Revealed: Wallabies’ dream 2019 Japan World Cup draw

THE Wallabies are all but assured a place in the 2019 World Cup quarterfinals in Japan after a favourable draw with Wales their highest ranked Pool D opponents.

A DREAM draw has given the Wallabies a huge headstart for the 2019 Rugby World Cup where a quarter-final spot in Japan is all but guaranteed.

In Pool D, the Aussies will meet Wales, a nation they have beaten 12 successive times, and Georgia who have hired former Queensland Reds boss Richard Graham as backs coach.

The Fijians will also be rivals if they finish top Oceania qualifier while the US shape as another likely opponent should they qualify as the second team out of the Americas.

With two nations from the five-team pool to advance to the quarter-finals, the Wallabies might only need to beat Georgia, Fiji and the US to advance to the sudden-death top eight.

Walescoach Warren Gatland (L), Michael Cheika (C) and Georgia boss Milton Haig.

Defending champions New Zealand have drawn traditional rivals South Africa in Pool B, which guarantees a blockbuster early in the tournament.

After being drawn in the Pool of Death at the 2015 edition in England, coach Michael Cheika must have held his breath in Kyoto when the draw approached its climax.

With only two balls left to be drawn, Eddie Jones’s England and Cheika’s Australia were the only nations yet to be allocated a pool.

World Rugby boss Bill Beaumont, a former England forward, drew England first and dumped them into the Pool of Death, the same cutthroat scenario as 2015.

England will meet unpredictable adversaries France and dangerous Argentina, semi-finalists two years ago, in Pool C with only two to survive for the quarter-finals.

The draw for the Japan World Cup.

Jones and Cheika were seated side-by-side for the draw at Kyoto’s State Guest House, showing that last year’s distressing 0-4 ledger against England was only sport after all.

England infamously failed to advance from pool play when hosts of the 2015 World Cup where the inspired Wallabies and the Welsh beat a confused pre-Jones line-up.

Jones was unfazed by the tough draw because, as a former Japanese coach, he knows what is in store in Japan more than anyone.

“It’s all very exciting,” Jones said.

“France have really improved over the past two years. They are a dangerous team.”

The beauty of the draw is that there is a real chance for hosts Japan to ruffle some feathers in Pool A against Ireland and vulnerable Scotland.

The final eight spots for the 20-nation tournament will be resolved by qualifying matches around the world.

Australia won its second World Cup in 1999.

Earlier, a special meeting of the World Rugby Council tackled one of rugby’s big integrity issues by extending the residency requirement for Test representation from three to five years.

The reformed Regulation 8 will not take effect until December 31, 2020 but is a positive step to stalling quickie changes of nationality.

Taniela Tupou aka “Tongan Thor”, the Reds prop, will become eligible for the Wallabies later this year as expected under the three-year residency requirement.

Standout Western Force rookie Isi Naisarani, the Fijian-born No.8, will also be qualified for the Wallabies by 2020.

“National team representation is the reward for devoting your career, your rugby life, to your nation and these amendments will ensure that the international arena is full of players devoted to their nation, who got there on merit,” World Rugby vice-chairman Agustin Pichot said.

Originally published as Revealed: Wallabies’ dream 2019 Japan World Cup draw