As the draw was made for the pool stages of this year’s World Cup, all was sweetness and light. Optimism and ambition strode the stage: the largest crowds ever, great contests, the best players, all-embracing media coverage, the widest ever social media following – all were hailed in prospect.
Barely a word about drawbacks.
Sir Bill Beaumont spoke of an ‘unstoppable momentum’ leading to the start of the great event. This is a remarkable choice of phrase. For most of the participating nations momentum has been noticeably absent. No matches played, training carried out now individually, now in small bubbles, now just possibly as a full squad. Take the Wallaroos for example: the first time they met up in the whole of 2020 was in December for an extended training session. None of their eight planned test matches could take place.
Their opening encounter with the Black Ferns is described as ‘mouth-watering’. Let’s hope the result will defy expectations.
A Return to Normality?
In the seven months to the opening day we will see how much progress has been made in restoring normality. National squads have assembled, greeting each other like long lost friends, for that is what they have been. If it were possible to arrange lateral flow testing for everyone, then we might see a full programme developed for all the competing nations. But that looks like an impossible dream. A whole string of qualifying matches is still to be arranged; no-one has yet dared to propose a rescheduling of dates.
Fiji’s first appearance at an RWC is a great credit to World Rugby’s planners. Here is a small nation with a huge tradition in the game, their men gold medal winners at the last Olympics. Fijiana will be determined to show their true worth too. Their brand of rugby alone makes their presence more than welcome. They have the extra delight of playing their first match at Eden Park, New Zealand’s rugby Mecca.
Elite players in the British Isles divide into two: those in the England squad and the Allianz Premier 15s, and everyone else. The latter group have not played a full game of rugby since early last year.
It’s the same around the globe. And some of the nations concerned are in a far more parlous position that the British and Irish.
Three of the opening games reveal the problems. The USA, Canada and Wales all know their venues and kick-off times… but not their opponents. All three of them will have come through one or more preliminary matches to be there. When those can actually happen is anyone’s guess.
England’s Progress
For the fourth time running* the draw has worked out admirably for the Red Roses. The only stumbling block to their carefree progress to the knock-out stages is the much anticipated meeting with France. It comes third of the three pool games.
After Fiji in the opening round the Red Roses meet South Africa. Unfortunately it won’t be the meeting of giants as per the World Cup final in Tokyo. The Boks last appeared at an RWC in France in 2014; they have only recently restored a commitment to Fifteens. They toured Europe in 2018 losing 18-5 to Wales and 17-5 to Spain. They lost 2-0 to Scotland when they hosted them in September 2019.
The third round will be the big one. France’s record at World Cups is utterly extraordinary: time after time they reach the semi-finals with some ease. Not once have they taken part in a final. What better time to correct that fault than here?
One minor problem for England’s selectors is that they won’t learn a great deal about the squad’s form in the first two rounds. Even though they put 50 points on Spain and Italy in 2017, their first two opponents this time are unlikely to prove as challenging. With tight competition for places in each of the 23s chosen, the selectors may need a crystal ball to determine who is going to provide the magic ingredient for success when the biggest games come along later.
*Previous series:
Women’s International Series, New Zealand 2017
WRWC 2017
Super Series, San Diego 2019
