In case you hadn’t heard, the Rugby World Cup is about to kick off.
And unlike its footballing counterpart, all of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland – aka the home nations – have made the tournament. In fact, one of those four could even win the damn thing. Crazy, we know.
But don’t worry if you know nothing about rugby – we’ve got you covered. With this handy guide, you’ll have your friends thinking you’ve been a closet rugby fan your whole life.
We’ve broken down each pool (they’re called pools in rugby, not groups) and given you the basic things you need to know about each team.
Pool A
England
The hosts go into the tournament without knowing their best starting XV yet. Most worryingly, there are still question marks over who coach Stuart Lancaster will pick at fly-half. Will he go with the young Owen Farrell? Or the even younger George Ford?
Ford got the nod for the opening game, but he has yet to really prove himself on the international stage. There’s a chance that this tournament has come a few years too early for this England team – but home advantage will help a lot.
World ranking: 4th
Key player: George Ford (Fly-half) – It seems that the 22-year-old has won Stuart Lancaster’s trust. If he can live up to his potential, England can go far. If not, then things will be difficult.
Previous best: Winners (2003)
Prediction: Pool: 1st – Knock-out: Runners-up
Australia
The Wallabies come into this World Cup on the back of a Rugby Championship victory which included a 27-19 win over New Zealand on the final match day. Michael Cheika has worked wonders since taking over, but his decision to only take two hookers and two scrum-halves in his squad could backfire.
Cheika appears to have solved the issue of whether to start David Pocock or Michael Hooper by just playing them both. Unfortunately for the Aussies, an English autumn is likely to bring rain and hinder their expansive style.
World ranking: 2nd
Key player: Israel Folau (Full-back) – Arguably the most exciting player in the world right now. Folau is a huge man with incredible pace. Has the potential to be the best in the world.
Previous best: Winners (1991, 1999)
Prediction: Pool: 2nd – Knock-out: Quarter-finals
Wales
With eight games being played in Cardiff, Wales are sort of co-hosts to England at this tournament. They played a similar role when France hosted in 2007 but will be hoping for a better result this time around, as they were knocked out in the group stages by Fiji.
It won’t be easy to get out of a pool which includes four out of the top nine sides in the world right now, and injuries to major players like Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies and Rhys Webb makes a difficult task even harder.
World ranking: 5th
Key player: Alun Wyn-Jones (Second Row) – The beating heart of this Welsh team. He won’t be making any length-of-the-pitch runs, but his tight play sets the tone for the whole team to follow.
Previous best: 3rd place (1987)
Prediction: Pool: 3rd
Uruguay
Returning to the World Cup after missing out on the last two tournaments, Uruguay are unlikely to have much of an impact on the outcome of this tournament beyond supplying some bonus points to their Pool A opponents.
While Argentinian rugby has kicked on and become stronger since the dawn of professionalism, even hardcore rugby fans would struggle to name a player in their squad.
World ranking: 19th
Key player: Santiago Vilaseca (Second Row) – The Uruguayan captain is going to have to do something very special to inspire his team to a win.
Previous best: Pool stages (1999, 2003)
Prediction: Pool: 5th
Fiji
Fiji are everybody’s second team. It’s a pity they have been drawn into the ‘Pool of Death’, as they would have a great chance of making it out of any other group. While they are capable of a big performance, it seems unlikely that they will topple two rugby giants in quick succession.
One cliché you’re sure to hear is that they love to throw the ball around like a rugby sevens team. In recent years, they have added more guile to their pack. Still, you can’t help but think they could challenge for the title with some proper investment.
World ranking: 9th
Key player: Nemani Nadolo (Wing) – It seems obvious to pick a winger as the key man for Fiji, but Nadolo is something very special.
Previous best: Quarter-finals (1987, 2007)
Prediction: Pool: 4th
Pool B
Scotland
The Scots have been dealt a very fortunate draw this time around. Their world ranking of 10th still puts them as the second best team in this pool and they will be expected to make the quarter-finals.
After a disappointing Six Nations in which they lost at home to Italy, Scotland have the chance to go further than whichever of the top-ranked sides in Pool A loses out.
