Pool D
Last, but not least, we arrive at Pool D. Where, frankly, nobody knows what on earth is going on. As you'll see from the soon-to-be-published, superb drinking game I've knocked together, the term "You never know which French side will show up" is not only reeled out with unimaginative monotony but it's also pretty accurate - although you could use the same description for the other two top sides in the Pool, Ireland and Italy, and even the 'minnows' of Romania and Canada have been known to frustrate from time to time. If you're hoping for an informed prediction on this 'Pool of Possibilities', then I'll do my best to avoid my natural inclination to do a very-French shrug of the shoulders...
France
Coach: Phillipe Saint-Andre. Anyone who reads my blog, aside from needing to get out more, will be aware that I'm not PSA's biggest fan. A superb player, no doubt, but since then he has succeeded in taking a plethora of outrageously talented individuals and extracting total mediocrity from them, through a combination of bizarre selections, positioning, tactics and other confidence-breaking methods. Worryingly, though, despite never finishing higher than fourth in the Six Nations, he seems to have stumbled on a French side that is not only competitive but - dare I say it - efficient...
Captain: Thierry Dusautoir. The French skipper put in one of the all-time great displays in the World Cup final in 2011, a performance of such passion and relentlessness it pretty much won him the World Player of the Year award by itself. Since then, he's been injured and/or out of form for most of the last four years - but, on his day, the skipper is a phenomenal athlete and captain who has the capacity to drag his French team to new levels by himself. If he recovers from his knee troubles and finds form, he is a massive asset.
Key Player: Louis Picamoles. Of course, Wesley Fofana is the purist's choice in the middle, a slick operator at centre, but it's Picamoles who can really fire this French side back to the levels of old. He's only just returned to the squad after almost two seasons of absence - the first after PSA dropped him for 'disrespecting' a referee with sarcastic applause, the second due to a lung infection - but it was evident, just in the warm-up games against England, just how much Les Bleus have missed him. Armed with a superb offloading ability and colossally powerful, his legs are the size of cement mixers and he is near-impossible to stop on the first hit - which is key for a side now placing more and more emphasis on playing gain-line rugby.
Watch out for: Noa Nakaitaci. I could have talked about the quality of Yoann Huget, the heaviest player in the tournament, Uini Atonio, or even Freddie Michalak, who Saint-Andre seems to have trusted with the '10' shirt for one final time. But it is the Fijian-born flyer who really has the potential to light up this World Cup. Blessed with that wonderful balance that so many Fijian wingers seem to have, he adds something completely different for Les Bleus on the wing. He can, however, be a complete liability in defence and go AWOL on occasion, but he'd be boring if he was a complete player, wouldn't he? Now he just has to remember to put the ball down before the dead-ball line...
Strengths: Power. Hmm, not usually the word you associate as being the pillar of French strength, is it? I mean their pack is always traditionally big and aggressive, but usually that's a secondary value to their natural flair, spatial awareness and handling ability, isn't it? Not this French side. And with good reason. With Picamoles back into the pack, they have real ballast at the back of the scrum to complement the likes of Szarzewski, Debaty, Maestri and Nyanga - who are all big carriers themselves - and that's not to mention the human bowling bowl they have in the centres, Mathieu Bastareau. Yes, they still have pace and guile, but their game-plan now very much revolves around an efficient battering of the gain line - and they certainly have the players to excel at that.
Weaknesses: Inventiveness. "Shut up, you toad", I hear you cry. Yes, the French are renowned for cork-popping champagne rugby, but that's a bit outdated. You see, through inconsistent selection (especially of half backs), bizarre and often rigid gameplans, and probably over-coaching, Phillipe Saint-Andre has a side where talented players very rarely express themselves or play 'off the cuff'. In the Six Nations, I lost count of the amount of times that Les Bleus pinched turnover ball only to kick it away, or run a structured 'gain-line' play instead of at least looking for space and opportunity. They clearly have a pack to cause any side problems but, unless they can start taking advantage of opportunities when they're presented - as opposed to just relying on their playbook - they'll struggle to beat the top defences.
Prospects: After four years of turgid-ness, unfulfilled potential and a bizarre selections, PSA looks like he might just have stumbled upon a French side that could cause some damage at this World Cup. It was the same feeling with Marc Lievremont's men prior to the 2011 tournament, and we know how that very nearly went...and, with plenty of survivors from that squad, there is the big game experience when it matters. You also have to take into account that no French side has failed to reach the semi-finals since 1991, a phenomenal record in itself. They have a habit of coming good at key moments and, with signs of a brutally physical side coming together, they may just cause a few surprises again at this World Cup - starting with Ireland.
Ireland
Coach: Joe Schmidt. He looks like a Bond villain, and is just as shrewd and dastardly as one too. After claiming European supremacy with Leinster, the Kiwi has taken the helm of the national side and delivered two consecutive Six Nations titles, the second without the iconic Brian O'Driscoll in the side for first time in about 15 years. He's developed and nearly perfected one of the most intelligent and effective territory-based gameplans around and, until about a month ago, it looked as if his side were unshakeable - although the faintest cracks are just starting to emerge.
Captain: Paul O'Connell. Striding straight out of Mordor, the legendary O'Connell offers full-blooded commitment to the cause, an inspirational work rate and, of course, his patented 'manic aggression'. A mainstay of the Irish engine room for a decade now, this is the last time we'll see the former Lions skipper in green - and you can bet he won't retire wondering 'what-if'.
Key Player: Jonathan Sexton. A world-class operator in the 10 shirt and arguably the finest tactical kicker on the planet - when on form. I have to put that caveat into the equation because, as good as Sexton was in the Six Nations - which was very, very good - he's been rustier than a barge's bottom during these warm-up fixtures. Ireland need him to find his touch again because, when he does, they can boss the territory game against pretty much anyone. When he's a bit off, it only puts his side under pressure and, with Ian Madigan offering nowhere near the same level of control, Schmidt's gameplan comes apart at the seams.
Watch out for: Robbie Henshaw. Sean O'Brien's return to full fitness makes the 'Tullow Tank' a key weapon for the men in green, if he regains his form too, but Henshaw is the man earmarked for great things in the 12 shirt. The Connacht man is strong and athletic, and has that great ability to pick scything lines between players rather than just aiming squarely for an opponent each time. If Sexton takes the ball flat, then Henshaw is the man who can take full advantage.
Strengths: Kicking. In Sexton and Conor Murray that have two of the biggest brainbox's in world rugby, certainly when it comes to understanding the game anyway. Their masterclass was against England this year where, despite the visitors making twice as many yards with the ball in hand and beating far more defenders, they never really looked like scoring. Why? Because they were constantly pinned back in their own half. Very rarely, against top sides, can teams score from there and, in World Cups in particular, that pressure can force teams into making mistakes. It's not sexy rugby by any means, but it's taught this Ireland team the habit of winning games. Also, in this World Cup, their fixtures draw is a massive advantage - it allows them to build up to the bigger games.
Weaknesses: Back-up. What happens if Sexton or Murray have off-days or, even worse, get crocked? Ireland have Eioan Reddan and Madigan to bring on. Both fine players and Madigan, especially, can make things happen with the ball in hand, but neither possess the natural decision-making ability of the first choice half-backs. Without that level of control, Ireland can and often do look a bit directionless. Also, Schmidt will be praying that Mike Ross and Cian Healy remain fit, with a significant talent gap behind them.
Prospects: On paper, this is Ireland's best chance yet to make the semi-finals. They have a decent group which, if they win, paves the way to the last four - although Italy are the only other top-tier nation not to ever make that stage. If you'd have asked me a month ago, I'd have said that Ireland are dark horses for the World Cup, but the warm-up games have shown that they are so reliant on Sexton that, if the fly-half has an off day, they all tend to struggle. They have a cracking run of fixtures which will allow them to build form and momentum before their big games against Italy and France but, the flaws in their game and the fact they've only turned over France 3 times in their last 16 games means that I wouldn't be surprised to see Les Bleus pinch a win.
Coach: Jaques Brunel. The Frenchman's tenure has a worryingly familiar tone to it, when it comes to looking at the previous records of Italian coaches: lots of promise, little delivery. Prime example was in 2013, when Ireland beat France and Ireland in the Six Nations, and then proceeded to go on a 9 match losing streak, losing to Scotland, Samoa, Fiji and Japan on the way. Like the coaches before him, Brunel has found consistency as easy to find a very particular needle in an extra-large big stack of needles.
Captain: Sergio Parisse. AKA, Superman. If Ireland are reliant on Sexton, I don't know how you'd describe the Azzurri's relationship with their skipper. Clingy? Utterly dependent? Something along those lines. Anyway, you get the idea. Parisse is, and has for a long time, been the 'complete' number 8, with a superb athletic ability, a phenomenal all-round skill set and a wonderful rugby brain. In some ways it is a crying shame that he is Italian because it's sadly meant we've never gotten to see what he could achieve at the top level of the international game.
