Designs from the hands of Brett Robinson, president of the World Rugby Union, were coveted. They had passed the two most requested cabinets and the red zone was approaching. finally, Argentina, who were relegated to Zone C of the 2027 World Cup finals in Australia, where they will compete with Fiji, Spain and Canada, has been fortunate. An easy path to the round of 16, where – if all goes well – they will face one of the top four third-place teams. In the quarterfinals, according to forecasts, the classic with Ireland looms.
It was not the desired destination, but the Pumas can focus on the next two years with no other interest than improving themselves after this morning’s group draw in Sydney was favourable. The premise was to avoid Australia and Scotland, the cuckoo in Pot 2, and it was achieved. Ideally, it would have been better to fall into Zones E or F and not have a winner of their group on the way to the semi-finals, but that would have been too much. It doesn’t guarantee anything either.
In the end New Zealand was the last ball to come out and was bowled The first big confrontation in the World Cup Because they will be sharing the kit with the home team, in a re-release of the most prolific classic in rugby history (they have played 181 Tests to date). It will come as no surprise that on February 3, when the final is decided, The opening match between Australia and New Zealand is scheduled for October 1 in Perth. For the second successive World Cup Finals, the All Blacks will face the hosts. Chile and newcomer Hong Kong complete this region.
In a simple ceremony in a television studio, without fans or fanfare, the 2027 Australian Championship got underway. Former Wallabies center and current Stan Sports commentator Morgan Torinoy He led the actions. The Great Daniel CarterThe two-time world champion with the All Blacks, was responsible for determining the fate of the teams in Group D, the bottom six, and distributing them in descending order from Group Six to Group A. Alicia Lucasa former star of the Australian women’s national team, did the same for Pot 3 (nations ranked 13 to 18) and James Sleeperformer Wallabies captain, followed by the 2-ranked runners-up (from 7th to 12th), with the exception of Australia (7th) who, as organisers, have secured a place in Group A.
World Rugby Australia president Brett Robinson took charge of the rankings. England and France were the first Congrats!; Ireland lost favor by sharing a group with Scotland for the second time in a row at the World Cup. The threat has passed, but the fear of ending up in the host’s territory persists. Finally, the ball bearing the name “Argentina” appeared at its penultimate time to appear, which restored the beating to its usual rhythm.
Two-time champions South Africa are emerging as potential opponents for the All Blacks in the quarter-finals. The Springboks are paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania in Zone B which promises plenty of parity in the battle for second place.
With the system expanded to 24 teams starting with the current World Cup, which opened a new round of 16 editions, there is no such thing as a “Group of Death”, where a top-tier team is at risk of elimination. But Zone D can be considered the most even, with Ireland and Scotland vying for top spot, while Uruguay and Portugal represent tough hurdles.
France see an easy path into Group E – Japan, the United States and Samoa will engage in another attractive battle to qualify – and have the advantage of not facing the winner of the region until the semi-finals, but luck has not been complete, since then In the round of 16 the loser will face Ireland v Scotland.
Another classic game resulting from the erratic distribution of balls was the one between England and Wales in Zone F. The Red Dragons have two years to catch up after an alarming debacle. Tonga and Zimbabwe, which returns to the most prominent event 36 years after their last appearance, complete the map.
That Puma’s toughest opponent is Fiji is good news, but they are still a cautious opponent. They are undoubtedly the most dangerous team outside Tier 1 and it is not for nothing that they are ranked 8th in the world rankings. In recent years it has witnessed significant growth, supported by the integration of its own franchise into Super Rugby Pacific (Fijian Drua) which was evident at France 2023.When they defeated Australia and played Wales and England on equal terms. This year they beat Scotland and last year they beat Wales, and in 2026 it will be part of the Nations Championship, so it will add filming of facing all the Six Nations teams.
Fiji was the Pumas’ first opponent in World Cup history: on 24 May 1987 they played in Hamilton In front of about 13 thousand spectators. Despite all the difficulties and shattered expectations with which the Argentines arrived, the islanders imposed their physical strength to win 28-9. Since then they have not met again in a World Cup.
Despite being a small island with a population of less than a million, Fiji has the advantage of being 4.5 hours by plane from Australia (from Suva to Sydney) and has a fan base known to be extremely fanatical and loyal to the rugby team, the national sport par excellence, so a huge attendance is expected for this duel.
It seems that duels with Spain and Canada are within reach and will give coach Felipe Contepome the opportunity to dose his strength. Aim for the most demanding commitments. That’s why it will also be important to know the standings of the matches. He has never faced either of them in a World Cup final. The Spaniards qualified for the first time since their only participation in 1999, although they were excluded from the final two matches due to the inappropriate inclusion of foreign players when they made it onto the field. In five confrontations in history, there were five victories for Argentina. The last in the France 2023 exhibition with a score of 62-3 at Atletico Madrid Stadium.
History with Canada He recorded six victories for Argentina and two defeats, although both in 1990 (they would have reached the quarter-finals in the 1991 World Cup), when the North Americans were showing the strength they had lost in the previous two decades. In fact, at France 2023, they were excluded from the World Cup for the first time in their history He has not won a match in the competition since New Zealand 2011.
In the roughly two years between now and the World Cup (22 months), the rugby power map may fluctuate. If they continue on the normal path, Argentina must defeat Fiji not effortlessly but forcefully and win their region. In the Round of 16, one of the four best third teams awaits, which will come from Groups A, E or F. None of them pose a threat on the way to the quarter-finals.
The duel of getting into the top four and making seven World Cup appearances is always the first goal, which is what the Pumas have met in three of the last five editions. There the present indicates that the competitor will be Ireland. Of course, to do this, the Europeans must first win their own region, which they share with Scotland.in one of the most attractive duels in the qualifying stage.
Today Ireland are favourites, although having established themselves as one of the four dominant teams in world rugby, they have regressed after France 2023 and have yet to achieve a turnaround, neither in names nor in process.
If that happens, it will be the fifth World Cup encounter, all decisive: In 1999 they played a playoff to reach the quarter-finals in Lens, a memorable Argentine victory with Try Diego Albanese And the stubborn defense in the last seven minutes. They met again in the zonal decider at Australia 2003, with the only Irish victory coming by a single point (16-15) in Adelaide, eliminating the Argentines. For the third year in a row they met in 2007, when Argentina retaliated, knocking them out of the group stage; The last was in the quarter-finals in 2015, a memorable 43-20 win at the Millennium in Cardiff.
Against Scotland, the Pumas have two wins in two World Cup matches, which is also crucial: The quarter-finals in France 2007, the first time they reached the top four, and the deciding duel in the region in New Zealand 2011, thanks to Lucas González Amorosino’s electric effort.
Either country is a very complex, but a priori less demanding than expected, opponent. It could be South Africa, New Zealand, France, or England.
Other potential quarter-final ties include New Zealand vs. South Africa and Australia vs. England. But this is too deep into the world of speculation.
The route is set for November 13, 2027 at the Sydney Olympic Stadium. The Pumas have a lot of work to do, but they can do it quietly.
Group A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong
Group B: South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania
Group C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada
Group D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal
Group E: France, Japan, United States, Samoa
Sixth group: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe