Japan coach Jamie Joseph will have been delighted after a good 2019 Rugby World Cup pool draw saw the hosts miss the southern hemisphere big guns of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

Japan will face Ireland and Scotland; plus Europe 1, likely to be Romania; as well as the winner of the play-off between the third-placed team in the Pacific Tri-Nations and the winner of the European play-off series, possibly Spain or Portugal.

"Japan haven't beaten Ireland or Scotland to date, so it is going to be a big challenge, but any group we got was going to be a challenge," said Joseph.

Twenty nations will take part in the tournament and have been drawn into four groups of five.

The 12 teams, including holders New Zealand, who finished in the top three of their groups at the last World Cup automatically qualified for the event.

They were split into three bands based on their ranking, with eight more teams yet to be decided.

The All Blacks, England, Australia and Ireland were in band one, France, Scotland, South Africa and Wales made up band two and Argentina, Georgia, Italy and Japan are in band three. The teams yet to qualify were in the two remaining pots.

Holders New Zealand were drawn with South Africa and Italy in Pool B; while the northern hemisphere’s only winners, England, are in Pool C with France and Argentina. Wales and Australia are in Pool D with Georgia.

The full draw
Pool A: Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Europe 1, play-off winner
Pool B: New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Africa 1, repechage winner
Pool C: England, France, Argentina, Americas 1, Oceania 2
Pool D: Australia, Wales, Georgia, Oceania 1, Americas 2