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Scotland lock in Tests against new Rugby World Cup champions

Handre Pollard of South Africa during the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour match between Scotland and South Africa at BT Murrayfield on November 17, 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The 2019 Test season may have ended on a dour note for Scotland, but 2020 is promising to be a big year for Gregor Townsend’s side.

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Scotland this year crashed to only a second-ever World Cup pool exit after falling to Ireland and Japan during the group stages of the tournament.

Ireland entered the competition as the favourites to top Pool A but hosts Japan shocked the world by claiming a well-taken win against the men from the Emerald Isle. Many still expected Scotland to triumph over the Brave Blossoms but they were brushed aside by the darlings of world rugby, 28-21.

Couple that loss with their earlier defeat at the hands of Ireland, and Scotland were on there way home earlier than most expected.

Between the World Cup exit and a 5th place finish in the Six Nations, it’s been a poor year for Scottish rugby.

Continue reading below…

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The Bravehearts have the chance to immediately bounce back, however, with a promising number of fixtures already on the calendar for 2020.

RugbyPass understands that Scotland will travel to South Africa in July next year to play a two-match series against the world champion Springboks.

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Scotland last played in South Africa in 2014. In that one-off match in Port Elizabeth, Scotland were crushed 55-6.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3mKzEGg8Kk/

With a first game in New Zealand since 2000 also already booked into the calendar for July, Scotland will face their toughest mid-year schedule of the modern era.

That’s not the only good news for Scotland, however.

The Scotland Rugby Union has confirmed that Japan will head to the UK next year for a rematch of the World Cup Pool A fixture that saw Scotland ejected from the tournament.

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The match, which will take place at Murrayfield, will be the fifth between the two nations in as many years.

The rivalry between the sides is slowly becoming one of the more fascinating in world rugby, with Scotland narrowly winning the first four games and Japan coming out on top in 2019.

Scotland’s other fixtures for November 2020 are yet to be confirmed, but at least one more game against a tier-two side is highly likely.

A number of 2020 international matches and tours have already been revealed, including a slew of tough challenges for Japan.

The Springboks’ celebrations took a royal turn when Prince Harry showed up:

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R
RedWarrior 15 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

89 Go to comments
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