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Siya Kolisi before the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal between Japan and South Africa at Tokyo Stadium on October 20, 2019 (Photo by Hannah Peters / Getty Images)
- The Springboks have been drawn alongside Ireland and Scotland in Group B for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
- The host nation is in Group A alongside New Zealand and Italy.
- England, who lost the 2019 World Cup final to South Africa, are in Group D alongside Japan and Argentina, while the Wallabies are in Group C with Wales and Fiji.
the Springboks they were on Monday alongside Ireland and Scotland in Group B for the 2023 Rugby World Cup to be held in France.
The draw was confirmed in Paris, where the world champions met alongside the two giants of the Six Nations.
The two remaining nations in the pool will be ranked teams from the Asia Pacific and Europe regions.
This is the first time the Springboks will face Ireland in the Rugby World Cup, while they have combined with Scotland twice, in 1999 and 2015, and have won both times.
“We are obviously excited about today’s draw, and although the Rugby World Cup in France is almost three years away, it is good to have an end goal to work on,” Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber told through a press release.
“Being in the same group as Ireland and Scotland will be a huge challenge, but to win the tournament, you have to be able to beat all the teams and we will be properly tested in the group stages.
“We saw last year that the margin of error, even during the group stages, at any Rugby World Cup is very small.
“Take, for example, our situation where we just had to win all the group games after our loss to the All Blacks in Japan, to make sure we qualify for the knockout stages.
“If you look at the countries in the top three bands, I would say that each of those teams is capable of beating another on any given day, as evidenced by a team like Japan, which has made great strides in recent years.”
National captain Siya Kolisi said it was exciting to hear who her opponents would be, but emphasized that they are currently targeting next year’s British & Irish Lions series.
“For now, we have to turn our attention to the huge challenge that the British and Irish Lions will bring next year – there is great anticipation, both at home and in the UK, for what promises to be another memorable Lions series in South Africa. . “
It was previously hinted that the Boks could tie alongside hosts France, but they were combined with the All Blacks and Italy in Group A.
England, who lost the 2019 World Cup final to South Africa, are in Group D alongside Japan and Argentina, while the Wallabies are in Group C with Wales and Fiji.
Rugby World Cup 2023 Groups:
Group A
New Zealand, France, Italy, Americas 1, Africa 1
B Group
South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Asia Pacific 1, Europe 2
Group C
Wales, Australia, Fiji, Europe 1, qualifying winner
Group D
England, Japan, Argentina, Oceania 1, Americas 2
