2019 Rugby World Cup

I dont think we will get very far with our current crop of players, and if Cootzee is still at the helm, we will fall in the QF
 
http://english.kyodonews.net/news/2...hts-turn-to-preparing-for-uncontrollable.html

Rugby: With draw done thoughts turn to preparing for uncontrollable

"It's a challenge for teams to adapt to Japan if they've not been here," said former Brave Blossoms and current England coach Eddie Jones.

"The weather in a tournament is important and if you haven't played here before it can be a shock. In September it's hot and humid and can rain a lot and in October the grounds get hard and fast so you need to play two styles of rugby. There could be a few upsets in the first round if teams are not prepared."

...

Hansen saw his team, the two-time defending champions, grouped in Pool B with South Africa, Italy, Africa 1 and the Repechage winner.

"Two years gives you a lot of time to prepare," he said. "The weather, heat, humidity are all things we need to plan for."

...

Ireland -- one of Japan's opponents in Pool A along with Scotland, Europe 1 and the winner of the Europe/Oceania playoff -- travel here in June to play two tests and coach Joe Schmidt was looking forward to getting used to the conditions.

"In Dublin, it doesn't get too warm too often so I am going to enjoy the challenge and opportunity," he said.
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It seems that the weather will come into play, to take note that snow came early last year in Japan up in the North. I wonder whether the Springboks will get a tour to Japan prior to the RWC or at least play there at a neutral venue on the year-end tour?
 
mbayshark said:
Looking at Springbok rugby over the past 4 or so years the curve has not really been upwards has it. No signs of anything changing over the next 2. But yes, speculation. So let's hope I get proved wrong.
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not speculation at all imo, nothing could possibly go right enough the next 2 years to bring anyone any confidence in the Boks
 
England wants to play Japan next year. A training camp in June in Japan where they will probably play a neutral test (or two) and some Top League teams as warmups. Then they want Japan to play them at Twickenham on the year-end schedule. Japan receiving much attention now that they are RWC hosts.
 
South Korea is about to embark on a 4-match tour to New Zealand. Oh... they will be using this to build on securing there possible repechage place. Matches include a Taranaki invitational, Counties Manukau and North Harbour, these matches were made possible by South Korea’s coach John Walters and Deon Muir which coached and played at Waikato.
 
http://english.kyodonews.net/news/2...at-twickenham-hold-camp-in-japan-in-2018.html

EXCLUSIVE: Rugby: England may play Japan at Twickenham, hold camp in Japan in 2018

And how confident would Jones be if a game against the darlings of the 2015 World Cup were to materialize?

"There's no way Japan will beat us," he said.

...

One of the concerns Jones foresees -- not only for England but also for the 18 other visiting sides -- during the Sept. 20-Nov. 2 tournament is the weather.

The heat and humidity can still be punishing then, and the half-Japanese Jones is prepared to alter England's playing style if need be at a time of the year when the ball can become like a bar of wet soap.

The climate could impact Asia's first World Cup to a point where upsets could be produced, said Jones, who orchestrated the mother of all upsets himself with Japan two years ago in Brighton against South Africa.

"The good teams will find allowances, find ways of doing it. We're going to have to work at it so I'm going to bring some of my staff here this year to do a dummy tour of the World Cup, and I want to bring the England team here for a training camp in June next year. No game, just training camp, probably for a week after the two tests. We might even have a camp in Roppongi," he said, referring to one of Tokyo's red-light districts.

"I think it'll be tough in Japan because it's in the middle of September, and you could get one of those hot, humid nights or days where the ball is like a piece of soap."

"My first game when I came back to Suntory (Sungoliath) and took them to Toyota Stadium, if we held the ball for more than three phases it was a miracle. The ball was that slippery."

...

"So if you get one of those nights in September, teams won't be prepared for it. Then there could be upsets. Those conditions really test players not only physically, but mentally."

Jones said Japan's unique culture -- which was mentioned by several coaches at the draw -- is another factor that could sway the competition, the first to be organized by a nation not in World Rugby's "Tier 1."

"Just players coping with living in Japan is going to be different. Some teams will adapt really easily. So, for instance, the Fijians will love it here. Some teams will really grow here and some will struggle because it's a unique culture," he said.

"I've just been checking hotels in Kobe in case we stay here, and every (swimming) pool has got no tattoos allowed. If the Wallabies come here, half the team won't be able to go into the pool. Probably a third of the English team won't be able to go in. In other countries, nobody worries about tattoos."
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Unfortunate to say but I don't see the current coach with the current structures able to turn the Springbok ship around in 24 months. SA rugby needs a total rethink from the ground up, Coetzee on his own won't be able to fix us all of a sudden.
 
Coetzee is not the coach to take us to a world cup winning team. That was proven last year. He had the stormers going downhill towards the end of his time with them and then moved on to do the same with the Boks.
 
