Fiji play Samoa this weekend safe in the knowledge they have already qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup after opening their Pacific Nations Cup 2017 with a win against Tonga last weekend. After two wins in the 2016 Pacific Nations Cup, Fiji’s 14-10 victory against Tonga, following Samoa’s 30-26 defeat against Tonga the previous…
It seems the tides are changing in North American rugby, with the United States grabbing the Americas 1 spot at the 2019 Rugby World Cup with a 52-16 drubbing of neighbours Canada, who now have to battle it out with Uruguay for the Americas 2 spot. It was a landmark win for the United States…
The top seeds in the pools for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan were decided this week but two berths in each pool are yet to be decided, although with a little educated guesswork those gaps can be filled. Hosts Japan got probably the best draw possible for them, being pooled with Ireland from…
This weekend the focus of qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup shifts to Asia and South America. On Sunday Malaysia take on the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka face the Philippines in the first round of a tournament that will reward the winner with a place in next year’s Asia Rugby Championship. With…
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…
Hungary’s 37-5 win away to Finland at the weekend means the next phase of Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifying in Europe will see the Stags meet Bosnia and Herzegovina; while the Czech Republic take on Malta. The winners of each play-off game will then battle it out for the right to meet 2017 Rugby Europe…
It’s now just nine days before the 2019 Rugby World Cup pool draw, in Kyoto’s State Guest House on 10 May, but before then Hungary face Finland in a crucial game that will decide the first-round of play-offs for the European slot in the final repechage tournament. If Hungary win on Saturday at Helsinki’s Myllypuro…
The pool draw for the 2019 Rugby World Cup is just 19 days away. Taking place at Kyoto’s State Guest House on 10 May, the draw will decide the composition of the four pools of five teams to challenge for the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan. Of the 20 teams taking part in the 2019…
France turned up for the final on the crest of a wave having defeated Australia in the semi-finals, but the energy their players had expended in that match cost them dearly in the final. New Zealand dominated from start to finish and, after the fireworks of the semis, the final failed to produce the spectacle…
To get to the final England had relied on their forwards and the boot of Rob Andrew but completely threw that plan out of the window in the final, instead opting for a more open game against Australia. The plan backfired as the Wallabies won courtesy of a solitary converted try. As with the 1987…
