Pool B will Begin on Saturday September, 21 in Yokohama with a bang as heavyweights New Zealand and South Africa Battle.
It’s a swimming pool which also includes Italy, Namibia and Canada and the crucial question is whether any of them are able to pull off a major shock and rock the All Blacks or the Springboks? It seems impossible, but remember Japan?
Here we take a look at each state’s 31-man squad, choose an integral participant to concentrate upon, go through current form and bring you all the pool’s fixtures…
Head coach: Steve Hansen
Captain: Kieran Read (121 caps)
Past Rugby World Cup best: Rugby World Cup winners (1987, 2011, 2015)
Key participant: Beauden Barrett. The guy pulling the strings to the reigning champions. The spotlight is going to be on his own goal-kicking, especially when it moves to the latter stages of the tournament, but around the park he’s expected to shine and take his game to the level that is world it often reaches.
Form: maybe not perfect in the All Black outlook. Since winning the tournament in 2015, New Zealand have failed to triumph in eight Exams – an extremely strange figure in their opinion. They finished second in the reduced 2019 Rugby Championship, having drawn with South Africa and lost to Australia, while they have also lost to Ireland (twice), the Lions (and drew another Test), Australia (twice) and South Africa as the final World Cup. Still, who wouldn’t wager on them to lift a third crown?
World Cup group:
Forwards (17): Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Atu Moli, Angus Ta’avao, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Kieran Read (c), Ardie Savea, Matt Todd.
Backs (14): TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber, Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Ben Smith.
Fixtures:
Head coach: Rassie Erasmus
Captain: Siya Kolisi (42 caps)
Previous Rugby World Cup best: Rugby World Cup winners (1995, 2007)
Key player: Faf de Klerk. The pocket who sets their tempo and causes resistance defences all manner of problems to consider. The 27-year-old has blossomed over the last few seasons and unites a strong game with vision and the confidence to’go’ when it is on.
Present form that the Boks will be the favorites heading right into this World Cup. In their floundering form under Allister Coetzee at 2016 and 2017, 2018 and 2019 has established that a redemptive interval for South Africa, as they have defeated France, England, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Japan. A potential path to avoiding New Zealand and the pool until the closing, and their opening game against the All Blacks puts them.
31-man World Cup group:
Forwards (17): Schalk Brits, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi (c), Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.
Backs (14): Damian de Allende, Lukhanyo Am, Warrick Gelant, Elton Jantjies, Herschel Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Makazole Mapimpi, Sbu Nkosi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Willie le Roux, Frans Steyn.
Fixtures:
Head coach: Conor O’Shea
Captain: Sergio Parisse (140 caps)
Past Rugby World Cup best: Pool stage (1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015)
Key participant: Sergio Parisse. The final talisman of italy would take into the area in a Rugby World Cup in Japan and he uttered the term’conclusion’. No 8 will work himself to the floor in what’s highly likely to be his last World Cup contest for the Azzurri and has an engine to mix it with the top of them.
Current form: The lasting conundrum of northern hemisphere rugby. Results for its team have stayed the same because Conor O’Shea arrived Even though the performances of club sides Benetton and Zebre has improved. The Azzurri’s only victories over the past two years have come against Russia, Japan (that they lost to in another Evaluation ) and also Georgia. One must return into November 2016 for its last time Italy conquer at a Tier 1 country.
31-man World Cup group:
Forwards (18): Luca Bigi, Dean Budd, Oliviero Fabiani, Simone Ferrari, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Andrea Lovotti, Maxime Mbanda, Sebastian Negri, Sergio Parisse (c), Tiziano Pasquali, Jake Polledri, Nicola Quaglio, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, David Sisi, Abraham Steyn, Federico Zani, Alessandro Zanni.
Backs (13): Tommaso Allan, Mattia Bellini, Tommaso Benvenuti, Giulio Bisegni, Callum Braley, Michele Campagnaro, Carlo Canna, Jayden Hayward, Matteo Minozzi, Luca Morisi, Edoardo Padovani, Guglielmo Palazzani, Tito Tebaldi.
Fixtures:
Head coach: Phil Davies
Captain: Johan Deysel (24 caps)
Previous Rugby World Cup best: Pool stage (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015)
Key player: Eugene Jantjies. The veteran scrum-half initially appeared in 2007 back at a World Cup and is the sole surviving member with that championship. Four players remain Rohan Kitshoff who showcased at the 2011 World Cup: Darryl de la Harpe and PJ van Lill. This back of their squad will be crucial in trying to attain a first-ever win in a Rugby World Cup contest.
Current form searching their very first Rugby World Cup success, Namibia will find it extremely tough likely to get a W inside this pool. They did beat Uruguay in the build-up to the World Cup, but lost to Russia – whose results have been quite poor.
World Cup group:
Forwards (18): Andre Rademeyer, Nelius Theron, Desiderius Sethie, AJ de Klerk, Johannes Coetzee, Obert Nortje, Louis van der Westhuizen, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Tjiuee Uanivi, Johan Retief, Thomasau Forbes, Rohan Kitshoff, Max Katjijeko, Prince Gaoseb, Wian Conradie, PJ van Lill, Adriaan Booysen, Janco Venter.
Backs (13): Cliven Loubser, Helarius Kisting, Damian Stevens, Eugene Jantjies, Darryl de la Harpe, Johan Deysel (c), Justin Newman, JC Greyling, Johann Tromp, Chad Plato, Lesley Klim, Janry du Toit, PJ Walters.
Fixtures:
Head coach: Kingsley Jones
Captain: Tyler Ardron (33 caps)
Previous Rugby World Cup best: Quarter-finals (1991)
Key participant: DTH van der Merwe. Keep an eye out for the hot-stepping winger who is currently making his fourth appearance. If you offer him an inch he’ll take a time with his footwork and that he has the speed to fit too. Van der Merwe includes a hit-rate of all 38 tries in 57 Tests.
Present form: Pretty poor. Their buildup to the World Cup has seen a run of beats that will have resulted in the squad considerable distress. The summer has seen them lose to the USA (twice), Fiji and Tonga, although further defeats came against Uruguay and Brazil earlier in the year. They have won seven World Cup matches but may only add one more to this total in this pool.
31-man World Cup group:
Forwards (17): Tyler Ardron (c), Kyle Baillie, Justin Blanchet, Hubert Buydens, Luke Campbell, Matt Heaton, Eric Howard, Jake Ilnicki, Cole Keith, Conor Keys, Evan Olmstead, Benoit Piffero, Andrew Quattrin, Lucas Rumball, Djustice Sears-Duru, Mike Sheppard, Matthew Tierney
Backs (14): Nick Blevins, Andrew Coe, Jeff Hassler, Ciaran Hearn, Ben LeSage, Phil Mack, Jamie Mackenzie, Gordon McRorie, Peter Nelson, Shane O’Leary, Patrick Parfrey, Taylor Paris, Conor Trainor, DTH van der Merwe.
Fixtures:
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