Preparations for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup took a proper step forward today with the announcement of the six pools for the biggest edition of the tournament yet. The expanded 24-team format for Australia brings six pools of four and is meant to open the game up to more fans (where they need more fans).
From a Scotland point of view the first reaction is fairly predictable: of course we’ve drawn Ireland again.
Scotland land in Pool D with Ireland, Uruguay and Portugal. The two Tier 2 sides offer a decent chance to build momentum, but the whole thing still revolves around that familiar green brick wall. Ireland have dominated this fixture during Gregor Townsend’s time in charge (W0-L11), and Scotland have spent most of the past decade on the wrong end of the scoreline. The last win came back in 2017, and the meetings since have followed a fairly grim pattern. It has reached the stage where pulling Ireland out of a World Cup draw barely raises an eyebrow. It is simply what happens.
Still, it could have been a tougher draw and there is no South Africa this time at least. Uruguay showed plenty of spirit in 2023 and Portugal became everyone’s second team with some dazzling play of the sort we love around these parts, but Scotland should expect to handle both if they arrive with any kind of composure. That leaves Ireland – once again – as the hurdle that decides whether this World Cup has any meaningful depth to it or fizzles out early. Nothing new there.
Across the rest of the tournament, Pool A brings together New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Hong Kong China for probably the ideal local derby for TV viewing to open the tournament. Pool B features South Africa, Italy, Georgia and Romania. Pool C has Argentina, Fiji, Spain and Canada. Pool E pairs France, Japan, USA and Samoa, while Pool F rolls out England, Wales, Tonga and Zimbabwe.
Wait, are we in the Pool of Death?
From Scotland’s angle, the pool offers a mix of promise and inevitability. The route is there, but so is the familiar sticking point. If Townsend is still in charge by 2027, which is currently not a given, it would finally require a performance against Ireland that breaks the cycle rather than repeats it. If someone else is wearing the head coaches jacket, they will inherit a task that has tripped up some of Scotland’s finest talents for generations multiple times, and to be fair our best coach of the professional era. Scotland will play Ireland twice before then in the Six Nations so next year’s clash in Dublin already has more importance.
Scotland know exactly what needs to be done. Whether they can actually do it is, as ever, the question.
For more news and information, including how to access tickets in the presale and secure your tickets, visit rugbyworldcup.com/2027.
21 responses
Ireland again, Uruguay & Portugal in the World Cup 2027 draw according to the BBC.
Toonie’s third crack at Ireland in a RWC pool stage – what could possibly go wrong. France in the round of 16 if we finish second in the group. Looks like another early departure before the QFs.
Finish second & we meet France & then home.
We have to beat Ireland sometime. The way things are at 9th we were destined to meet a big dog. Might as well be one we have never beaten before . As for France in the next round , we can and have beaten them. However does anyone feel good about our inconsistency just now.
I am only glad we avoid Italy as they are much better than their current ranking and if they continue on their trajectory , they will be very competative. Something is not right for us. We are bemoaning what is not a bad draw . That is not the same as saying it is a good one. Shows how we are feeling as supporters.
Yep, third time in a row, an absolutely crushingly bad draw.
We’re in one of only two groups where the runner up plays a group winner in the last 16. If things go to form, Fiji will play Wales in the first knockout round, Australia will play Japan. We get France. I don’t know what ancient burial ground Townsend lives on, but the draws have never been remotely kind to him.
On the flip side, if we do beat Ireland, we have a last 16 game against a 3rd place team, and then a QF against (likely) Argentina. Or if we finish second and beat France, we have Fiji or Wales for a place in the semis. So if we can find it in us to beat one or the other of them, the draw really opens up. Where we are now, I can’t see it. But 22 months is a long time….
Townsend will be humiliated this 6N. If we can see it , what must it be like in the squad?
Townsend said “It’s an easier road to the quarter-finals & semi-finals if you can win your pool”, nothing like stating the blatantly obvious but the big problem is him. How many out of form favourites will he select instead of form players, we’ve seen this movie before.