Key Player: Tommaso Allan. Aside from Parisse, obviously, the young man from Perpignan has a huge responsibility, especially as he looks to lock down the 10 shirt for his country. Although Allan could have represented Scotland, he chose Italy and now, in all likelihood, he will have to pull the strings in a jersey that has yet to be suitably filled since the days of Diego Dominguez. That said, Allan does have bags of potential and is a smooth distributor - although his tactical kicking game is still being refined - and he will surely represent a step up after the ill-fated Kelly Haimona 'experiment', which saw the first ever 'crash ball' fly half in international rugby. With Haimona injured and probably relegated in any event, Allan has the responsibility to try and make the most out of some of the talent he has outside him.
Watch out for: Michele Campagnaro. A lesser-known victim of 'that' Wales v Italy warm-up game was Luca Morisi, the centre who lit up the Six Nations, but the season before that it had been Campagnaro who had really caught the eye. At only 22 years of age he has shown enough talent to be snapped up by Exeter - with Rob Baxter quoting his superb ability in defence as a key factor in his signing. Now that doesn't sound like a particularly exciting attribute for a centre, but Campagnaro has no qualms dealing with some of the big names in world rugby and, in open space, he has the footwork and pace to create plenty of havoc himself.
Strengths: The pack. Once again, it's pretty unimaginative on my part, admittedly, but - aside from Parisse - the Italians have some genuinely top-quality and perennially underrated players, with the likes of Ghiraldini, Zanni and Vunisa all effective operators at international level. I'm surprised that Brunel cut the hard-tackling Simone Favaro too, who has always impressed me in an Italian shirt, but the Azzurri scrum remains a potent force at international level and it's usually enough to give them a foothold against any side.
Weaknesses: Consistency. Usually the first thing you do when you're looking for weaknesses in an Italian side is look at the backline, but this is arguably the finest group they've had for a decade, with the likes of Gori, Campagnaro and Venditti all dangerous players. Instead, the evergreen question of why they cannot put together an 80 minute display always comes to the fore. Powerful pack? Check. Promising set of backs? Check. Then why is it a monumental occasion, a national celebration, when they finally put together a display that is the sum of their parts? Too often concentration drops off and, in a World Cup, there is no hiding place from that.
Prospects: Italy can't really go into this tournament with much optimism, having won just 1 of their last 10 games and having never progressed beyond the Pool Stage in World Cup history. On the plus side, though, they do finally have a set of backs that can threaten, on their day, and their two main rivals for the quarter final spots are both sides they have beaten in the last two years. There is an opportunity for the Azzurri. However, the second row does look uncharacteristically lightweight and, with no evidence of any consistency creeping into their game, I suspect we'll see an all too predictable end to Jaques Brunel's reign as head coach and, sadly, to Parisse's World Cup career.
Canada
Coach: Kieran Crowley. Yet another member of the Kiwi coaching brigade, Crowley is one of the longer serving coaches present at the World Cup, having taken the reigns in 2008. He coached Taranaki for 9 years prior to that, so he's a man who likes a project and sticks with it, and he's starting to see the benefits of more and more of his side playing top level rugby in Europe and/or on the Sevens circuit . The former All Black also has good pedigree at World Cup's too, having been part of the victorious 1987 New Zealand squad.
Captain: Tyler Ardron. A pretty surprising choice as captain, given that he's only 24 and, with 20 caps, by no means the most experienced candidate around, but the Ospreys back-rower has proven a key figure for Crowley's men since his debut in 2012 and demonstrated his leadership skills when captaining the Ospreys during the Six Nations. A huge unit, Ardron offers that physicality that the Canadians are renowned for as well as good mobility about the park.
Key Player: Jebb Sinclair. I still refuse to acknowledge 'Jebb' as a word, let alone a name, but the London Irish flanker has proven himself as a huge performer for his country on the international stage. He first sprung to the attention of observers in 2011 with his 'beard of the tournament', but there's more to him than just a decent patch of face-fuzz - he's an aggressive defender who's very strong over the ball and, if claims that the Canucks are aiming for a defensive shut-out this tournament are to be believed, 'Jebb' will be key to that.
One to watch: Jeff Hasler. One of several players to ply his trade in the Pro12, Hasler has had a cracking couple of seasons with the Ospreys, with the first one resulting in the winger getting named in the tournament's 'team of the year' - and, despite being injured for half the season just gone, he still weighed in with 6 tries for his club. An aggressive, nuggety and elusive presence in the wider channels, Hassler is gaining a name for himself as an effective finisher - he just needs to be given a chance.
