THE WORLD CUP DRAW IS A FARCE: Here's How It Should Look
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.พ. 2023
- The latest World Rankings have been released and it only hammers home how unfair the Pool Draw for the Rugby World Cup 2023 is. Surely common sense can prevail and we can avoid a repeat? Here's my thoughts...what are yours?
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In Football the World Cup draw is normally made 6 months before the World Cup. Enough time to get logistics sorted out. Why Rugby done a draw based on rankings 3 years before the event is crazy.
It's a very stupid system indeed.
Yes, and the number of traveling fans are exponentially greater! I'd love to hear a breakdown of the reasoning behind this from World Rugby
@@michele3649... Went the last time it was held in France, and advance knowledge of fixtures helped with travel/accommodation arrangements - not that I am defending the 18months scenario.
@@cnoc500 Okay, that does make sense, given the popularity of the place and the sport in France. I guess if it is so obvious to everyone, there must be a good reason...?
@@michele3649 if I had my way France would host every RWC. Fully intend to head out again this year - albeit not for any games this time. Ticketing is out of control.
South Africa, Ireland and Scotland in the same group is obscene
As was Australia, Wales, England in 2015. Given what happened then, you'd think World Rugby might have changed the process. But that would be too difficult....
Let’s call it “The Group of Death”
Doesn't seem fair 3 years ago to decide the groups
@@CF-ib7be They DID change the process, they moved it later in the year in 2019.No idea why they moved it back
Do you mean:
"offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency. offending against moral principles; repugnant."
That seems a little excessive!
The whole system is ridiculous. The Fifa World Cup group draw is done a year out from the tournament, why on earth can't we!? There's no reasonable excuse that springs to mind. The fact that one of South Africa, Ireland or Scotland won't even make a World Cup Quarterfinal this year is a crying shame that could've been avoided.
Football world cup draw is the most corrupt in world spot, you want to have a look at what happened in the last football world cup, I prey that rugby never gets that corrupt
@@gwyllt5633 how was the Fifa World Cup draw corrupt?
@@gwyllt5633 what has corruption got to do with the draw being made closer to the start date?
the excuse is england runs world rugby so england will always have the best chance to make the finals. It always seem to work out like this. then a pathetic england can loose again by a record margin against france, ireland, nz or south africa.
@@gwyllt5633 The draw wasn't corrupt, the awarding of the Tournament was ... There is a difference.
As a wales fan think it’s stupid we have such an easy route to the World Cup final compared to other teams. In this form we will still probably not make it out the pool but still would rather the draw be made later
Noble of you. England v Wales RWC Quarter Final doesn't feel like greatest quality compared to prospect of Ireland v France
That's true but remember that in the last world cup Wales were not only the only tier one nation to have a short turn around, they were the only one to have two. Which was horrendously unfair. So in the case of Wales it is a case of very bad draw plus a very good draw equals about on par.
Did someone ask for your opinion?
@@galinor7Did someone ask for your opinion?
Im sorry but after how wales have faired currently in the six nations I think you need it
Having the draw a year out from the World Cup could be a mini-event of its own - give the teams something to compete for which could improve their World Cup chances.
I've thought this, base the draws on the rank which will make the world rankings actually relevant.
Good video. As an Irishman I'm pretty frustrated with the draw but mostly because I'd love an easier path to a semi-final in order to break the jinx of never having made it that far. But in reality if any team wants to consider themselves the best they should have to beat the best along the way so there's no point in blubbing about it.
I think you have been remarkably magnanimous about this crazy draw. As an Englishman, if the boot had been on the other foot, I’d have been seething! I hear what you are saying about if you want to be considered the best, you have to beat the best … However, with the brutal nature of the game today, the sheer physicality means you are having to factor in injuries after every contest (as well as possible red cards!). This 6 Nations has clearly proven that Ireland have considerable squad depth but I still think this draw needs to reflect the current rankings more accurately. This draw is, as Tim has stated, beyond farcical. Surely it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of man today to come up with some clever software, which (given the appropriate data - up to date and projected form of each country’s First XV, plus analysing each country’s U.20’s results etc.) can predict future rankings? There could also be a panel of respected former players, coaches, rugby journalists to sit and debate those future AI seedings.
I'm a kiwi and reckon the Irish have the toughest path to the final. The top 23 will need to play 5 weeks in a row minimum unless you qualify after 3 games and rest players against Scotland
BUT - the better teams win tougher matches early on and aren't as strong in the later stages as the teams who came through their groups rather more easily!
