England set for showpiece opener
England’s World Cup clash against fierce rivals South Africa looks set to launch the 2007 tournament in a potential 80,000 sell-out at Stade de France.
World Cup chiefs are believed to have pencilled in the Pool A showdown as a mouth-watering opener, although host nation France’s appointment with Ireland is also a major candidate.
Paris would be an obvious venue for England’s first match in their defence of the Webb Ellis Cup, which they won so dramatically last November.
And despite the competition being more than three years away, the England camp were enthused by a draw that also looks set to group them with potential qualifiers Samoa, the USA and Tonga.
“It is a good draw, I’m happy with it,” said England coach Andy Robinson. At the last World Cup, we had two really tough matches in our pool (South Africa and Samoa) which enabled us to gather some momentum. It was good that we had those tests.
“We have got to play South Africa a number of times over the next few years, and with Jake White coming in as their new coach, they will develop a new identity.”
South Africa are one of England’s three autumn opponents at Twickenham in November, and White said: “That becomes a very important match.
“I am a young coach with a group of young players, and it is wonderful that we can measure ourselves against the world champions.”
England, if they top their pool, are likely to face a quarter-final re-match with Wales, possibly at the Millennium Stadium. If they finish as runners-up, then 2003 World Cup final opponents Australia would loom large.
Wales, Scotland and Ireland will all play part of their group schedule on home soil, while the Welsh also stage a quarter-final.
“It’s very exciting,” said new Wales coach Mike Ruddock, whose team were drawn alongside Australia and three qualifiers, possibly Fiji, Canada and Japan.
“We are set to have some games in Wales, and that could be quite critical to our ambition of progressing to the quarter-final.”
Scotland are unlikely to trouble New Zealand for top spot in Pool C so a likely meeting with Italy should decide the runners-up place.
And Ireland will again have it all to do, given that their group includes France and probably Argentina, countries that knocked them out of the last two World Cups.
“It is probably the most difficult group of the four,” admitted Ireland’s Triple Crown-winning captain Brian O’Driscoll.
“Someone had to get France in France, and unfortunately it was us. It is also likely to be Argentina as well, but the tournament is still more than three years away, so we will deal with those problems then.
“We’ve worked hard over the past 18 months, and if we can continue to develop and build, then the spiral can continue upwards. We’ve started to get a taste of winning, and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Qualifying games will take place around the world over the next three years, with French officials confident of delivering a spectacular showpiece event in September and October, 2007.
“Don’t have any doubts” said French Rugby Federation president Bernard Lapasset.
"We will take up this challenge and organise a great Rugby World Cup. France has proved over the last few years, for the soccer World Cup in 1998, as well as for the athletics World Championships in 2003, its capacity to put in place and organise successful major international sporting events.”
