Rugby World Cup Groups 2015: Key Storylines in Pool A
Australia, England, Fiji, Uruguay and Wales make up Pool A of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and the pool is looking like the most fascinating of all.
With the group featuring three of the world’s top five teams, as per World Rugby rankings, at least one heavyweight will exit the tournament at this stage.
This is a group of unlucky teams, home comforts, veterans seeking redemption and big-name cross-code converts.
In the following slides, Bleacher Report outlines five key storylines to follow during the much-anticipated Pool A.
Wales’ Injuries
How will Wales deal with injuries to two of their most important players, Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Webb, so close to the tournament?
Fly-half Dan Biggar will be the player most affected. He will have to do without his halfback partner Webb and shoulder the kicking burden from Halfpenny.
After their match against Italy, the Ospreys stand-off noted, as per the Daily Mirror: “Everyone knows it was a disastrous day all in all. It’s the worst-case scenario to have injuries to two key players just a couple of weeks before the tournament starts.”
The absence of Halfpenny and Webb will be felt all the more given the cruel luck that also befell the intelligent centre, Jonathan Davies.
The exciting Liam Williams will replace Halfpenny, but Wales will miss the Toulon full-back in defence and from the tee. Biggar is a good place-kicker in Halfpenny’s absence, but he lacks Halfpenny’s accuracy when the range of the kicks is increased. Wales may have to kick to the corner when they get penalties 45-50 metres out.
Webb, Wales’ first-choice scrum-half for a year now, will also take some replacing. His sniping runs from the base fix the opposition’s defenders around the ruck, meaning those around him are given less attention.
Wales’ chances of making it out of the pool are diminishing rapidly.
Australia’s Exiles Return
Australia made the pragmatic move in April to reverse their policy of not picking overseas-based players, by making an exception for 60-cap internationals with seven years of contractual service with Australian rugby.
The key beneficiary is Toulon playmaker Matt Giteau, who will pull strings for the Wallabies from inside centre.
Giteau, 32, has 96 caps and will look to provide the guile in midfield to complement the imposing Tevita Kuridrani. Having been left out of the Wallaby squad for the 2011 World Cup by then-coach Robbie Deans, Giteau will be all the more motivated in England.
Unfair on Fiji
Fiji have not only been drawn in the toughest pool, but they are also hampered by the scheduling of the tournament.
As examined in Rugby World, Fiji have two fixtures with the minimum three- or four-day rest period between their previous encounters, while Australia and Wales have one, and England none.
To make matters worse, like Uruguay, Fiji have to play Wales at their home ground, the soon-to-be-renamed Millennium Stadium.
Fine in principle to play World Cup fixtures in Wales, but why give non-hosts home advantage for two pool games?
The Ex-League Legion: Sam Burgess and Israel Folau
Two of the biggest storylines to follow in the group and the 2015 Rugby World Cup as a whole revolve around a couple of multiple-code internationals.
Australia fullback Israel Folau has already represented his country in a world cup—the 2008 rugby league tournament. After a couple of years playing Australian rules with Greater Western Sydney, Folau moved to union and joined the New South Wales Waratahs for the 2013 campaign.
After starring in his debut series for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions, Folau has 18 tries from 33 matches. If he can find his best form this World Cup, Folau will be on course to go down as a sporting legend. To do that, he must be consistently strong in the air and in defence.
Sam Burgess: Where to start? The questions have been on everyone’s lips. What is his best position? Should he have been in England’s training squad? Should he have made the 31?
Will he make the matchday 23? No matter how England perform, stories and debates will follow Burgess throughout the World Cup.
“You’ll Never Win Anything with Kids”
In the round-ball game, Alan Hansen, the former Liverpool defender and pundit, famously declared that Manchester United’s 1995-96 squad was too young to compete for the title.
What about hosts England at this Rugby World Cup? Is it too soon for this crop of players?
As per AllSportsNews, 18 of the 31 are aged 26 or under. Will the fearless youth mitigate the pressure of a home World Cup, or will inexperience tell?