There’s One Massive Flaw In The Rugby World Cup 2019 Draw That People Have Noticed

The Rugby World Cup pool draw was made on Wednesday in Japan.

12 teams were confirmed before the draw with the other eight yet to qualify. Why the draw is made so early still confuses a lot of people, especially when you consider the fact that the draw was made later this time round, but was still made over two years before the tournament commences.

A major flaw as a result of the early draw surfaced during the week that will have major implications on the Oceania qualifiers. At first glance it’s easy to see that Pool C is the most difficult of all the groups. England, France and Argentina all in the same group is a nightmare for anyone that joins it.

One of the Oceania teams as you can see will be joining the group, but here’s where the flaw comes. The two qualifiers are taken from the 2016 and 2017 Pacific Nations Cup. Fiji look likely to claim the Oceania 1 slot having won the 2016 tournament, leaving them in Pool D alongside Australia, Wales and Georgia.

The second placed team in the Pacific Nations Cup across 2016 and 2017 qualifies automatically as ‘Oceania 2’ in Pool C while the third-placed team will face Spain in a home and away tie to determine who qualifies as Play-Off Winner in Pool A with Ireland, Scotland and hosts Japan.

Do you see where we’re going with this yet? Tonga and Samoa are in a situation where if they finish second overall in the Pacific Nations Cup standings, they’ll end up in the ‘Group of Death,’ otherwise known as Pool C. Finish third and you’re into a play-off with a spot in Pool A on the line.

Where would you want to finish? Exactly.