As signposted in this column a few weeks back, the four automatic qualifiers from Europe for RWC 2027 were decided in very short order over the last fortnight in the Rugby Europe Championship 2025.
As widely predicted Georgia, Spain, Romania and Portugal duly filled the top four spots and have two years and seven months to prepare and improve which was a big part of the rationale behind streamlining qualification.
All resources, in some cases limited, can be directed towards developing the squad, not a lengthy, expensive qualification process.
That quartet are now involved in the play-off s...