Strengths: Back row. It's actually quite striking when you look down the Canadian squad just how many names you recognise, so there's so certainly not a shortage of talent in the first choice line-up - and particularly not in the back row, where you'll find the likes of Sinclair, Ardron and John Moonlight who, believe it or not, is a sevens specialist (and sevens captain) and not an adult filmstar. They're a big, quick and abrasive unit who will have no qualms about taking the game to whoever they're facing up against.
Weaknesses: Form. As above, this is a very solid Canada side but they've looked horribly ropey in the build up to the World Cup. With just one win in 2015 (by a single point against Georgia), they lost all their matches in the Pacific nations (including two against the USA) and their set piece was pulverised in their recent game against Fiji. Crowley also won't be too happy that his side lost to Romania last year too, and it all adds up to a side with some potential but little in the way of confidence.
Prospects: The Canucks have a proud record in the competition, having appeared at every single showpiece and winning at least one game at each one - with the exception of 2007, where they could only manage a draw against Japan - but there is little evidence to suggest that they will hit Crowley's target of two wins this time around. Despite some proven campaigners such as Sinclair, Jamie Cudmore, DTH van der Merwe and Hassler, they look short on form and confidence and, although they'll be competitive, they haven't got enough to threaten any of the 'big three' in the pool.
Romania
Coach: Lynn Howells. Another well-respected Welsh coach to venture into uncertain rugby territory, Howells combines a vibrant and colourful personality with a constant 'p*ssed off' facial expression. Tasked with trying to rebuild the glory years of the late 80s (they beat the French) upon his appointment in 2012, the former Welsh international has done well with his limited resources but knows that, to put it mildly, that objective may be more of a long term goal.
Captain: Micai Macovei. Talented and athletic back-rower, who has 64 caps despite being just 28 years old. The Oaks' skipper plays his rugby for Colomiers in the French Pro D2 and is a hard carrier and a real weapon in the set-piece, blessed with Stretch Armstrong-esque arms to compliment his 6 foot 5 frame.
Key Player: Mihai Lazar. One of the handful of Romanian players to play top-level club rugby in France, the 47-capped prop has become one of his country's primary assets, proving his worth as a devastating scrummager whilst also being deceptively mobile around the pitch. In fact, he was so impressive in 2011, that even the New Zealand papers took notice of him - and we all know how much they hate scrummaging. With a Top 14 title with Castres under his belt, Lazar is a genuinely first-rate operator and he will need to do the business in the scrum if Romania are to even threaten bigger sides.
One to Watch: Catalin Fercu. A shining light in an otherwise pretty dim Romanian backline, Fercu is part of the Saracens' squad and, although he's by no means a regular, he did make his Premiership debut at Wembley in front of a record crowd and won the Anglo-Welsh Cup, too. He's got experience (80 caps, despite being just 29), pace and loves to pick lines when running from deep - exactly what you want from your fullback. Plus he knows where the tryline is; one more touchdown this tournament, and he'll be his country's top scorer of all time. He currently has 28.
Strengths: Experience. When you look through the Romanian squad the first thing that strikes you is 'wow, they're old'. Well, when I say old, I mean that 90% of the squad is in their late 20's or 30's, with only seven players under the age of 28. What this means is, whilst it's not the most youthful squad in the tournament, it does boast bags of experience with 12 players holding 50 caps or more, and over half have had a previous taste of the World Cup. With a big, gnarly pack too, it makes the Romanians a dangerous team to underestimate - especially in tight games.
Weaknesses: Backs. When your head coach even admits that your backs are 'not top drawer', you know you're in trouble. Going along with the traditional Romanian game, the side places a lot of emphasis on forward power but lacks finesse behind the scrum, with Fercu the only fairy-boy to play his rugby outside of Romania. The harsh truth is that, against the bigger sides, the Romanian backs are mostly there to defend and make up the numbers - by way of example, centre Minya Csaba Gal has just 4 tries in 84 tests. There are props with better records.
Prospects: As expected, the Romanian pack will be a tough prospect even for the 'tier one' nations, but once they get a grip on the sizeable Eastern-European trucks charging their way, the Oaks will struggle to hold their own. Their display against Scotland, in particular, in 2011 will have given them some hope that they may threaten an upset, but I can't see any of the Italian, French or Irish packs allowing them even parity for more than a half - especially seeing as they were turned over by Edinburgh and Georgia in their warm-up games, whilst only managing a draw against Championship side Yorkshire Carnegie. Their target match should be Canada but, on current form, I can't see them nicking that either.
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