The only group that doesn’t have a previous World Cup winner, Pool A features a lot of dark horses that will fancy their chances of making it to the quarterfinal stage.
Playing against the top two of Pool B (with New Zealand and South Africa being favourite to advance from that group), it will only get tougher for the teams from this pool.
Here we look at the respective teams’ chances and World Cup history.
Ireland
World ranking: 1
Best World Cup:
Quarterfinalists 1987, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2011 and 2015.
Key player:
Ireland are dangerous all over the park. Led by experienced hooker Rory Best, they have a strong pack boosted by South African CJ Stander in the looseforward department. A No.9 with a good kicking game in Conor Murray, they also have a rock at the back of the line in Rob Kearney. But the man that will have to be watched by opposition teams is undoubtedly current World Rugby Player of the Year Jonathan Sexton, main image. The flyhalf knows what his team’s strengths are and knows how to get the best out of the team, making him the perfect general.
Prediction:
Heading into the tournament as the world's top-ranked team, Ireland have never been past the quarterfinal stage of the event. They are favoured to get to that stage once again and should top this pool at the end of the pool stages. But then either New Zealand or South Africa await at the tournament stage Ireland have failed to get past to date.
Squad:
Rory Best (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Can Healy, Dave Kilcoyne, Iain Henderson, Jean Kleyn, Peter O’Mahony, Andrew Porter, Rhys Ruddock, James Ryan, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier, Bundee Aki, Joey Carbery, Jack Carty, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Robbie Henshaw, Rob Kearney, Jordan Larmour, Luke McGrath. Conor Murray, Garry Ringrose, Jonathan Sexton, Jacob Stockdale.
TICK: Greig Laidlaw. Photo: Craig Brough/Reuters.
Scotland
World ranking: 7
Best World Cup:
Quarterfinalists 1987, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015.
Key player:
Sorry South African fans, ex-Stormers midfielder Huw Jones and former Lions No.8 Josh Strauss didn't make Scotland’s squad for the World Cup. They will still have SA-born props WP Nel and Allan Dell in their squad though. But the biggest threat on attack will be flyhalf Finn Russell and fullback Stuart Hogg.
The man who makes the Scotland team tick is undoubtedly scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw.
Prediction:
Heading into the World Cup, Scotland only won one match in this year’s Six Nations tournament. But they take some momentum into the tournament, having won their last three matches – beating Georgia twice, as well as getting one over France. They will have to be wary of the threat of Japan and Samoa to get out of the group.
Squad:
Stuart McInally (captain), John Barclay, Jonny Gray, Ryan Wilson, Fraser Brown, Hamish Watson, Zander Fagerson, Gordon Reid, Simon Berghan, Grant Gilchrist, Allan Dell, WP Nel, George Turner, Scott Cummings, Ben Toolis, Blade Thomson, Jamie Ritchie, Greig Laidlaw, Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Peter Horne, Sean Maitland, Duncan Taylor, Ali Price, Darcy Graham, Adam Hastings, Chris Harris, Blair Kinghorn, Sam Johnson, George Horne.
TAKING CHARGE: Michael Leitch. Photo: Issei Kato/Reuters.
Japan
World ranking: 10
Best World Cup:
Pool stage 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015.
Key player:
Japan like to play end-to-end rugby and with the conditions known to the hosts, they will look to tire out opponents. They’ve got the backline to do the work with ball in hand, but they have to work for possession up front. And the man that will lead that charge is captain Michael Leitch.
Prediction:
Having never made it past the pool stage in eight attempts at the World Cup, the world is hoping for a Japan fairytale this time around. They have improved a lot since the days of losing 145-17 to New Zealand at the 1995 World Cup. They have a mountain to climb, but there is a chance that Japan can produce a miracle once again – like they did at the last tournament by beating South Africa.