@@francisschott2141 Well said.
I'd love Ireland to do well but I think stacking the odds in your favour with a favourable path to the final is a prominent factor, just look at South Africas route compared to Englands in the last world cup
Uruguay fan here. i think the RWC should have a 2nd tier competition where the 3rd and 4th of each pool play for a 'plate' or 'shield' leving the world cup to the usual suspects, providing more matches for fans and also more exposure to second tier rugby nations.
it would also have the effect of giving more time inbetween matches to 1st tier nations to get the players some rest.
Great vid ... Tim! It is a farce and grossly unfair to the teams currently performing and winning. I know there are logistics but it's not as if France and World Rugby haven't hosted or done this before. No stadiums need building, no hotels need building, tickets can be printed in a couple of days. Fans will travel regardless of short notice and one could argue that it would be better for fans as they would know their current financial status 6 months out rather than 3 years out .... the wife could be pregnant OR you could be 'broke' by the time it comes around!! LOL
Good points Tim.
My problem with RWC Draws is that Italy are always in the same pool as NZ, 7 out of 10 pools drawn so far. And Wales are almost always in the same pool as Australia, 5 out of 10.
No
Looks good to me as someone who bought tickets to watch England vs Uruguay in 2015 only to find that Wales and Australia had already put England out of their own World Cup by the time the match came round.
Brutal as a Scotland fan. 🙃
It really is!
Numbers 1, 4 and 5 in the same group is absolutely ridiculous.
And as an Irish fan too
Infuriating as an Irish fan
Great content Tim. I always wondered how the groups would have shaped up taking today's ranking into consideration.
Was having this conversation over the weekend. Couldn't contain my frustration at how blindingly dumb it was to do the draw so early.
Did someone ask for your opinion?
@@Budge94 yep, he literally said in the video he'd love to hear our opinions. Great work being a bot though
More people should be saying this. There is no reason why the draw can't be made closer to the tournament.
Their reason for doing it so early makes no sense... Other 'world cup' events make the draw about a year before. That's plenty of time to get everything organized. I see no reason why they don't do this. Rugby world cup is already ruined for me. The top 5 ranked teams are all in the same half. It's beyond ridiculous.
The problem isn't just the pool draw.
It is the fact that both teams coming out of pool A play pool B.
In the football WC the 2 teams qualifying from a pool go into different halves of the knockout draw.
That's a GREAT shout
@@EggchasersRugby Cheers mate, I was getting a bit frustrated that nobody seemed to have addressed it 👍
They do go into separate halves of the draw. They can't play each other again until the finals.
QF1 is Winner C V Runner up D.
QF2 is Winner B V Runner up A.
QF3 is Winner D V Runner up C.
QF4 is Winner A V Runner up B.
Winner QF1 V Winner QF2
Winner QF3 V Winner QF4
@@rob.1 thanks for the clarification. Still a bit different to football (when 4 pools) where WA v RUB and RUA v W3 or 4.
The other thing is, given there probably wouldn't be much difference if you finish 1st or 2nd, you could make a case for Ireland/Scotland to rest their big players against South Africa, and focus on the Ireland/Scotland game. The same with France/New Zealand, winning the group, doesn't give you a great advantage.
Very good point. The fact it could legitimately come down to points difference (if they all beat each other) means the other Pool games are important to go big on too.
South Africa AND Ireland should rest their big players against each other! No offence Scotland😊🤝
@@aaronreid116 as an ireland fan can I suggest that both South Africa and Scotland rest their hands players against ireland and concentrate on the south Africa Scotland game so that we can take sexton out of the cotton wool for the quarter finals,
@@aaronreid116 none taken. It makes a huge amount of sense.
South Africa and Ireland better be very wary of Scotland. I fancy the Scots to beat one of them....
Use the rankings from the end of the Rugby Championship in the year prior to the World Cup (e.g. 2022). Do the draw at the World player of the year ceremony that year, after the November games.
I think you're spot-on with this. The draw based on today's rankings looks fantastic. The actual draw has produced farcical groupings. Football can manage to do it better, so why can't Rugby?
Those revised groups for the RWC based off current/ more recent standings looks so much more exciting!
Actually you have made very salient points. Some groups are looking very difficult and others look fairly easy .
You have to look at Ireland, STH Africa and Scotland and say they will be massive games in the group games.
Good point. If you're searching for the positive then the Pool stages has some HUGE games and very consequential.
