The RWC pool draws - live

First topic message reminder :

THE POOL ALLOCATION DRAW WILL BE STREAMED LIVE ON RUGBYWORLDCUP.COM FROM 14:55 UK TIME ON 3 DECEMBER (15:55 CET, 16:55 (South Africa), 11:55 (Argentina), 01:55 4 December (NSW Australia), 03:55 4 December (New Zealand, Fiji), 04:55 4 December (Samoa)

Featuring Boris Johnson amongst the glitterati so it's anyone's guess what sort of a dick he'll make of himself.
(note to IRB: the RWC was granted to England, not London).
p.s. good call not inviting Cameron though.

I can't find any mention of the event on the ITV* schedules which as UK host broadcaster is disappointing up to the point when one realises that that font of rugby wisdom, Steve Rider will not be anchoring the event.

[ed: beg puddin.
Monday 3rd December
IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 – Pool Stage Draw
LIVE: 2.45pm-3.30pm – ITV4

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH

England, Australia and Wales!

Brilliant - Wales-England - should be cracking!

All the teams look competitive.

Pool C looks the least likely of an upset, while Pool A is probably the closest.

Ireland will be the happiest of the home nations I think.

Well that's just typical isn't it, I said we'd be drawn with australia. Reckon we'll learn to beat them by then?

I am so relieved. Scotland might actually make it to the quarters, although I won't be holding my breath!

Well it could be worse...

Pool B

South Africa
Samoa
Scotland
Asia 1 (Japan)
America B (USA or Canada)

Quarter finalists then Australia, England, S Africa, Samoa, N Zealand, Argentina, France and Ireland

As a Scot I'm rather happy, with Samoa & South Africa. Seems doable

Nothing to fear for Wales then!

Scotland are the luckiest third tier team there!

Could have been a lot worse for Wales...! Neither of the tier two and one teams in our group are as consistently as NZ or SA so that bodes well for our chances of qualifying.

Pretty happy with that

As an Irishman, i am not complaining about the draw

OK shut the internet now

England
Aus
Wales

The pools with my best guesses for the unconfirmed teams.. Relatively happy as an irishman

Pool A
Australia
England
Wales
Fiji
Uruguay

Pool B
South Africa
Samoa
Scotland
Japan
USA

Pool C
New Zealand
Argentina
Tonga
Georgia
Namibia

Pool D
France
Ireland
Italy
Canada
Russia

Pool A Ouch!

So i'm assuming the England vs Wales game will be at the Millenium right?

bedfordwelsh wrote:Quarter finalists then Australia, England, S Africa, Samoa, N Zealand, Argentina, France and Ireland

Ha ha ha ha...!

maestegmafia wrote:Could have been a lot worse for Wales...! Neither of the tier two and one teams in our group are as consistently as NZ or SA so that bodes well for our chances of qualifying.

Pretty happy with that

Maes,

Lets hope you are right but if the WC was now then we wouldn't qualify and a lot will have to happen for me to change my mind. With Howley and Co in charge for the 6 Nations we will be battling it out for the spoon.

Happy days

Scotland could not have asked for a better draw really! Maybe would have had oz over SA but I think Oz rugy will be in far better shape come 2015 than it is curretly!

Samoa are not to e taken lightly I know, but I'm happy to have them over England in England!

Bollix not France! ..... ah could be worse I suppose....

Well I hope Fiji are as bad as they are now in 2015. Would like to see more rotation in this instance, against Uruguay.

Morgannwg wrote:Well that's just typical isn't it, I said we'd be drawn with australia. Reckon we'll learn to beat them by then?

I hope so Mrgannwg- and that we can do the same!- would love it if both Wales and England beat them.

We have just been fked!!

there is no way we can give wales any home games at this rate!

So how does the quarters work?

Winner pool A vs runner up pool B
Winner pool B vs runner up pool A
Winner pool C vs runner up pool D
Winner pool D vs runner up pool C

England knocked out in group stages on home ground??? Yes Please!

rodders wrote:Bollix not France! ..... ah could be worse I suppose....