Squad:
Keita Inagaki, Yusuke Kizu, Jiwon Koo, Isileli Nakajima, Asaeli Ai Valu, Takuya Kitade, Atsushi Sakate, Shota Horie, Luke Thompson, Wimpie van der Walt, Uwe Helu, James Moore, Hendrik Tui, Yohitaka Tokunaga, Michael Leitch (captain), Lappies Labuschagne, Kazuki Himeno, Amanaki Mafi, Kaito Shingeno, Fukiaki Tanaka, Yutaka Nagare, Yu Tamura, Rikiya Matsuda, Kenki Fukuoka, Ataata Moeakiola, Lomano Lemeki, William Tupou, Timothy Lafaele, Kotaro Matsushima, Ryohei Yamanaka.
Samoa
World ranking: 16
Best World Cup:
Quarterfinalist 1995 and 1999.
Key player:
Centre Alapati Leiua is strong and a real threat to the opposition’s midfield. With flyhalf Tusi Pisi, who has a good passing game, feeding him, a lot of Samoa’s attacks will revolve around Leiua. But the man to look out for is twinkle-toed fullback Tim Nanai-Williams, who needs no introduction.
Prediction:
The fear factor is no longer with the Samoa team. Currently ranked 16th in the world, they no longer have guys in the team who will have you shaking in your boots when you have ball in hand. For so long we’ve become used to the likes of Brian Lima and Alesana Tuilagi dominating opponents. Another dark horse, Samoa need a new star and the platform is set for that star to emerge at this tournament.
Tim Nanai-Williams proving his cousin Sonny Bill Williams is human after all! 👏🔥 pic.twitter.com/snFVeN4HLQ
— Rugby Lives (@RugbyLives) June 17, 2017
Squad:
Afaesetiti Amosa, TJ Ioane, Jack Lam, Piula Fa’asalele, Josh Tyrell, Chris Vui, Teofilo Paulo, Kane Leaupepe, Senio Toleafoa, Michael Alaalatoa, Paul Alo-Emile, James Lay, Jordan Lay, Logovi’i Mulipola, Motu Matu’u, Ray Niuia, Seilala Lam, Ed Fidow, Tim Nanai-Williams, Ahsee Tuala, Belgium Tuatagaloa, Henry Taefu, Alapati Leiua, Reynold Lee-Lo, Kieron Fonotia, AJ Atatimu, Tusi Pisi, Ulupano Seuteni, Dwayne Polotaivao, Melani Matavao, Scott Malolua.
Russia
World ranking: 20
Best World Cup:
Pool stage 2011
Key player:
Flyhalf Yuri Kushnarev will run the show for Russia. But winger Vasily Artemyev is the one that can produce that magic moment.
Prediction: ONLY at the tournament after Romania was disqualified for fielding ineligible players. They will be out to keep the scores low in this pool and is not expected to advance to the playoffs.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/RWC2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RWC2019focus on @russiarugby continues with this simply sensational try from Vasily Artemyev v @IrishRugby in 2011 pic.twitter.com/Ko5TdOUrUg
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup)
Squad:
Sergey Chernyshev, Evgeny Matveev, Stanislav Sel’skiy, Azamat Bitiev, Kirill Gotovtsev, Valery Morozov, Vladimir Podrezov, Andrey Polivalov, Evgeny Elgin, Bogdan Fedotko, Andrey Garbuzov, Andrei Ostrikov, Tagir Gadzhiev, Victor Gresev, Roman Khodin , Anton Sychev, Nikita Vavilin, Vitaly Zhivatov, Vasily Dorofeev, Dmitry Perov, Ramil Gaisin, Yuri Kushnarev, Sergey Yanyushkin, German Davydov Centre, Dmitry Gerasimov, Kirill Golosnitsky, Vladimir Ostroushko, Igor Galinovskiy, Denis Simplikevich, Vladislav Sozonov, Vasily Artemyev (captain).
Pool A Fixtures:
September:
- 20: Japan v Russia (12.45pm)
- 22: Ireland v Scotland (9.45am)
- 24: Russia v Samoa (12.15pm)
- 28: Japan v Ireland (9.15pm)
- 30: Scotland v Samoa (12.15pm)
October:
- 3: Ireland v Russia (12.15pm)
- 5: Japan v Samoa (12.30pm)
- 9: Scotland v Russia (9.15pm)
- 12: Ireland v Samoa (12.45pm)
- 13: Japan v Scotland (12.45pm)