Did someone ask for your opinion?
@@EggchasersRugbyDid someone ask for your opinion?
I just watched the Ireland v Scotland 6N game where Ireland lost their no. 8, 2 hookers and 13. No. 7 threw into the lineout and from out of nowhere the substitute tighthead prop filled in the hooker role in the scrum. I've been supporting Ireland for years and this last one surprised me especially.
We had no right to win that, but imagining that this could happen in the world cup against a consistent stream of tough opposition doesn't fill me with much confidence.
The result being that the better teams win tougher matches early on but aren't as strong in the later stages as the teams who came through their groups rather more easily!
I think end of 6N 2022 for WC 2023 is more than enough time for bigger nations logistically. I get the smaller nations may struggle with circa 18 months, but you could place the smaller nations into their groups earlier. And then place the more well backed nations at that point. Can’t tell me the RFU couldn’t figure out logistics in 18 months. And if they can’t it’s really on them
More often than not, most of the smaller nations haven't even qualified for the tournament yet when the draw is made! It's nuts! You'll look at a group and see things like "Oceana qualifier 1" or something, it's ridiculous 😂
@@fraserposford144 exactly, if Romania can do it there’s no reason England, Ireland, Scotland et al can’t
WOAAAA! TY for the info and for your honest spirit (as England fan). You can also imagine my astonishment (as France fan)! My God! And also it's sad for the show!
Fantastic video, brilliant breakdown of a flawed system. Even as an England supporter, pools A and B have been completely shafted.
Congrats on the 7k Tim. I've been enjoying your recent videos. Keep up the good work!
Did someone ask for your feedback?
@@Budge94 You comments will be reported.
@@johnmc3862 Aww are you okay hun?
Question: have they changed the structure since 2011, because France and NZ played each other in the pools and then the final? But that doesn’t seem possible now? Same happened 2007RWC. It would seem fairer that way as both sides of the pools will meet each other so will balance out
Your commentary is 100% spot on . A year should be plenty of time to prepare for the World Cup. The teams all know they are going to the World Cup and when it is and where it is. So they may play a different team then they were expecting - big deal. I can't think of another World Cup that calls the draw so early. Is it what works for the logistics managers or what works for fans that is important? For example imagine we end up with an Australia V NZ final like in 2015. Australia would be there having only beaten Wales, Argentina and England (positions 10, 8 and 6 in the rankings) versus NZ who will need to have beaten France, Ireland and South Africa (positions one, two and four respectively). Frankly its ridiculous - any team in Pools C and D are gifted with an easy run to the quarters if not the finals, and will play a team exhausted by playing and winning at least 3 games against teams ranked in the top 5 in the world.....
The draw should be made a year out from the tournament, that's ample time to organise things. All teams should be qualified for the world cup, before the draw is done. So, the draw should have been done in 2022, and all teams should have been qualified. No excuse...
Would it not make sense to help to get the ceding more accurately by making the draw the year before the finals.
Brilliant mate ! 100% common sense ! You delivered without any bias as your own team benefits from this !
Yours truly
Scotland fan and nervous 😂
You've made a really good case and explained it very well. Excellent! I cannot disagree with how you've boiled it down.
As a Scots man as much as I'm loving our Rugby South Africa and Ireland in the pool of death is grim as fuck
I'm Irish and could not agree more, the amount of effort and Injuries just to get to the QF will be totally unfair, compared to Australia and England's easy route. The whole draw is a farse,
Surely the draw's best place is after the autumn international games the year before a world cup is held. Those autumn internationals would then have greater importance as they almost become what seeding a nation could gain/lose.
Again I'm new enough to rugby, but all sports have things we'd like to change about them. But one thing that sticks out for me with rugby that i can't get my head around. In pool games a player like say Antino in the Ireland and France game. He commits a foul against Ireland, gets away with it on the day, he's banned for three games so Ireland's opponents don't have to play against as strong a team as Ireland did. Then his replacement gets banned during the Scotland game, giving France's next opponents an easier task with a third choice player being the best available to France.
Surely this will be a factor in the WC for the higher ranked teams who have to play their best teams to beat other high ranked teams, the ones that get through to the semi finals will have a higher chance of top players being banned or injured.
I imagine that this would be more significant for countries that have good teams but not great reserves in the squad, Scotland or Ireland for example.
Another good vid Tim.
Can we have an early Lions match day 23 pick for rest week? Would be interesting to see how many English and Welsh players would actually make the starting list.
