This morning the Rugby World Cup draw for 2027 took place in Sydney, Australia and this is very different from what we saw happen last time around in 2023. Australia will be hosting the event and drew the All Blacks in Pool A, but they both should get through. Back in 2023 the seedings were paired in such a way that the quarter finals matches were more like semi final matches and many of the bigger teams were knocked out earlier than anticipated. Winning this Rugby World Cup actually looks far easier than the 2023 version. 2027 requires you to get through the pool which looks simple enough and then the task is simple win the next 3 games and you will raise the trophy. This is why the latest world rankings were important so you were not given a difficult pool.
Looking at this mornings draw will have the defending champions South Africa playing New Zealand in the quarter final rounds followed by France in the semis and playing either England, Argentina or Australia in the finals. Nothing is ever that straight cut and there could be a few upsets along the way. Three games is all it takes from the quarter finals onwards.
New Zealand are paired against hosts Australia in Pool A and on current form this looks like an easy win for the All Blacks but this is still 2 years away and anything can happen from now till then. Injuries and squad depth will be an important factor.
South Africa are number one seeds for the World Cup being ranked number one in the world and we know the SA coach has his main focus set on winning a third World Cup in a row. The event is not being played tomorrow so the preparation for this event is the key to unlocking the success.
New Zealand and England are touring South Africa next year and this is going to be a crucial time for all sides. South Africa and England to some extent have been building depth which is going to be a must having the replacement substitutes as strong or stronger than the players on the field. The impact the bench makes will be what wins the World Cup.
Over the last couple of months we have seen the SA team show up weaknesses in other teams and I am not sure if those areas are fixable within the next two years. You either have the players or you do not and if you don't then you need to find them and fast.
Many rugby pundits have been shocked this year with the SA selection strategy chopping and changing their team with as many as 12 changes for the run on team between games. This is unheard of and worryingly for the others those changes did not affect the standard of play and was more a horses for courses selection. No other international team has 3 full teams to play with and this highlights an immediate advantage for SA rugby.
England is the only other side who you could currently say has developed some depth even if those players have not really been put through the blender and been battle tested. France who should be up there as a favorite for this next World Cup have gone backwards with their playing policy. The French sent a B team to New Zealand earlier this year and rested their main team. The top players then lost to 14 man South Africa highlighting the team has not improved and has serious problems. There is nowhere to hide now and the French have found out how far down the pecking order they are.
No one can ever rule out the All Blacks and I do think it will either be SA or New Zealand lifting the next World Cup which means the most important game of the next World Cup will be that quarter final match between these two teams.