Ultimate Guide to the Rugby World Cup: Pool C
By Matt Findlay
2011 World Cup winners New Zealand will face Rugby Championship rivals Argentina, neighbours Tonga, European qualifiers Georgia and African Cup champions Namibia in pool C.
Whilst the Kiwis are expected to qualify for the knockout stages without too much concern, Argentina and Tonga will battle for the final quarter final spot, with Georgia and Namibia set to play off in what could be one of the matches of the tournament in Exeter.
New Zealand (World Ranking – 1st)
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen opted for experience in naming his blockbuster 31-man squad for New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) title defence, selecting a group boasting almost 1500 Test Match caps.
Argentina (World Ranking – 8th)
After a strong showing in the Rugby Championship, in which the Pumas historically trumped South Africa in Durban, there was few surprises in the Argentine Rugby World Cup (RWC) squad, named two weeks ago.
Tonga (World Ranking – 11th)
The Tongans, simply, aren’t expected to progess to the quarter-finals. Not without a small miracle anyway. That won’t stop them potentially creating a world of trouble for New Zealand and Argentina though – the two sides tipped to move forward.
Georgia (World Ranking – 16th)
The best Georgian team to ever take the paddock in a Rugby World Cup (RWC) – that’s what Lelos head coach Milton Haig was aiming for. If you ask him, he’s hit a home run with the 31-man squad he’s named.
Namibia (World Ranking – 20th)
No one in the Namibian set-up is under any illusions. The Welwitschias would basically need to be touched by the hand of god to progress to the quarter-finals. But, that’s not what the 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) is really about for Namibia.