, it was that close so there has been some decent history between Ireland and Australia in the World Cup and no doubt in three years time we will make some new history,."

LISTEN TO ROBBIE DEANS AMD STIRLING MORTLOCK(MP3)>> http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mm/Audio/Tournament/0/Australiareact_6496.mp3

Declan Kidney, Ireland Coach

"It is a fantastic way to kick off the competition but it's so far out it is impossible to say who will be around and what players will showing form.

"Ireland and Australia have played in World Cups before and it will add spice to the Ireland and Italy games over the next three years. When you are ranked liked we were, second in the pool, you are the target team for a lot of the others and everyone will be looking to have a go at us."

Brian O'Driscoll, Ireland Captain

"I have learnt to not look too far ahead. The game can be fickle at times and I am enjoying the now and not looking that far ahead.

"When the body gets a bit older you learn to appreciate each game as it comes and if in three years time I have the wherewithal to play at this level and form included it would be fantastic to play in a fourth World Cup."

LISTEN TO DECLAN KIDNEY AND BRIAN O'DRISCOLL (MP3)>> http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mm/Audio/Tournament/0/Irelandreact_6497.mp3

Nick Mallett, Italy Coach

"I think Australia, down there in three years time under Robbie Deans will be a very, very good side. I think they are obviously favourites in our pool.

"Ireland at the moment are a lot better than Italy, three years down the line we are not sure how many of their players are still going to be around and what sort of players Italy will have in three years time.

"It is interesting that Ireland also didn't make the quarter finals last time and neither did Italy so in a sense we are not too unhappy about the draw we have got."

LISTEN TO NICK MALLETT (MP3)>> http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mm/Audio/Tournament/0/NIckMallettITA_6484.mp3

 

[Pfitzy]

Soft pool could be a bad thing for us. First real match we'll get is the SF but then I expect us to yet again play down to the level of our opposition...