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 that also comprises Canada, Namibia and Italy and the question is whether or not any of them can pull off a shock and stone even the All Blacks or the Springboks? It seems impossible, but remember Japan four years ago?
Here we have a peek at every country’s 31-man squad, choose an integral player to concentrate upon, undergo current form and bring you all the pool’s fittings…
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 man pulling the strings to the champions. Particularly when it moves to the latter stages of the championship the spotlight will be on his own goal-kicking, but around the park he is expected to shine and take his game to the degree that is world it often reaches.
Form: maybe not perfect from an All Black perspective. Since winning the championship New Zealand have failed to win in eight Exams – an extremely strange figure in their opinion. They finished second in the decreased 2019 Rugby Championship, with drawn with South Africa and dropped to Australia, although they also have lost to Ireland (double ), the Lions (and drew another Test), Australia (twice) and South Africa since the last World Cup. Still, who wouldn’t wager on them to lift some third crown?
31-man 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 participant: Faf de Klerk. The pocket rocket who causes opposition and places their tempo defences all manner of issues to think about. The 27-year-old has skyrocketed over the past few seasons and joins a strong game with vision and also the confidence to’go’ as it’s on.
Present form: For many folks, that the Boks will be the favourites. From their form under Allister Coetzee in 2016 and 2017, 2018 and 2019 has turned into a period for South Africa, because they have beaten England, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, France, Scotland and Japan. A path to the pool and averting New Zealand before the closing, along with their opening match against the All Blacks puts them in great form.
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 trainer: Conor O’Shea
Captain: Sergio Parisse (140 caps)
Past Rugby World Cup best: Pool point (1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015)
Key participant: Sergio Parisse. Italy talisman will take to the field at a Rugby World Cup in Japan and he uttered the term’conclusion’. The No 8 has an engine to mix it and will work himself into the floor in what is highly likely to be his final World Cup competition for the Azzurri.
Form: The conundrum of northern Biology. Even though the performances of Zebre and club sides Benetton has improved because Conor O’Shea arrived, results for the team have stayed the same. Even the Azzurri’s only successes over the last two years have come from Russia, Japan (who they lost to in a different Test) and Georgia. One has to return into November 2016 for the last time Italy overcome 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)
Past Rugby World Cup best: Pool point (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015)
Key player: Eugene Jantjies. The veteran scrum-half initially emerged in a World Cup back in 2007 and is the only member from that championship 12 years ago. 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 critical in trying to accomplish a first-ever win.
Present form looking for their very first Rugby World Cup victory, Namibia will find it tough going to get a W inside this pool. They did beat Uruguay from the build-up to the World Cup, but also lost to Russia – whose results have been quite poor.
31-man World Cup squad:
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)
Past Rugby World Cup best: Quarter-finals (1991)
Key player: DTH van der Merwe. Keep a look out for your hot-stepping winger who is making his fourth appearance at a Rugby World Cup. If you give an inch to him then he’ll take a mile with his footwork and that he has the pace to match. Van der Merwe includes a hit-rate of 38 attempts in 57 Tests.
Form: Pretty poor. Their buildup for the World Cup has seen a run of defeats that will have led to the squad significant discomfort. The summer has seen them lose to the USA (twice), Fiji and Tonga, although further defeats came from Uruguay and Brazil earlier in the year. They’ve won seven World Cup matches but may only add one more to this total within this pool.
World Cup squad:
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:
Read more here: http://www.fortoli.cn/?p=20664