Japan has narrowly beaten Hong Kong 16-0 in Hong Kong. Only 1 try in the game, a questionable try. Though this is an 2nd string Japanese team, many whom played here are likely to represent Japan at the 2019 RWC. Poor game by the Cherry Blossoms, riddled with errors. All-in-all, it seems that Hong Kong will grasp at the opportunity to play in the 2019 RWC.
 
Andrew Durutalo will be leaving the Eagles Sevens to group up with the Eagles. The USA is pulling in their players in preparation, this includes players based overseas as well as Marty Veale which coaches at the Kubota Spears. Veale is a Kiwi turned American on retirement, he coached rugby league in the US and the US Military Academy rugby team at West Point, New York.

John Mitchell is busy. They still need to earn their place at the 2019 RWC in Pool C (oh!) or Pool D.
 
The All Blacks are announcing a touring schedule to Japan in 2018 today. So, it seems that the Springboks will be missing on an opportunity to experience the weather conditions in Japan prior to the Rugby World Cup. Near every tier 1 team has announced a tour to Japan or has already toured Japan in the year-end window, except us… Most other tier 2 teams regularly play rugby in Japan, like every island team, USA and Canada.

This is not good. SARU needs to plan.

EDIT:

All Blacks vs Cherry Blossoms - Nov. 3 2018 in Tokyo
 
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Fiji has qualified, beating Tonga 14-10. Pool D has only the America 2 qualifier spot still open.
 
Thursday, 2 November 2017

Springboks open RWC 2019 against All Blacks

The Springboks will kick off their 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan with a blockbuster opening encounter against the reigning champions, New Zealand, on Saturday 21 September in the International Stadium Yokohama.

World Rugby announced the draw for RWC 2019 in Tokyo on Thursday morning (SA time) – the tournament will start on Friday, 20 September with a match between the hosts, Japan, and the qualifier from Europe.

The tournament will culminate with the Final on 2 November 2019 in Yokohama.

South Africa, World Cup champions in 1995 and 2007, face three-time winners New Zealand in the first of four matches during the pool stages of the tournament.

The last time the Springboks and All Blacks clashed at the World Cup was in 2015, when New Zealand defeated South Africa by two points in an epic semi-final match at Twickenham in London, England. The Boks then overcame Argentina in the third-place playoff to clinch the bronze medal.

Following their huge opening encounter against their traditional rivals, the Springboks’ next group match is against the top qualifying team from Africa, on 28 September at the City of Toyota Stadium.

In their third group match, the Springboks play Italy on Friday 4 October in the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa. Kick off, as in the case of the first two matches, is set for 18h45 local time (11h45 SA time).

The Springboks finish their group fixtures four days later in the Kobe Misaki Stadium against the repechage winner, with this match starting at 19h15 (12h15 SA time).

In his reaction to the match schedule draw, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee said the opener against New Zealand will be a huge match in every sense.

“We play the number one side in the world at the moment and we are aware how good they are,” said Coetzee.

“The Test match in Cape Town has given our players a lot of belief and if we keep on improving then it will make for an even more interesting match.

“We are really excited to meet them first up, there is a great and proud rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks and judging by past encounters between the two sides, this opening group match is bound to be another massive contest.”

The Springbok coach added his team has serious respect for Italy and the other two group contenders: “If you look at the November Tests in the Northern Hemisphere, you will see how competitive each of those test matches are. We have a lot of respect for all the teams in our pool and it important to have prepared very well for each match.”

The quarter-finals are scheduled for 19 and 20 October (in Oita and Tokyo), followed by the two semi-finals on 26 and 27 October (both in Yokohama) and the bronze medal match on 1 November (in Tokyo).

The full match schedule for the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019 is available at www.rugbyworldcup.com. The ticketing programme was also announced on Thursday and World Rugby encouraged supporters planning to attend the tournament to register their interest via the official ticketing website.

The Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup match schedule is (with local and SA times):
Saturday, 21 September: South Africa vs New Zealand, International Stadium Yokohama (18h45 / 11h45)
Saturday, 28 September: South Africa vs Africa 1, City of Toyota Stadium (18h45 / 11h45)
Friday, 4 October: South Africa vs Italy, Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa (18h45 / 11h45)
Tuesday, 8 October: South Africa vs Repechage winner, Kobe Misaki Stadium (19h15 / 12h15)

Issued by SA Rugby Communications
 
Hmm, not sure if it's a good thing or not that we face them first. On the one hand, facing them first means they haven't had the chance to build up any momentum. On the other, we might be just as rusty.
 
That's a juicy way to get a RWC started. Just hope we actually turn up for a game of rugby and don't get routed in front of the entire rugby-watching world.
 
Luckily being grouped with them means the rest of the competition in our pool is not that strong. Should reach the quarters then at least.
 
mbayshark said:
Luckily being grouped with them means the rest of the competition in our pool is not that strong. Should reach the quarters then at least.
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Then it is either Ireland or Scotland in the quarters, which should be winnable.
 
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