The 2019 Rugby World Cup draw is the first step towards the big dance in Japan as teams look to build and prepare for who they could be coming up against and how it will impact their campaign. Catch all the live draw updates and results from 6pm (AEST) on The Roar.
The draw and pool placement has had huge implications for tournaments in the past. Who can forget England being bundled out of their home World Cup after copping the pool of death back in 2015, or both Wales and Ireland being pipped in 2007 from making the quarter-finals?
The draw is also a massive factor for the smaller nations who are looking to make a finals appearance, with the Island nations, in particular, thriving off beating out their fellow Oceania rivals.
This year will continue the format of 20 teams in the tournament spread across four pools containing five nations each.
Before the draw, each team is placed in a band that is dependent on their current world ranking. Band 1 is the highest and Band 5 is the lowest. Each group (or pool) is made up of five teams, one from each of the bands.
There are 12 teams who have automatically qualified for the tournament and will take up the first three bands. Those sides got a free ticket because they finished in the top three of their pool in the last World Cup.
The bands are as follows with their current ranking:
Band 1: New Zealand (1), England (2), Australia (3) and Ireland (4).
Band 2: Scotland (5), France (6), South Africa (7) and Wales (8).
Band 3: Argentina (9), Japan (11), Georgia (12), Italy (15).
The final eight positions in the tournament and last two bands are a bit messier.
Bands four and five are filled in from a range of qualifying tournaments currently going on around the world. For a more detailed explanation of who can qualify in what position, head over to our Rugby World Cup fixtures page, but the qualifying positions are currently divided up as follows:
Band 4: Oceania 1, Americas 1, Europe 1 and Africa 1
Band 5: Oceania 2, Americas 2, Playoff winner, Repechage winner
We won’t know which teams qualify until November 2018, but we will find out which qualification spot will be in what group, as well as which group each already-qualified team will be in, tonight.
Catch all the live draw updates and results from 6pm (AEST) on The Roar.
Jock Cornet
Guest
The last World Cup success was based on the tahs super rugby campaign 2014 . We have the opposite momentum. All ROARERS seem to think we will just have success at international level . Rugby is based on form and solid domestic. Competition form. I thought it was just qlders who were delusional .
taylorman
Guest
You never want to play the Boks in the quarters...
P2R2
Roar Rookie
could be SA if they don't improve...
P2R2
Roar Rookie
still not a match for the AB's...
Daveski
Guest
You are probably right - can't see Namibia / Zimbabwe or Kenya beating Italy or the repechage winner.
Bakkies
Guest
He could be coaching the Boks and Italy in the same Pool
davSA
Guest
Boks can surprise , with Brendan Venter guiding Alaistair Coetzee guiding the Ship a starting Bok pack alone can look like this. 1. Coennie Oosthuiizen 2. Bismarck du Plessis 3. Beast Mtwarira 4. Franco Mostert 5. Eben Etsebeth 6. Ruan Ackermann 7. Marcell Coetzee 8. Duanne Vermeulen. IIt looks daunting.
Henry Honey Balls
Guest
Ireland have a good record v the Boks. Probably one of the teams they would prefer to face in the quarters.
Henry Honey Balls
Guest
Probably SA or NZ in the quarters could be a banana skin for Ireland though.
CUW
Guest
it will also depend on the schedule and the playing order. if for example England get a draw like they got in 6N - things will be easy. Jones knows Japan so .... England head coach Eddie Jones uses his inside knowledge of Japan as he picks his training base for the 2019 Rugby World Cup http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-4489476/Eddie-Jones-uses-inside-knowledge-Japan.html
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Garth, Italy should be pleased.. they beat the Springboks last year ... :)
Blue Horned Mike
Roar Rookie
That would be Fiji.
Bakkies
Guest
Not in the QF stages. If Ireland top the Pool likely to play the Boks in the Quarters
Bakkies
Guest
Oceania should be decided by June
Garth
Guest
Italy may fancy their chances against the Boks, but are more likely to be asking why God hates them. "The All Blacks AND Springboks? BOTH of them? In OUR pool?"
Bakkies
Guest
Connor that was the Quarters as Australia won Pool A and Scotland were Runner up in Pool B
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Australia will take that, it could've been far worse. 2 years is a long time though and we should worry more about getting our own house in order before we plan the victory parade.
Bakkies
Guest
'Pool C of Death, England get knocked out -0 again- (can;t see it)' Could be the French if they don't improve
PeterK
Roar Guru
not really since they were ranked 15th but got in without qualifying by finishing 3rd in their pool, which will happen again.
PeterK
Roar Guru
no Fiji and Samoa Oceania 1 n 2, Tonga prob play off winner