RWC 2019 Schedule: Winners and Losers
It may seem like a small thing, but the scheduling of fixtures at the Rugby World Cup can be the difference between qualifying for the knockout phases or facing a humbling group stage exit.
The fixtures for the 2019 RWC in Japan were announced on Thursday morning, with teams finding out the order of their games, how much turnaround they will get between those games and which cities they will be playing in.
We take a look at the early winners and losers from that announcement and what effect those decisions might have on their chances of emerging from their pools.
Winners
Japan
Unsurprisingly, the hosts did well.
They kick-off the tournament against Europe 1 which, if we use the world rankings as a guide, would mean Romania. It is an eminently winnable game and a good opportunity for Japan to get off to a fast start. Let’s just hope there are no empty seats in Tokyo’s 49,970-seater Ajinomoto Stadium.
They have also profited with their turnarounds between matches, with the six free days between matchdays against Ireland and Playoff Winner their shortest turnaround. Their other two turnarounds both consist of seven free days between matchdays.
No other team has as balanced rest periods between games as Japan.
It won’t be easy to qualify from a group also consisting of Ireland and Scotland, but the schedule has certainly helped Japan, as has their travel itinerary, which sees them visit Toyota, Yokohama and Fukuroi after their Tokyo opener. These are relatively small distances to traverse for the Cherry Blossoms.
England
Eddie Jones has very little to complain about in his return to the country that he coached at the last RWC.
England do have a four-day turnaround between their opening fixture with Tonga and their match with the USA, but that has freed them up to have a full eight days prep before taking on Argentina and a very manageable six-day turnaround before taking on France in what could be the crunch fixture of the group.
Given the relative strength of Tonga and the USA, that’s a situation England can not only live with, but are also likely very thankful for.
Italy
The tournament starts thick and fast for the Azzurri, with Conor O’Shea’s men taking on Africa 1 and Repechage winner with just a three-day turnaround, but they then get a seven-day turnaround to take on South Africa, a fixture which they will realistically need to win if they are to have any chance of qualifying.
The Boks have only a four-day turnaround to prepare for the fixture and if Italy can escape those first two games unscathed, this match with South Africa will be particularly salivating, not least so because of the Azzurri’s win over the Boks in 2016.
Again, being realistic, Italy have little-to-no chance against the All Blacks in their last fixture of the group – unless New Zealand choose to rest players for the quarter-finals – meaning everything is set up for them to target this game with the Boks.
Losers
Fiji
Fiji have just three full days between their opener with Australia in Sapporo to their match with Americas 2 – likely Canada – in Kamaishi, with over 250 miles of travelling required, too.
They do then have a seven-day turnaround before playing Georgia, but that is followed by a five-day turnaround to play Wales – incorporating another 250-mile trip, this time from Higashiosaka to Oita – with their opponents enjoying a nine-day turnaround before the fixture.
In a group as tight as Pool D looks to be, Fiji vs Wales could be the decisive fixture and it certainly looks as if Wales will have a big preparation advantage heading into it.
Scotland
Of all the Tier 1 nations, Scotland may have been given the toughest task.
They open with Ireland, arguably the most challenging fixture in the group, but do get a full seven days before taking on Playoff winner.
If Ireland win that opening fixture, it puts Scotland’s final game of the pool stage against Japan under the spotlight. Playing the hosts is hard enough, but they will be doing it coming off a three-day turnaround following their game with Europe 1, whilst Japan will have had seven full days since their last match against Playoff winner.
The slight silver lining to that final fixture is that Scotland move from Shizuoka to Yokohama, a relatively short and easy trip.
Georgia
Another Tier 2 nation picking up the slack of midweek games, Georgia play three fixtures in 11 days to start the tournament. They take on Wales, Americas 2 and Fiji, arguably the three fixtures they would need to take results from to have any outside chance of qualifying. They finish up against Australia eight days later in a fixture that could mean very little by that point.
Their 500 miles of travel during that 11-day period, from Toyota to Kumagaya to Higashiosaka, is not going to make the challenge any easier for them, either.
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments