The reasons for the Wallabies’ desire to make another tough, extended five-week European tour in 2014 have been highlighted by their cut-throat draw for the 2015 World Cup.
The schedule and venues for rugby’s showpiece tournament were announced late Wednesday night (AEDT), with Australia to run the gauntlet from their third pool game against host nation England.
Needing to make the top two of their “pool of death”, the Wallabies face major rivals England and Wales back-to-back in their final two group games and must win both to avoid heavyweights South Africa and New Zealand in the knockout stages.
Those contests will come after world No.4-ranked England meets Six Nations champions Wales on September 26 at Twickenham.
Australia kick off their campaign at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on September 23 against an Oceania qualifier, highly likely to be Fiji, before backing up four days later against another qualifying nation at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
The easier pool games will allow coach Ewen McKenzie to play his strongest team in their opener and then rest them from the second to freshen up and face hosts England on October 3 at Twickenham.
The Wallabies, currently ranked No.3, then finalise their pool play in what could be a sudden-death clash against the Welsh at Twickenham on October 10.
McKenzie this week revealed to AAP that he was pushing for another five-week European tour next November to best prepare for five straight big-stage matches at the World Cup – the final two group games, followed by a quarter-final, semi and final.
Group losses to both England and Wales, who Australia play in Cardiff in their 2013 finale this weekend, would almost certainly see them miss the playoff stage for the first time in the tournament’s 28-year history.
But they will be desperate to win all four pool matches to avoid the Springboks, the top ranked team in pool B, in the quarter-finals and instead draw the likes of Samoa or Scotland.
Australia can also avoid a likely semi-final meeting with the defending champion All Blacks, who are in pool C, in a clear sign of the benefits of topping their pool.
New Zealand and South Africa are on a semi-final collision course while the pool A winners would be more likely to face France or Ireland if they make their way through to the final four.
The tournament decider has been scheduled for October 31, with ticket prices ranging from STG150 ($A268) to STG715 ($A1,277).
Tickets for Australia’s pool matches against England and Wales range from STG50 to STG315.
The Wallabies, who last held the Webb Ellis Trophy aloft in 1999, finished third at the 2011 World Cup after an upset pool loss to Ireland pitched them into the tougher side of the knockout draw – first beating the Springboks before losing to NZ in a one-sided semi-final.
Tickets will go on general sale in September.
WALLABIES TO RUN THE 2015 RUGBY WORLD CUP GAUNTLET
POOL PLAY
Sept 23 v Oceania 1 (likely Fiji) at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Sept 27 v Last qualifier at Villa Park, Birmingham
October 3 v England at Twickenham, London
October 10 v Wales at Twickenham, London
* must finish in top two of the pool to qualify for playoff stageTopping pool A scenario
Oct 18 – quarter-final v Pool B runner-up (likely Scotland or Samoa)at Twickenham
Oct 25 – semi-final v possibly France or Ireland (likely pool D winner) at TwickenhamSecond in Pool A scenario
Oct 17 – quarter-final v Pool B winner (likely South Africa) at Twickenham
Oct 24 – semi-final v New Zealand (likely pool C winner) at Twickenham
Final – Oct 31 at TwickenhamPOOLS
Pool A – Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, Last qualifier.
Pool B – South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2.
Pool C – New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1.
Pool D – France, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Europe 2.
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