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
So many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
207 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
18 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
18 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
207 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
2 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
18 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
207 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
18 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
6 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
2 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
207 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
2 Go to commentsMad how this somehow contained absolutely zero information.
4 Go to commentsI’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
3 Go to commentsThe better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances? In 2023, the ABs at least didn’t give up a lead to lose. They just couldn’t execute to get the points and take the lead. This Baby AB result points to a choke - letting the game slip through your fingers. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby’s dad - “If you’re not 1st you’re last!” Loosely translated - if you didn’t win, you’re a loser.
11 Go to comments