The All Blacks stand tall, with pride in their eyes
A team of warriors, fearless and wise
They've trained and fought, through trials and pain
To bring the World Cup home again
Their skill on the field is unmatched by all
A force to be reckoned with, standing tall
Their passion and drive, an unwavering flame
Will lead them to victory, and bring them fame
Their tactics are flawless, their strategy sound
Each player a hero, on this hallowed ground
Their fans stand behind them, with hearts full of hope
Their faith in this team, they'll never revoke
So let the battle begin, let the world watch in awe
As the All Blacks dominate, without a single flaw
For they are the champions, the best of the best
And on this day, they'll rise above the rest
With every try, with every hit and tackle
The All Blacks will triumph, they will not buckle
For they are the warriors, the legends of the game
And they'll bring the World Cup home again.
Springbok fan but love your passion and poem.
Not this time. Bring on Razor!
Great vid as always brother. Have been discussing this with my French friends here in...... France. Most are blissfully unaware of the path to the semis and final.... Borthwick must be licking his lips. England in another RWCF is fairly probable. Crazy draw for sure
When reality bites for those French fans...it could be very painful!
Did someone ask for your opinion?
@@Budge94 lmao ;) cheers
As a Scotland fan I'm greatly aggrieved at the current way the world cup is drawn because it is so unfair and is likely to cost Gregor Townsend his job! Ok he may have stood down regardless but if we got a favourable draw then we would more than likely got out of that pool and reached the quarters which would be a nice day for Gregor to bow out.
I take the point that to the RWC you need to beat the best. However, that fails to take attrition and the risk of injury into consideration. The squads from Pool A & B will be depleted more than the teams in Pool C & D. Even with depth there is a fair chance that at 33 players one or more positions will not have a back-up.
as an Irishman in my opinion the number 1 team are the world champions and thats South Africa
I'm a Wales fan and regardless of when or how the draw is done, I'm just sick of playing the exact same teams. This is the 3rd World Cup in a row we've had Australia and Fiji at the group stage and at this point I don't care if we're drawn with New Zealand and South Africa in some sort of colossal group of death, I just want something different.
Above all, please take Fiji off us for a while. It's actually the 5th consecutive tournament we've had them in our group (which seems insane) and they're big and scary and good and we're sick of picking up 8 injuries against them early in the tournament so that other teams don't have to.
😂 I understand you totally
How incredible would it be to see Georgia in the quarter finals though
It would be incredibly unfair if it means teams who are better than Georgia didnt get to the quarter finals. But in fairness, if Georgia beat Australia Wales or Fiji, It would be exciting.
Scotland Fan but we only have ourselves to blame for this draw. We prob were a top 8 team but during that period I think we lost to Fiji and USA which resulted in us dropping out. If you're playing a 2nd tier team you need to take it seriously especially during a time where your ranking determines your World Cup group draw. Wales have only been poor for 12 months so overall you can argue they still deserve a top 8 draw.
Australia have the best route through to the knockouts and I'm sure with the 'new' coach and a talented team have a good reason to show up some of the higher ranked teams - I expect them to do really well this RWC. They are quietly just getting themselves ready for that QF and always have a history of coming good at the RWC.
I’m, England have the easiest draw?
Australian rugby absolutely sux and I'm an Aussie. Many have turned against it because of the WOKEY way it has been run. I'm supporting Tonga because of Israel Folau.
Good video concept. Don't worry about letting us know who would have to face the Italians, the Fijians, the Georgians. I understand if it's too much computing power to work out
What a nice unbiased view. Well presented!
I just want acompletely random pools. Id love to see a pool of NZ, Australia , england, Ireland and france. And one with fiji, tonga, japan, georgia and canada
Your argument 100% correct. The current pools are ridiculous. You won't get the best going through. To have used 2021 would have been perfect.
I think the cut off should be after the autumn internationals of the year before the World Cup I.e November 2026.
Use that autumn international break to ensure the top 12 only play each other to also push their rankings
So after the southern hemisphere teams have to play away to northern hemisphere sides, how is that fair. They should be done after the RC, both the south and the north hemispheres rugby tournaments
Great Video Tim, If you can Sketch out a fair draw for this upcoming global Rugby Event, you have to ask yourself what does world Rugby do exactly 24/7??
Bonkers isn't it
And that's why it's important to peak for the World Cup.
We miss you Eddie.
