Rugby World Cup: Scotland get a shot at redemption while England and Wales set to renew rivalry

Image by Thomas Serer via Unsplash

By Jordan Whiting

The draw for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup has been completed, and for Scotland there is familiar and not so familiar opponents. Scotland have been drawn into Pool D which means they will face Ireland, Portugal and Uruguay. This draw will provide both opportunity and challenge for Gregor Townsend’s Scotland team to be at their very best.  

For the third World Cup campaign in a row, there will be a high-stakes home nations showdown between Scotland and Ireland. In this fixture, Ireland have had Scotland’s number for the past decade. They have won 15 of the last 16 meetings between the teams dating back to 2014. Should Scotland have ambitions of progressing into the latter stages of the tournament, the importance of beating Ireland - at least once - before the World Cup cannot be overstated.  

Uruguay and Portugal are the other sides that complete Pool D. Neither are big Rugby nations and Scotland will be aiming for maximum points in these two fixtures. Scotland have defeated both Portugal and Uruguay in the past 12 months with relative ease. It was the first time Scotland had faced Portugal since the Word Cup in 2007 and the first time they had faced Uruguay since the 1999 edition of the tournament. Both matches were friendlies, but both ended in a comfortable Scotland win, and they will be hoping to replicate this in Australia at the World Cup.  

Rugby World Cup draw via Getty Images

England and Wales have also been drawn together in Pool F, setting up another fiery home nations clash. The Welsh English clash always has that bit more passion than other fixtures, and with the intensity of the World Cup this could be one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. Wales will be desperate to win this fixture after they were trounced 14-68 by England back in March. They will be seeking revenge on the biggest stage. Although this match will be the one that means the most to players and fans, with Zimbabwe and Tonga completing the Pool both England and Wales should progress to the next stage of the competition with little fuss.