Rugby World Cup tickets are on full sale as France 2023 will begin this year, with France taking on New Zealand in the opening match, which has all the makings of a classic.
The tournament should officially begin with the match between Les Bleus and the three-time champions, but other scheduled games have caught our attention.
Os Lobos will participate in their first Rugby World Cup game in 16 years when they take on Wales in Nice on 16th September 2023, thanks to Portugal’s 20th and final spot in France 2023.
It will be the first time since a match in 1994 that the two European nations will meet in a test match.
Seven games during the pool round could significantly impact how the competition plays out.
New Zealand vs France, 8th September, Stade de France
The Rugby World Cup 2023 will begin with a bang when the hosts and All Blacks square off in the first game at the Stade de France. Seven Rugby World Cup matches between the two countries have given them a wealth of combined tournament expertise.
The teams first met in the 1987 RWC championship game at Eden Park, which New Zealand won 29-9. Later, the two countries reconnected for the 2011 RWC final game, which the All Blacks won 8-7.
However, the RWC 1999 semifinal between the sides, in which Les Bleus overcame a 24-10 deficit to win 43-31 at Twickenham, may have been the most exciting game between the teams.
The opening match of the RWC 2023 will be the only previous pool stage match between the two teams. There are still games against Italy, Uruguay, and Namibia to play, so the outcome of this match will be critical in determining who wins Pool A.
Japan vs England, 17th September, Stade de Nice
England’s second Pool D matchup will be against Japan in Nice, as coach Eddie Jones indicated on the team’s calendar. Jones led the Brave Blossoms to three victories at the 2015 RWC, including the triumph over South Africa known as the “Brighton Miracle.” He helped the group become a significant force on the international stage.
Replacing him, Japan will be convinced they have the talent to move from their pool for the second consecutive Rugby World Cup because Jamie Joseph has maintained that growth. However, if England were to defeat Argentina in their opening game in France 2023, Jones’ team would have the opportunity to all but assure their advancement, as games against Samoa and Chile would follow this one.
The previous encounter between the two nations occurred at the 1987 Rugby World Cup when England defeated Australia 60-7 in Sydney. Since then, they’ve only faced off twice, with the hosts winning both games at Twickenham, 35-15 in 2018 and 52-13 earlier this month.
Ireland vs Republic of South Africa, 23rd September, Stade de France
The defending champion Springboks will sell out Rugby World Cup tickets as they face Scotland to begin their RWC 2023 campaign on the first weekend. Whatever happens in Marseille will depend on their match against Ireland 13 days later. All three teams will have objectives beyond the pool stage, so the games involving the three teams will be crucial.
Ireland has never played South Africa in a Rugby World Cup so both teams will be taking a significant risk in this matchup at Stade de France. The Springboks had the upper hand in this clash despite Ireland having won the previous two tests after winning 18 of the last 27 games between the groupings.
If the winner wins outside of Paris, they might have an advantage in the race to win Pool B. Ireland will be conscious, though, that regardless of the result against South Africa, their fate for the RWC 2023 should still be in their own hands given that they have a match against Scotland planned for the penultimate weekend of the pool stage.
Australia vs Wales, 24th September, Parc OL
To host what has recently become one of the most popular matches, Lyon will sell out all of its Rugby World Cup tickets on the third Sunday of the competition. Wales and Australia were paired in the same pool in four of the last five Rugby World Cups, including France in 2023. They also faced off in the bronze medal match in New Zealand in 2011.
After defeating Wales in Cardiff in 2007 and Twickenham in 2015, Australia won the pool. The Wallabies also won the RWC 2011 bronze match, and Wales ended Australia’s losing streak in the 2019 RWC by defeating them at Tokyo Stadium and winning Pool D.
Both teams must pay attention to the danger that Fiji, Georgia, or Portugal pose. The winner of this most recent match in Lyon will control Pool C. The Fijians not only shared a Pool with Australia and Wales three times previously, and now 2023, but they also triumphed over Wales in the previous tournament to advance to the quarterfinals.
Chile vs Argentina, 30th September, Stade de la Beaujoire
The focus of the team and their supporters with Rugby World Cup tickets would have been attracted to their assignment in Nantes when Chile earned their historic qualification for the Rugby World Cup 2023 and, with it, their berth in Pool D. On 10th September in Toulouse, Los Cóndores will meet Japan in their first Rugby World Cup game. Chile will have played Samoa and England before arriving at Stade de la Beaujoire at the end of the month.
However, the encounter with their neighbours in South America would have been heart-pounding. Chile has met Argentina 39 times since 1936 but has never triumphed over Los Pumas. The match in Montevideo in November 2000, when Los Cóndores lost 18-16, was the closest Los Cóndores had ever come to victory.
Will that change on the most critical stage for the men’s game? Chile hopes to set even more records once they arrive in France after defying the odds to earn qualification for their first-ever World Cup. On the other hand, Argentina will be conscious that a victory in Nantes is necessary for them to reach the quarterfinals.
Georgia vs Wales, 7th October, Stade de la Beaujoire
Fans of Georgia who purchased Rugby World Cup tickets have seen their team compete in five competitions, but they have yet to make it past the quarterfinals. The Lelos have only won five of their 20 matches throughout the Rugby World Cup, but they have improved, and their chances of moving past the pool stage in France were boosted by their historic victory over Wales last weekend in Cardiff.
Georgia had suffered defeats in their previous three meetings with Wales before the match at Principality Stadium. At RWC 2019, the teams lost their lone game by a score of 43-14. Luka Matkava’s last-second penalty in Cardiff, which gave the Lelos a well-deserved 13-12 victory and gave the team optimism they could accomplish something extraordinary in France, changed all that.
Both teams will be looking to arrive at Stade de la Beaujoire still in contention for a position in the quarterfinals when the clubs next square off in Nantes for the end of Pool C. The players will continue to reflect on what transpired in Cardiff, even if Wales is still the overwhelming favourite to win the game.
Argentina vs Japan, 8th October, Stade de la Beaujoire
Argentina watched as England and France won their pool and advanced to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals, while Japan became the first Asian team to do so. Neither the Brave Blossoms nor Los Pumas will want to wait that long in France; hosts Japan advanced to the round of eight with a magnificent victory against Scotland in their final pool A match.
Although England, Samoa, and Chile are still in Pool D for the RWC 2023, qualification will still be up for competition, at least for one of the teams, when they meet in Nantes on the final day of the pool stages.
Argentina and Japan have only ever faced off in one Rugby World Cup match. Agustin Pichot and Diego Albanese scored tries in the Argentines’ 33-12 victory over Wales at the 1999 RWC encounter in Cardiff. The hooker was set to be Mario Ledesma, a former Los Pumas coach. With the victory over Ireland in Lens, Los Pumas moved through to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
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