Would love to see what Joe Schmidt could do with our squad at a RWC. He knows Ireland inside out and seems to have that knack of grinding out wins in big games which Toonie certainly lacks. This will be the last chance for many of our players to do something meaningful at a RWC and I just don’t trust Toonie to beat Ireland or France.
I think Toonie needs at least 3 wins at the 6N to keep his job. Anything less and I’d twist. Schmidt or Franco to get their feet under the table post 6N and release Toonie to Newcastle as their DoR.
We only got 2 wins last year and we had 3 home games. Apparently Toonie thought the fans were expecting too much in the AI’s. (Fans = Actually they are customers, because of customers, we get sponsors and TV revenue). But it is all about players and fans IMO.
I guess the rule of thumb is you win your home games. We only have 2 . Winning on the road is considered a big ask. I cannot see us winning 3 games. Maybe we will get a surprise.
We should be aiming to beat Wales, Italy and one of England or France IMO. I know Italy will be strong at home but its a game we should be targeting. We were very unlucky against England last year and were on the wrong end of some poor officiating. We absolutely have it in us to beat them with home advantage.
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I do not agree .
At the start of the 6 nations 2025 England were 7th in the World Rugby Rankings and Scotland were 6th.
Here we are in December 2025 and England are 3rd and Scotland are 9th. That is a swing of 6 places.
I can just see someone coming and and commenting that third is not a fair assessment of England , but even if they are 2 places worse and we are 2 places better. That is still 2 places ahead of us.
But do you know what , they are not , they are 6 places ahead of us.
Italy were 10th at the start of the 6 nations and are still 10th. They are at home.
I would like to know what Toonie is forcasting for Scotland. If he thought the fans were expecting too much in the AI’s , it makes me wonder what are his expectations.
If Toonie needs three wins to keep his job, on a scale of 1 to 10 he is goosed. I am sure he does not need any wins to keep his job, he is totally untouchable.
As long as fans keep rocking up, and the sponsors keep paying up , he is rock solid.
I’m well aware of what the rankings say. England have taken care of business since the last 6N while we haven’t. We have slipped up against the likes of Fiji and Argentina. It’s that simple but I remember us competing well at Twickenham less than a year ago and lost due to some questionable officiating. Freeman’s try was hastily awarded by Brousset even though it didn’t appear to be grounded (Freeman even admitted as much himself post match) and we were also on the wrong end of other decisions that gifted England points from the tee. We absolutely have it in us to win the CC back at Murrayfield next year despite the gulf in rankings.
Surely there’s no way Schmidt comes back North – he’s already bailing on the Wallabies before their home World Cup it seems like family is more important than work at the moment…
I admit he’d be unlikely to come but given Nucifora’s relationship with him it’d be worth sounding him out IMO. Otherwise I think Franco has earned it given his success and consistency at Glasgow..
think I’ve said before but wooden spoon a real possibility this time in 6N- danger in every game. That would surely prompt a change – maybe thats what is needed
It’s almost getting to the point where a horrific run is the only thing that would prompt change, but even that would waste another 6N waiting for improvement…
It is a high price to pay and it feels like we have already paid it .
I said before that I will never want Scotland to lose but a poor 6N may be the short term pain that leads to long term gain.
It is concerning how Townsend seems to think that he isn’t part of the problem and that fans are expecting too much. I get the feeling that he wants to be this innovative coach who plays attractive stuff against tier 2 opposition but accepts mediocrity against tier one opponents. We lack dog and a winning mentality under him.
Now that is how a Scottish team steps it up and delivers in the second half to claim a win against a top class opponent. Congrats Glasgow and Franco Smith. Hopefully you’ll get the chance to do the same with Scotland soon.
The same players that go in 21 points to nil up against Argentina wearing the scottish jersey , go into the changing room 21 – nil points down and come out to win againtst the 6 times European champions, wearing a Glasgow Jersey !
What is the difference , it is the same players .
Even a five year old wain newly arrived from Mars can work it out.
As a Glasgow fan , I do not want to lose Franco. However I am clear that we are underperforming as a nation.
Regardless of how bad Glasgow were in that first half (conditions were indeed foul) it must be clear that Franco is VERY good at team talks, whether through tactical nous or screaming at them who knows!