If you didn’t know about the now infamous 2023 World Cup draw, you must have been living under a rock.
Column after column, tweet after tweet has been written about this widely regarded farcical draw. Simply the top 5 sides all on one side of the group, only two will make it past the Quarter Finals.
Now, I think we can all agree it was drawn stupidly early, it’s unfair, and completely lobsided. World Rugby has accepted as much.
The timing of the draw makes no sense and has effectively skewed it in the favour of England and Wales who were far better sides in early 2020.
But in a world gone by these pools like almost even. Ireland never delivers in a World Cup, Scotland got smashed by Japan four years ago and France haven’t won a knockout game since 2011.
This is compared to a side featuring regular semi-finalists in Australia (2015/2011), Wales (2011,2019) and finalist in England 2019. Arguably the recent world cup pedigree is weighted on the supposedly lesser side of the draw. Now in caveat, I don’t think neither of these sides win the Webb Ellis trophy, but who can argue that it doesn’t mock up more compelling matches than ever.
And let’s be honest, this draw is skewed unintentionally from the astonishing rise of France and Ireland, when have we ever headed into a World Cup with four potential winners with nothing between them. Every acknowledges this is set to be the most exciting tournament for some time.
The Kiwis have been strong favourites for every World Cup dating back to 2003, it isn’t World Rugby’s fault that this year’s field is the most competitive in a generation.
Yes, the draw is heavily lobsided, but doesn’t it automatically create astonishing drama from minute one of the first game.
Unlike tournaments gone by, we won’t have to wait to the knockouts for the most competitive high intensity matches, the compelling drama will be with us from the very first whistle all the way through to the final and you’ve got the draw to thank for that.
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