Now that the autumn internationals have been completed we take a look at the prospects for the opening stage in JapanIreland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa Related: Jacob Stockdale scores only try as Ireland earn historic win over All Blacks Related: England denied by All Blacks and late decision in Twickenham thriller Related: England overwhelm careless Australia with Kyle Sinckler power game Related: Liam Williams leads Wales to South Africa win and first clean sweep Continue reading...
Month of internationals will offer guide to which side can provide New Zealand with biggest challenge in Japan next yearNew Zealand (World ranking: 1 Points: 92.96): New Zealand are like a machine, mowing down all who stand in their way, but their blades get tangled occasionally, as they did against South Africa. It was another day when they did not go through the gears but engaged top immediately; they tend to be more strategic in Europe, getting a game won before indulging themselves. After what should be a weekend frolic in Japan, they face England and Ireland in consecutive weeks, two of their main World Cup rivals. The two games will provide greater World Cup preparation than next year’s Rugby...
The end-of-year internationals were once viewed in isolation but these days every match is a station on a train trip that ends at the 2019 World CupPossession is once again nine 10ths of the score. A decade that started with teams scared of being caught in possession has relented: the ball is spending more time in hands than in the air and fireworks this November should explode beyond the fifth of the month.Rugby moves in cycles with fashions not so much changing as re-emerging after a vacation. When Eddie Jones was in charge of Australia in the 2000s, they were the masters of taking play through any number of phases, 30 or 40 at a time, waiting for the opposition...
Empty stadiums, threats to the 15-a-side game and the decline of the Springboks and Wallabies means that the possibility of only two teams being genuinely in contention come Japan 2019 is very realExactly two years from Wednesday, the Rugby World Cup will kick off in Japan, and World Rugby is starting to twitch, judging by its public warnings to local organisers about the sluggish pace of preparations. Get your pagoda in order now has been the theme before this week’s two-years-to-go extravaganza at Shibuya 19 in central Tokyo.Normally this would be a high-profile story but, right now, there seem to be more serious concerns, not least that Japan is at the heart of global geopolitical tension with North Korea given...
After the draw in Kyoto there are tantalising opportunities available to Scotland, Ireland and Wales if they get to Japan in good shape come late 2019There are two years and four months still to go until Japan’s 2019 Rugby World Cup kicks off but at least one leading nation is already doomed to catch the bullet train to premature oblivion. While some tough early pool games can occasionally prove to be helpful in the later stages, England will be fooling no one if they insist a grouping with France and Argentina is exactly what they always wanted.Bill Beaumont, the former England captain who pulled his own country’s name out of the pot, can expect precious few congratulatory messages from home. England...