We’ve reached the final pool in what’s been an emotional series of 2015 Rugby World Cup previews.
Between Elisha and I, we’ve dived dumpsters, sorted through trash and looked through more 31-man squads than I care to remember to bring you the information you need about each of the teams competing at the 2015 edition.
So, to pool D, where Ireland, France, Italy, Romania and Canada will do battle in what seems like a pretty soft pool considering Ireland’s recent loss to England and plummet down the rankings.
To the teams.
Formerly ranked number two in the world, Australia’s good form and their loss to England in their last fixture before the big dance means they come into the tournament ranked sixth.
From second to sixth, just like that.
Don’t be fooled, though. There’s plenty to like about their form before the game against England during the Six Nations to suggest they can go deep in this tournament.
Ireland’s biggest rival in this pool is France, who they beat 18-11 earlier this year in the Six Nations.
They have the best fly half in the World in Jonathan Sexton, and possibly the second best scrum half in the world in Connor Murray.
Paul O’Connell, perhaps the world’s premier lock for the last half a decade aside from Brodie Retallick, leads a fearsome and combative pack of forwards, while they have plenty of skill in the backline.
It’s a potent team coached by the man many consider to be one of the best in the world, Joe Schmidt.
They are peaking now, despite the blip against England, and this is a real chance for them to make the semis and beyond.
Victory in this pool would likely see them face Argentina, and from there, it’s anyone’s guess.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
Flip a coin, because this is a team that could either win the whole thing or bomb out in the pool stages with a loss to Italy.
Many wonder how Phillipe St Andre keeps his job, because he certainly hasn’t led them to any sustained periods of success during his tenure.
Les Bleus lost to England, Ireland and Wales in the latest edition of the Six Nations, managing victories against Italy and Scotland.
Maybe not a disaster, but not great heading into the biggest tournament in rugby.
Here’s what St Andre himself had to say about their expectations leading into the tournament.
“The goal is to play a great World Cup. (It means) coming back home in November. (It means finishing) first or second,” he told L’Equipe.
“We’re not favourites but we have what it takes to beat any team on one game.”
And that’s the thing with France. They have a history of turning up in the Rugby World Cup and beating big opponents.
Most notably New Zealand. With the pools the way they are, there’s every chance we could see France taking on the Darkness in the quarter final stage. And who knows? On their day, France have the potential to win that game.
Nothing in their form points to the seventh-ranked team doing anything other than being eliminated in the quarters though.
That’s very scary for all the other teams.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
The only thing going right for Italy recently was their win over Scotland in the Six Nations.
Other than that, they got pretty well hammered by every other team, and limp into this Rugby World Cup ranked 14th, below Tonga, Samoa, Scotland and Japan.
All that said, there’s plenty to be positive about for Italian fans. This is possibly their best chance to progress beyond the pool stages in their history at the World Cup.
France, and possibly even Ireland, present opportunities for upsets, and if they can beat either one they give themselves a great chance to move through.
Sergio Parisse is their captain, their best player and their talisman. The rest of the squad will want to rally around the big man if they are any hope of going into the quarter finals.
It would be a great success for a team that has struggled to take the next step as a rugby power.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
The grudge match between Romania and Canada should be an absolute beauty.
By no means awful at international level, how Romania goes against Italy and Canada should make for some interesting watching.
Renowned as a breeding ground for robust forward packs, though not quite as robust as Georgia, and slick, if small backs, it’s seriously doubtful they will threaten to do anything but go out in the pool stages for the eighth straight time.
I also doubt they would throw any spanners in the works for Italy and France.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
Another of the Rugby World Cup’s perpetual whipping boys, Canada, have made it to the quarter finals once in their history at the tournament – in 1991, where they were confronted by and subsequently defeated by the All Blacks.
Again, there’s nothing to say that anything will chance this time around.
They’ll be playing for pride against Romania, and on a five-day turnaround after three consecutive floggings, it’s anyone’s game.
Song summarising the fans’ feelings pre-tournament
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