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Three rare clashes to sink your teeth into at the Rugby World Cup

By Tom Vinicombe
Ireland will tour New Zealand in 2022. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

When the World Cup pools were first announced way back in 2017, it was hard to get too excited about the flagship competition which was still almost two years away.

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It’s now less than a month until the first match kicks off, between Japan and Russia.

The 2019 World Cup schedule announcement back in 2017. Pool B included the two most successful nations in World Cup history, New Zealand and South Africa. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The last year-and-a-half has added a lot of spice to some of the match-ups we’re bound to get a taste of throughout the tournament.

New Zealand, who have been on top of the world for a decade, suffered rare defeats to South Africa, Ireland and Australia. That South African side have gone through a huge transformation and are now shaping up as possibly the tournament favourites. Even the Wallabies have turned on the form in patches, recording their biggest ever victory over New Zealand.

The Wallabies celebrate their win over the All Blacks at Optus Stadium. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Further north, it’s been a helter-skelter sort of time with England, Ireland and Wales all enjoying periods of dominance over their neighbours.

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It’s not just the build-up that means expectations should be high for the 9th-ever Rugby World Cup. A few eagle-eyed fans would have noticed that we’re set for some rare match-ups during the tournament – including some head-to-heads that have somehow never occurred in a World Cup to date.

Mark these matches down on your calendar, folks, they’re sure to be absolute rippers.

Ireland v Scotland (September 22)

The Celtic rivals have managed to navigate 28 years-worth of World Cup competitions with only one clash between them – way back in 1991.

Of course, the neighbours do go hammer-and-tongs at least once a year thanks to the Six Nations. Ireland have had the wood over the Scottish since the turn of the century but up until then it was Scotland who dominated their matches.

The current ledger still has Scotland barely a whisker ahead overall, winning 67 matches to Ireland’s 63. For the final decade of the 20th century, between 1989 and 1999, Scotland actually went undefeated against the Shamrocks.

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It should therefore come as no surprise that the first and only World Cup battle between the two sides fell Scotland’s way, with the game ending 24-15. Notably, that match was played in Edinburgh.

Scottish scrumhalf Gary Armstrong is tackled by Jim Staples during the 2001 Rugby World Cup clash between the two rivals. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Allsport)

The upcoming 22 September fixture will be the first time that the two nations have clashed at a neutral venue in over 140 years of games.

Looking at the bigger picture, the loser of that match will, at best, likely be tasked with taking apart the winner of the game between New Zealand and South Africa in the quarter-finals. Ireland have never made a World Cup semi-final whilst Scotland last made it to the final four in 1991.

There’s also the small issue of Japan’s emergence as a genuine threat. Japan will have a leisurely seven-day rest before taking on Scotland, whereas the Scots will be coming off a small three-day break. Scotland won’t fancy going into that match dependant on a win.

South Africa v Italy (October 4)

The pool matches will throw out a first-ever fixture just 12 days later when South Africa take on Italy in Shizuoka.

You could be forgiven for assuming that this match will be a walk in the park for the Springboks. After all, South Africa are the champions of the Southern Hemisphere whilst Italy finished dead last in the Six Nations.

Italy, however, know they stand at least a small chance against the Springboks after tipping them over for the first time back in 2016.

Springboks midfielder Damian de Allende is swarmed by the Azurri defence during Italy’s first victory over South Africa in 2016. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

If Italy are to have any shot at earning an historic quarter-final berth then they’ll need to get one over either South Africa or New Zealand. Italy’s closest-ever match against the All Blacks was a 10-point loss at the 1991 World Cup – but they’re more used to being on the side of huge floggings. Italy and NZ have faced off in five separate World Cups, with the accumulated scores reading New Zealand: 348; Italy: 51.

That means that their best shot of booking a spot in the playoffs will be to ambush the Springboks. This match will effectively be a knockout game for the Azzurri, so they won’t be holding anything back.

You can also expect Rassie Erasmus to roll out a full-strength South African side. Expect some fireworks.

South Africa/New Zealand v Ireland (October 19)

One way or another, we’re set for a very rare fixture in the quarterfinals.

Short of one of the above three teams having a cataclysmic loss in form, Ireland will meet either South Africa or New Zealand in the knockout stages of the competition.

Choosing whether you’d rather face the Springboks or the All Blacks in a sudden death match is a lot like choosing which of your kids you love more.

New Zealand and Ireland last played each other in the 1995 World Cup. That match in Johannesburg ended in the All Blacks’ favour, 43-19.

All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu scored two tries against Ireland during the last World Cup fixture between the two sides. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Don’t expect a similar result this year if these two superpowers do end up facing off in the quarter-finals. Although it took 111 years for Ireland to get their first victory of the men in black, Ireland have now won two of the last three matches played between the two sides. They also won the last game played on a neutral ground when the teams took their battle to Chicago in 2016.

Ireland are one of the sides that really trouble the Kiwis due to their ability to retain possession and not give the All Blacks counter-attacking opportunities. Ireland will arguably be the side that New Zealand most fear facing come the knockout stages of the competition.

South Africa have never played Ireland at a World Cup – and they’ll be the favourites to take on the Shamrocks in the quarter-finals.

Despite having a comfortable 18-7 victory count over the Irish, the Springboks have lost six of the last ten games played between the two teams in green.

Their most recent fixture, in 2017, saw Ireland run away 38-3 victors in a comprehensive pasting which will leave the Irish oozing with confidence.

Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien crashes through the South African tacklers during the two nations’ most recent fixture in 2017. (Photo by Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images)

2019 has seen a bit of a turn in the fortunes of the two sides, however, with South Africa suddenly looking like legitimate World Cup contenders and Ireland slipping up against both England and Wales in the Six Nations earlier this year.

When it comes to the sudden-death stages of a Rugby World Cup, you couldn’t ask for two tougher opponents than the pairing of South Africa and New Zealand. They’ve failed to qualify for the semi-finals just three times between them – whereas Ireland have never managed to make the final four.

The October 19 clash will be an absolutely epic encounter. Despite it coming at a relatively early time in the competition, it could well be the match of the competition. The fact that the sides have rarely lined up in World Cups to date just adds some extra spice to the battle.

Don’t be surprised if the winner of this match goes on to take out the World Cup.

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Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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