Springboks and All Blacks on quarter-final collision course after 2027 World Cup draw
SYDNEY, Dec 3 : If South Africa are to claim a third straight World Cup and fifth in total they are likely to have to get through a blockbuster quarter-final against second-ranked New Zealand after Wednesday's draw for the expanded 24-team tournament.
The new format robbed the draw of much of its pool-stage jeopardy and there will be few big early clashes, barring hosts Australia's taking on the All Blacks in a probable tournament opener - the first meeting between the neighbours in the pool stage.
However, with the introduction of the new Round of 16 it means that pool winners can face each other in the quarter-finals for the first time.
The Springboks will face Italy, Georgia and Romania in Pool B, while three-times champions New Zealand will play Chile and debutants Hong Kong in addition to the Wallabies in Pool A.
If, as expected, they top those groups and beat third-placed teams from other pools in R16, the southern hemisphere giants will clash for a spot in the semi-finals in a rematch of the 2023 final.
At that tournament there was widespread criticism of the draw, that was made three years out with rankings from the end of the 2019 World Cup and ended up with the top four in the world meeting in two quarter-finals.
This time the draw has been made two years out, but has been designed so that pool winners who get "easier" R16 games, then have tougher quarter-finals. If results were to go according to current rankings the other quarter-finals would feature Australia against England, Ireland against Argentina and France against Fiji.
However, former New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter cautioned against such expectations. "World Cups are different," he said. "There's different expectations and pressures. Things happen in World Cups that you can't even imagine, whether it's peripheral decisions or cards or injuries, you just don't know."
Australia were offered a relatively smooth path to the business end of the tournament despite failing to get into the top six seeds after winning only five of 15 tests this year.
The format, changed for the first time since Australia last hosted the tournament in 2003, allows four third-placed teams from the six groups to progress to the round of 16.
That not only significantly decreases the chance of Australia repeating their humiliating pool stage exit from the 2023 World Cup, but also means that if they finish second in the pool, they would play the second-placed finishers in Pool E in their first knockout match.
If the current rankings hold, that would mean a clash with Eddie Jones's Japan before a quarter-final against England.
Australia coach Joe Schmidt, who will hand over to Les Kiss next July, also warned against looking too far ahead in the tournament.
"You just take nothing for granted, if you start plotting a pathway through, that pathway could change completely because somebody upsets someone," he said.
"I don't think you can afford to get too predictive, albeit that you have a look."
His team could be involved in an eye-catching tournament opener against the All Blacks. "As an Australian, you always love to verse New Zealand, and in the opening match of a World Cup, it doesn't get much better than that," said Wallabies captain Harry Wilson.
In-form England, who became the first and still only northern hemisphere team to win the World Cup last time it was held in Australia in 2003, were drawn in Pool F along with Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe and have a likely R16 clash with Italy or Georgia - both of whom they have never lost to.
Ireland will face familiar foes in Scotland - who they have beaten 11 times in a row - along with Uruguay and Portugal in Pool D with their hopes of finally breaking their quarter-final curse facing a potentially stiff challenge in the face of Argentina in the last eight.
The Pumas will play Fiji, Spain and Canada in Pool C.
Three-time finalists France have a dream draw. They will take on the United States, Samoa and Japan in Pool E with a winnable last 16 clash against Scotland followed by a likely quarter-final against Fiji and then a semi against New Zealand or South Africa.
The tournament will take place in seven cities around Australia from October 1 to November 13, 2027.