World ranking: 10th
Key player: Greig Laidlaw (Scrum-half) – As captain, scrum-half and kicker, Laidlaw is the most important player in the Scottish team. Without him, the Scots are lost.
Previous best: 4th (1991)
Prediction: Pool: 2nd, Knock-out: Quarter-finals
USA
Even in a pool such as this, the USA Eagles are unlikely to get anywhere near the knock-out stages of this competition.
They will likely target their game against Japan as their best chance of picking up some points.
World ranking: 15th
Key player: Takudzwa Ngwenya (Wing) – Best-known for skinning former World Player of the Year Bryan Habana at the 2007 World Cup, Ngwenya can score from anywhere on the pitch.
Previous best: Pool stages (All but 1995)
Prediction: Pool: 5th
South Africa
A disappointing Rugby Championship saw them lose all three games – including their first ever to Argentina. But South Africa’s physical style is well-suited to knock-out rugby and has served them well in the past.
With the easiest group in the tournament, the Springboks should go into the quarter-finals relatively fresh. From there, anything could happen. In five previous appearances at the World Cup finals, South Africa have only ever lost four games.
World ranking: 3rd
Key player: Victor Matfield (Second Row) – As a key member of the team that won in 2007, his leadership is invaluable for the Springboks. At 38, it will be interesting to see if he can handle the strain of another World Cup.
Previous best: Winners (1995, 2007)
Prediction: Pool: 1st, Knock-out: 3rd place
Samoa
The Samoan team will no doubt be delighted about how the draw has worked out for them at this tournament. While not as strong as Fiji, they could potentially cause an upset and make the -stages.
It’s rare that Samoa would have as much time together as they do now, so expect them to look more organised than usual.
World ranking: 12th
Key player: Alesana Tuilagi (Wing) – Tuilagi will be well known to fans on these shores from his spells at Leicester and now Newcastle. At 34, this will likely be his last World Cup
Previous best: Quarter-finals (1991, 1995)
Prediction: Pool: 3rd
Japan
The 2019 hosts are looking to lay down a marker at this tournament in order to fight off the accusations that they don’t deserve to host the next Rugby World Cup.
They couldn’t have asked for a better pool and will be hoping to finally make a quarter-final on the eighth attempt.
World ranking: 13th
Key player: Michael Leitch (Flanker) – Japan’s New Zealand-born captain is one of three players in the squad to play in Super Rugby.
Previous best: Pool stages (All since 1987)
Prediction: Pool: 4th
Pool C
New Zealand
The best team in the world for as long as anyone can remember, the All Blacks are the favourites going into every World Cup but have only ever won two – and both were on home soil.
Now they are looking to become the first team to ever retain the William Webb Ellis trophy. With the squad they have, it’s not hard to see them doing it.
World ranking: 1st
Key player: Richie McCaw (Flanker) – Really you could have picked any of the All Blacks, such is the strength of their squad. But McCaw is possibly the greatest player in the history of the game.
Previous best: Winners (1987, 2011)
Prediction: Pool: 1st, Knock-out: Winners
Georgia
The Georgians are in the unfortunate position of being located in Europe. Their exclusion from the Six Nations makes it hard for them to kick onto the next level in their development as they are clearly better than the likes of Romania and Russia.
They have an awful lot to do at this tournament if they want to get out of the pool for the first time, and will likely just aim for beating Tonga to third place and earning automatic qualification for 2019.
World ranking: 16th
Key player: Mamuka Gorgodze (Flanker) – The Toulon man captains a Georgian team which boasts many players from France’s Top 14. While not the unstoppable force he once was, Gorgodze is certainly good enough to play for a team like Scotland or Italy.
Previous best: Pool stages (2003, 2007, 2011)
Prediction: Pool: 4th
Tonga
Much like their Pacific neighbours Samoa and Fiji, a serious lack of funding – as well as talent poaching by Australia, New Zealand and England – has continuously undermined Tonga’s ability to develop their national team.
The best they can hope for is that they spring an upset against a tired Argentinian team and sneak into a quarter-final.
