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With barely a month to go before the world’s best rugby players converge on England to take part in the World Cup, it’s time to take a look at how Canada’s pool partners – Ireland, Italy, France, and Romania – are getting on heading into this vital stretch.
IRELAND
Canada’s first opponents approach the tournament with heaps of momentum as two-time defending Six Nations Champions and with only two losses on their record since the start of 2014. In that time they have defeated every other Tier 1 nation apart from New Zealand, an amazing record that has vaulted them into a record 2nd spot on the official World Rugby rankings. Joe Schmidt is regarded as one of the great thinkers on the game, and in Jonny Sexton they possess one of the world’s best at no10. Having dismantled Wales on the weekend, they now face Scotland on Saturday before meeting Wales again – this time in Dublin – and lastly England at Twickenham to complete their World Cup run-in.
ITALY
The Azzurri are basically the polar opposites of Ireland, having won only twice in the past 18 months and dropping to 14th overall, only marginally higher than Japan. Their only saving grace was avoiding the Six Nations Wooden Spoon by edging Scotland at Murrayfield this past February. Their starting flyhalf – Kelly Haimona – is out of the tournament having failed to recover sufficiently from a broken arm, and Jacques Brunel has looked bereft of inspiration heading into his final campaign as head coach. Their squad features loads of experience, but will it be one campaign too far for some? A final week-long training camp will take place in Turin before their home-and-away series with Scotland, and a one-off test in Cardiff against Wales to put a wrap on their dress rehearsals.
FRANCE
Who knows what France are up to? Much of the time it seems like they themselves have no idea. Les Bleus continue to be wildly unpredictable and under head coach Philippe Saint-Andre they have looked professionally headless. Somehow they still occupy the 7th spot on the world rankings despite sporting a losing record of 7-9 since last February. Away from home they have won just two of eight matches in that time. There is no question about talent in the side, the question is, as ever, which France will show up? With their first choice side still far from being settled, their preparations kick off with two games against World Cup hosts England, before a week’s rest and a final home match in Paris against Scotland.
ROMANIA
After a stunning year in 2013 in which they lost only their final match to Fiji, the Oaks have since maintained a very respectable 12-6 record against similarly ranked opponents. They currently occupy the 17th spot on the world table, comfortably sandwiched between USA and Canada. While the Eagles have beaten Romania in Bucharest last November, Canada has fallen on both trips to the capital in back-to-back year end tours. Head coach Lynn Howells will have a full strength side to choose from in September, and has even added four import players to bolster his options. Their warm-up matches are already underway, having drawn yesterday in a scrimmage with Yorkshire Carnegie, and will continue against Edinburgh next weekend before a test against Tonga on home soil on September 5.
Pool D kicks off with Canada’s opening match against Ireland at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, September 19, with France lined up against Italy at Twickenham later that day.