This is the only case where I would borrow the approach from FIFA. They did the draw for the 2022 World Cup on April 1st 2022 so 7 months in advance. The FIFA World Cup is much bigger than the RWC. More teams, more fans, bigger logistical headaches and they still manage it. World Rugby needs to wake up to the fast moving dynamics of the sport these days. It's no longer the same teams at the top for years on end so drawing years in advance is idiotic with no merit. Why have they not made a statement on this matter when the fans are crying out for a better approach? Listen to the fans, World Rugby!!! The quality of your primary source of revenue and growth of the sport is at stake for the sake of something that is so easy to fix.
I think most nations, hopefully all, would trade in a year or two of logistical planning for a fairer World Cup draw.
Drawing three or four years early is ludicrous.
Two vids into your content. Subscription comfortably earned.
Thank you.
There would be no issue doing the draw 12 months out. The host nation has six years to organise logistics etc. A hotel is a hotel, a training ground is a training ground. It doesn't matter which team finally fills it.
Great Blog & in my opinion I agree entirely that making the draw late 2019 had made the draw ridiculous based on the last two years.
Hey loving the content :). Just to point out that I think the way you have halved the draws from 7:07 onwards isn't correct. For instance, the top 2 of A + B don't get placed on the same side of the draw. Same for C + D. Otherwise 2 teams in a same pool could meet before the final, i.e. the semis. Remember SA and NZ last world cup were in the same pool but didn't meet in the semis. Instead the winner and loser of each pool get placed on opposite halves of the draw.
Said differently, any team from pool A or B who progresses, is guaranteed to meet a team from D or C in the semis, and vice versa.
@iAgree it's an important point
So @@iagree3212, you don't agree?
@@ThomasBarthoulot He has 2 accounts, polluting the comments.
You have to beat everyone in front of you to be a World Cup winner, whoever that is
This isn’t football, there’s no way to cheat your way to a win
Or, the best teams rip each other to shreds and go into the latter stages tired and riddled with injuries meaning a team who aren’t as good cruise to the final and pick them off due to being well rested and injury free.
Isn’t part of the system for WRC based on results of the previous tournament? So while there was a focus on the top ten sides they are there on previous WRC performances. The top ten ranked sides are not there necessarily on rankings and so their draw has already been set.
@iAgree we are asked for comment so yes.
Glad you approve not that it’s needed.😀
Thanks Tim! Some food for thought.
Cheers Frank
As an Irish fan, getting knocked out in a QF again, given where we are right now, would suck.
Best time for the draw is the end of the 2022 Autumn Internationals. Would give a fairer reflection of the rankings.
That years Autumn Internationals would hold significant weight in the seedings. Also finding out you're paired with "Europe 2" and "Americas 1" shouldn't be thing. Draw should only be done once all qualifiers are over
Yeah those 1/4 final teams at the top look like the teams that should be in the semis, barring a 1/4 final upset. I really do not see why the logistics cannot be sorted in the 6 to 9 months before the cup begins. As it is, a team like Australia could get to the final, and face a team that has really taken a battering from two brutal games.
Great assessment. I think World rugby need to really get there act together. Rugby has gone up a level recently. I mean look at the six nations right now, it’s crazy!!! Great gameplay, huge athletes etc…another thing wrong is the law. I mean they change every year what you can do in the ruck, nothing is thought through…you get under the impression that some teams are aloud to put their hands in, others get penalised every time wtf? Some people are allowed do dive in rucks but others not. You can get a card for an unintentional high tackle but if you don’t whine about it’s as if nothing ever happened. I could go on for a while. We need to clarify law ! And be more regular between referees!
The rankings are a farce. How can Japan be anywhere near where they are when the play fewer games against lower ranked opposition!
This is not the first time. It's always skewed in England's favour
This is well known issue. Good chance for Fiji to make the eight.
They have France and England as warm-ups to prepare before playing Wales in their first pool match.
as a kiwi, yes it's utter bollocks. just hoping scotland can give ireland and south africa a proper scare!
How is it done in other sports?
You can only do it at the end of a year when all the the teams have finished their comps July and November tours. Doing it mid season doesn’t make sense either.
End of 2021. Halfway between last world cup and next RWC
The FIFA World Cup groups were announced on April 1st 2022, 7.5 months ahead. The logistics thing is nonsense. The organisers can books hotels to block them out and assign after the draw is made.
Same boat as you. Australia are laughin'!
