Rugby World Cup 2023 promises to be a carnival as lopsided draw threatens the old order amid England’s woes

The 10th Rugby World Cup is about to kick off across the Channel and will be the biggest global showpiece the sport has ever seen.

From the moment hosts France and dangerously wounded New Zealand usher in Friday night’s opener in Paris, the tournament is destined to unfold as a glorious antidote to the recent gloom surrounding rugby.

It promises to be a compelling and unpredictable sports spectacle for eight weeks.

Mail Sport’s CHRIS FOY dives into what’s ahead…

REMEMBER THE Gorge

This will be a chronically unbalanced situation World Cupdue to the premature draw leaving all the strongest teams in one half.

It’s ridiculous that two countries from France, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa will be out after the quarter-finals as they are all potential champions, but this extreme group of contenders means a greater chance of shock.

There are two Pools of Death: Pool B, where Scotland’s emergence means things are not easy for the Springboks and the Irish, and Pool C, which features Australia, Wales, Fiji and Georgia plus the minnows Portugal, where the presence of Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland has covered the mind games.

The draw gives staggering England – who will have an easier, but by no means easy, task against Argentina, Japan, Samoa and debutants Chile – hope of reaching the last four.

CARNIVAL ACROSS THE CANAL

It took some shady politics and horse trading before the French could snatch the hospitality rights from under South Africa’s nose, but there’s no questioning the Gallic ability to be great hosts.

There are several shiny, renovated or brand new arenas, especially those in Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne.

More importantly, the public in France is extremely engaged, as evidenced by the sold-out matches and lively atmosphere at the country’s most important club matches.

About 12,000 people showed up to attend an Ireland training session in Tours. Astonishing. There will be noise, color and fire, drums and trumpets, torches and flags.

French rugby is in the midst of a historic boom and that will be evident to a large, global audience.

WHO WILL WIN IT?

Predictions are more difficult than ever as the hierarchy continues to shift as the World Cup approaches.

France emerged as favourites, but Ireland defeated them in February en route to a Grand Slam and world No. 1 ranking. New Zealand won the rugby championship to bolster their resurgence but were destroyed by South Africa in a record 35-7 defeat at Twickenham last month.

The imbalance of the tournament creates opportunities for countries like England, Wales and Australia, but the other half will be the winner and it could only be a Northern Hemisphere country for only the second time.

There goes… France and the Springboks top their respective groups, sending off the Irish and All Blacks respectively and then meet in the final.

For now, this observer will cling to the long-held belief that France will become champion in front of its own people.

A NEW WORLD ORDER

Prepare for disruptions. Fiji’s historic victory over England at Twickenham proved that the Pacific Islanders are ready and able to threaten the old order.

In fact, Simon Raiwalui’s side has what it takes to even reach the semi-finals, having added set-piece steel and organization to their instinctive individual brilliance.

With adequate rest periods in place for all competing teams, Fiji aren’t the only ones who can turn the cozy establishment’s cages upside down.

Georgia is also capable of taking big scalps, having gone through the opposite process of adding flair to their legendary scrum power.

And following an overhaul of the entry rules, Samoa is bolstered by former stars from Australia and New Zealand, who are confident they can compete for a spot in the knockout stages. The status quo is on thin ice. What amazing.

DARK CLOUDS OVER DISCIPLINE

Amid all the optimism, there is an air of nagging concern about the specter of disciplinary unrest.

The crackdown on high tackles continues to cause mayhem, with a deluge of yellows and red cards affecting so many games and threatening to disrupt the tournament in terrible fashion.

At the very least, the advent of the ‘bunker’ rating system during matches should minimize the risk of major miscarriages of justice. It is a positive development in the pursuit of keeping the sport as fair and safe as possible.

TACTICAL TRENDS

The best sides produce an effective mix of pragmatism and offensive adventure. Speculative boxing from ‘caterpillar’ rucks is no longer the weapon of choice, although England still uses it all too often for viewing comfort.

Instead, tactical kicking has become more selective and varied in the pursuit of space. Even South Africa, labeled as boring for so long, are holding the ball more to unleash their new deadly outside defenders.

France plays a territorial game, but also has lethal runners who can break away from deep, especially prolific wing Damian Penaud. Scotland has also joined the expansion movement.

There is increasing innovation in attacking lineouts and expect the Springboks’ rivals to copy their ‘Bomb Squad’ policy to fill the bench with as many as seven forwards.