In typical Joe Schmidt fashion, Ireland's ideal draw for the 2019 World Cup was played down but Scotland and Japan as the seeded opposition provides enormous benefit for the Kiwi to guide Ireland where they have never been before.
“Good, bad and ugly really,” was the initial assessment by Schmidt. “It’s hard to assess where teams are going to be in two years time.”
Scotland is definitely a preference to France, Wales and South Africa – purely based on the attritional nature of each team – as England’s Pool C appears the most treacherous environment of all.
Current Leinster coach Stuart Lancaster lost his position on top of the English tree after they failed to escaped a Pool containing Wales and Australia in 2015.
This time Eddie Jones' two-time Six Nations champions must find a route past Argentina and the French.
“You can look at it two ways,” said Jones. “You got to play well to get through. Australia showed it in 2015 where those tough games helped them for what was ahead. Australia in 2003 [when Jones was the Wallabies coach] we had Ireland and Argentina.
“My experience of the World Cup is two tough games helps you. Everything we do, every game we play and every day we train is aimed at continuously improving and is focussed on our ultimate goal of winning the World Cup.”
Complicated
Schmidt, as usual, adopted a shorter term focus, looking towards next month’s two Test series in Japan following the game against USA in New Jersey.
“June will be complicated for us and a good indication of what will come in two years time as well,” he said of the ideal dry run that other Pool A opponents Scotland experienced last year.
"Japan have progressed a lot," Schmidt continued. "I know [Japan coach] Jamie Joseph and he is a scary man and he will bring some real energy to the group. I know some of his coaching staff too. Together, they will be very, very effective in progressing the team further."
“They got very close to beating Wales last autumn. I think June is going to be very tough for us. This draw today will spark a real interest because people will want an entree of what will be a main meal in two-and-a-bit years’ time.
“We lost to Scotland recently, so it’s a mixed bag, but I think it’s incredibly exciting to draw the host nation. I think the crowd, the enthusiasm and the interest in that game is going to be huge.”
The fixtures, dates and venues will be released in September but Ireland, as first seeds, are set to be part of the tournament’s opening match for the first time.
“It’s incredibly exciting to draw the host nation. the interest in that game is going to be huge.”
Other opponents in Pool A, currently, could be Romania and Tonga. Spain may yet become the Europe 1 team with the play-off winner almost certainly being a Pacific Island nation. Fiji and Samoa are ahead of Tonga in the Oceania qualifying so if that remains the case, Tonga will have to beat one from Russia, Spain, Germany, Romania or Portugal.
Five World Cups
The match of the pool stages promises to be South Africa against New Zealand as these nations share five World Cups between them and contested one of the tournament's greatest ever semi-finals in 2015.
“There is a lot of good history between the two teams and hopefully we both play really great rugby and inspire the tournament to go to a higher level,” said New Zealand coach Steve Hansen.
Spare a thought for Italy coach Conor O’Shea as they make up Pool B with the Springboks and All Blacks. The winners of the group will face the runners-up from Pool A so beating Scotland and Japan appears to be a non-negotiable if Schmidt is to bring Ireland to a semi-final for the first time.
“It’s incredible isn’t it?” said O’Shea. “We are playing against multiple World Cup winners. You want to be playing against those. Are focus is not going to be any different. We are making a lot of changes to Italian rugby. We are going to arrive at that World Cup a much better side.
“But we are on a road in Italian rugby to make it into the power we want it to be. Every side is going to get challenged.”
In November Italy were hammered by the All Blacks but beat South Africa.
Pool D, like 2015, puts Australia and Wales in opposition with Georgia the third seeds.