Leaving the draw too late opens the door for teams to intentionally go down in the rankings for a favorable draw, meaning poor quality rugby during the years after a world cup. It might seem really morally wrong etc ... But you never no given the tactics people will abuse to meet their own ends. Just a thought
Rugby needs the support of its fans too much to warrant doing that.
At least I would hope.
They wouldn't stoop to that level just for a better placing NZ etc losing a game on purpose?No chance
If England can muster two really good games back to back they could win this RWC, unlikely as that may be it' still a distinct possibility. Meanwhile two of the top 4 teams could find themselves out in the QF's - not he best arrangements
Agree. This is a joke. A Draw 4 years ago is nonsense…England is often lucky in this draw…they might face Wales in the 1/4, although they are in disarray, do they are almost in the semis.
Yep. As an England fan I'll take it. But not right!
At the semi final stage - the draw flips. So it would poss be Winner A vs Winner D. Then B vs C. So first match likely to be Eng vs French or NZ.
Excellent and well reasoned as usual
I suppose it helps with future hotel bookings for supporters to plan where they will be travelling to get to the matches, and thus book suitable hotel rooms in the right locations.
Absolutely. I think 2 years (between World Cups would be reasonable balance)
Same can be said for literally every other sport and yet they dont do a draw 4 years out...
The FIF World Cup draw takes place the December before the competition starts in June (apart from the last one). It’s a far bigger competition with far higher demand for tickets and hotels. 3 years? That is absolutely ridiculous.
Couldn't agree more. If i remember the reason why this happens is to ensure that the planning can be done in advance!!
Complete cobblers
I totally agree with YOUR draw. The current draw is a sham & total load of crap.!!!
I like your timing for making the draw - but it looks a bit easy for us (NZ)
It's too late to go up to 24 teams for this tournament but the world cup must expand for 2027 and 2031... 6 groups of 4 ( 4 best 3rd place teams go through) , add a round of 16 .... And draw the tournament 2 years out and I think it would improve the world cup massively
The state of the draw should not be our main concern.
We should ensure that we have the best national team available.
In order to play at it’s most efficient and exciting potential.
Therefore no matter whoever they might face, they will show a good account of themselves, and everyone is happy.😀
Fair play m8 I looked at those draws and thought England got a gift
Ludicrous!. The RWC draw should be made once the rankings are known at the conclusion of the Six-Nations, which is usually in mid-March, giving a lead time of six to seven months into the tournament, which is usually held sometime from September to November.
The top 5 teams are all on the same side of the draw in terms of pools (A and B) but not in the single elimination bracket. They do get split up in the quarterfinals, right? I believe the top half of the bracket is winner C v runner up D and winner B vs Runner up A. I'm not disagreeing with moving the draw up by any means but its not as bad as all 4 of those teams having to fight it out on 1 side of the draw.
Yep, that draw looks spot on - as in the alternative draw you put forward
With all the Wales players wondering if they’d have jobs after the six nations, I suspect their performances weren’t reflective of their actual potential in RWC.
Makes no odds you could throw blanket over the top12 teams, as if Rugby matches always go to seeding. 2027 will depend on today's rankings, so what if they change it for the next world cup, and some teams rise or drop over the next two year's ?
I cant wait for the world cup . Australia has what looks to be a great run to the final , only having to face England in the Semis . Thats if England get that far
In fairness, from the perspective of creating well balanced, competitive match ups for the quarters and semis, it's worked out quite well. However, it does seem likely to produce a potentially serious mismatch in the final with a top team against a much lower ranked team.
Same issue in 2015 when England had Wales in their group along with Australia
As horrible as this thought is to me, as a Kiwi, I feel that the All Blacks under Fozzy may lose their first pool match game in RWC!! That may be the easier path to take than playing an inform Ireland, who have owned our ass for the last few years!!
It's all about the money man. The Rugby World Cup is World Rugby's biggest money maker. Alan Gilpin wants World Rugby to generate as much revenue as possible, so calling it as early as possible gives them maximum chance to coin it.
Like football, it's all about protecting the "big boys".
3 of the World's Top 5 teams in the same Pool is farcical.
Even as an England fan I think that the current draw is obviously unfair. Whilst it may be better for England it's surely bad for rugby as a game that whatever happens only 2 of the best 5 in the world can even make the semi finals. That said I like how the draw looks for Fiji and Georgia, not saying that they'll get through but with the unfortunate state of Welsh rugby at the moment they at least have a chance.
Spot on, mate!
loved this video, always a fan of highlighting stupid ideas world rugby uses for the games big events