Even Tonga can beat Francea at a WC, I will swap you for Australia is you want

Yes come on - England and Wales pool their resources - let's send Australia home in the group stages!!

Pool C is a joke.

so is anyone from australia england or wales happy?????

oooh pool A looks tasty doesn't it?

the other pools maybe more straightforward, Scotland will be delighted you feel, while Ireland should at least comfortably make the QFs.

Of course, the WC being three years away, anything could happen in the meantime, so it's wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too early to make predictions...

Dan Carter wins player of the year

wales606 wrote:So i'm assuming the England vs Wales game will be at the Millenium right?

Yh on a Friday or Sunday night lol

Tonga and the Bokke?

Piece of p!ss, that.

mystiroakey wrote:so is anyone from australia england or wales happy?????

yup, me

Love the look of that pool, England will be virtually playing knock-out rugby from the word go, which will make us more than battle-hardened for the knock-out stages when we reach them. delighted

Am i right in thinking that if Ireland come second to France they will most likely draw New Zealand in the Quarters?

mystiroakey wrote:so is anyone from australia england or wales happy?????

When I saw England, I thought that the Gods could at least be kind and give us France aswell. But nope.

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Could have been a lot worse for Wales...! Neither of the tier two and one teams in our group are as consistently as NZ or SA so that bodes well for our chances of qualifying.

Pretty happy with that

Maes,

Lets hope you are right but if the WC was now then we wouldn't qualify and a lot will have to happen for me to change my mind. With Howley and Co in charge for the 6 Nations we will be battling it out for the spoon.

That may be... We might suffer further injuries before and we might not see the lads who are currently out return. We may see the players that are still walking drop form further.

Then again to be honest, we have been close to the Aussies for the last 12 months and England we are pretty evens on results with...!

wales606 wrote:

rodders wrote:Bollix not France! ..... ah could be worse I suppose....

Even Tonga can beat Francea at a WC, I will swap you for Australia is you want

No thanks! .....

mystiroakey wrote:so is anyone from australia england or wales happy?????

Yeh! BRING IT ONNN!

wales606 wrote:Dan Carter wins player of the year

If they needed anything to make it look even more stupid coming right after his worst performance in ...well possibly ever!

wales606 wrote:Dan Carter wins player of the year

that's rubbish, Farrell played him off the park on Saturday

Pool A is like a mini RWC all on it's own but no prizes for 3rd place.

Say England beat Wales and lose to Aus, but Wales beat Aus then it comes down to points difference? I guess there's no room for rotation then. Unless one of Fiji or Uruguay decide to throw the towel in against Eng/Aus and go for it against Wales. Wouldn't surprise me.

What a joke the IRB player of the year award is!

How did Carter get it over Farrell????

Well this place is gonna be busy with the welsh v english for the next 3 years at least!!

mystiroakey wrote:so is anyone from australia england or wales happy?????

Not this Welshman, but then on current form I wouldn't be happy in any group good jobs its 3 years away give or take.

Golden wrote:Am i right in thinking that if Ireland come second to France they will most likely draw New Zealand in the Quarters?

Doesn't A play C and B play D?

In which case...it is the worst possible Welsh draw. We will have to beat England and Aus to avoid losing to NZ in the 1/4s, and at the moment we could barely beat Namibia.

Golden wrote:Am i right in thinking that if Ireland come second to France they will most likely draw New Zealand in the Quarters?

.....ah I get your thinking....O'Driscoll might get to beat the ABs after all ...

Jesus! Bit of an easy pool for us. Why did we not get 4th for smashing NZ?

Morgannwg wrote:Say England beat Wales and lose to Aus, but Wales beat Aus then it comes down to points difference? I guess there's no room for rotation then. Unless one of Fiji or Uruguay decide to throw the towel in against Eng/Aus and go for it against Wales. Wouldn't surprise me.

Knowing Wales' luck, Fiji will have a revival and be a strong team in 2015 and beat us aswell.