World ranking: 11th
Key player: Fetu’u Vainikolo (Wing) – The former Exeter man should play an important role in the Tongan backline as he can create something from nothing.
Previous best: Pool stages (All since 1987 except 1991)
Prediction: Pool: 3rd
Namibia
It is unfortunate that the worst team in this tournament has been drawn in the same pool as the best. Namibia don’t stand a chance and will be hoping to merely keep their opponents from running up the score too much.
World ranking: 20th
Key player: Jacques Burger (Flanker) – The Saracens man is a canny operator but it will be hard to notice this when his side are down by 40 points.
Previous best: Pool stages (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011)
Prediction: Pool: 5th
Argentina
They have only recently begun to get regular game time against the top teams thanks to their inclusion in the Rugby Championship alongside New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.
While their world ranking has suffered somewhat, the team is clearly learning a lot from these encounters and are a dark horse this year.
World ranking: 8th
Key player: Juan Martín Hernández (Centre) – The hero in 2007, the Pumas need Hernandez to rediscover the magic that saw him nominated for World Player of the Year eight years ago.
Previous best: 3rd (2007)
Prediction: Pool: 2nd, Knock-out: Quarter-finals
Pool D
Ireland
Ireland come into a World Cup as Six Nations champions for the first time. In fact, they are back-to-back European champions and expectations are sky high that the perennial underachievers can reach their first semi-final.
They have been given a favourable draw and will avoid New Zealand if they win the pool. The Irish have not lost to France since before the previous World Cup but question marks remain over their depth in key positions.
World ranking: 6th
Key player: Jonathan Sexton (Fly-half) – Arguably the best fly-half in the world right now, Sexton is what makes Ireland tick. He has struggled with injuries over the last few years but the Irish need him to stay fit for the next few weeks.
Previous best: Quarter-finals (1987, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2011)
Prediction: Pool: 1st, Knock-out: 4th place
Canada
While better than their North American rivals, the Canadians will not be an intimidating prospect for either of the top two teams in Pool D.
They will no doubt target their game with Italy as a chance to win third place as the top three teams from this year’s pools all qualify automatically for Japan 2019.
World ranking: 17th
Key player: Jamie Cudmore (Second Row) – Having spent the last few years with Clermont in France, Cudmore has established himself as one of the best players in the world not to play for an elite test nation.
Previous best: Quater-finals (1991)
Prediction: Pool: 4th
France
The old cliché is that you never really know which French team is going to show up, and that is especially true of this team. Despite a number of horrendous performances in the 2011 tournament, France almost beat New Zealand in the final.
If the warm-up games are anything to go by, Les Blues are hitting their stride and could finally go one step further than the three previous final losses.
World ranking: 7th
Key player: Frédéric Michalak (Fly-half) – No player sums up French rugby quite as well as Frédéric Michalak. He is equally as likely to inspire the French to a world championship as he is to be the catalyst for a disaster first-round exit.
Previous best: Runners-up (1987, 1999, 2011)
Prediction: Pool: 2nd, Knock-out: Quarter-finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUS8FfW8hOg
Romania
Romania maintain their record of qualifying for every edition of the World Cup so far, and will almost definitely continue their record of exiting at the pool stage each time.
A big performance on the biggest stage against another European team would certainly help their bid for inclusion in an expanded Six Nations championship.
World ranking: 18th
Key player: Mihai Macovei (Flanker) – In a team lacking a superstar, captain Macovei has a tough task to motivate his team-mates to overcome some huge names.
Previous best: Pool stages (All previous World Cups)
Prediction: Pool: 5th
Italy
The Italians’ progress has somewhat stalled since 2011. A series of false dawns have left the Italians frustrated as they have failed to move onto the next level.
They have beaten both Ireland and France in recent years, but it is hard to see them doing so at this tournament.
World ranking: 14th
Key player: Sergio Parisse (Number Eight) – The Italian captain is the only world class player in their ranks, but has the ability to control a game if given the chance. He will be the driving force behind any Italian success.
Previous best: Pool stages (All previous World Cups)
Prediction: Pool: 3rd
