Rugby
Boks v NZ in RWC semis?
2012-12-03 19:08
Bok skipper Jean de Villiers (Gallo Images)
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Cape Town - The Springboks could come up
against their arch-rivals, New Zealand, at the semi-final stage of the 2015
Rugby World Cup in England.
Monday's draw in London saw coach Heyneke Meyer's men drawn in a relatively easy pool
- where they will come up against Samoa and Scotland plus two qualifying teams
from Asia and the Americas.
However, while the South Africans should emerge unscathed from Pool B, they
will face tough hurdles to get to the showpiece match on October 31.
South Africa - provided they win Pool B - will face either Australia, England
or Wales in the quarter-finals after those three countries were drawn together
in Pool A's so-called
"pool of death".
Should the No 2-ranked Springboks reach the semi-final stage, they are likely to face defending
champions and current world No 1s, the All Blacks, who were drawn in Pool C alongside Argentina and
Tonga.
The All Blacks are likely to face France, Ireland or Italy in the quarter-finals.
The eighth edition of the Rugby World Cup will run
from September 18 to October 31, 2015, with the final to be played at
Twickenham.
Full draw:Pool A - Australia, England, Wales, Oceania 1, Repechage winner
Pool B - South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Asia 1, Americas 2
Pool C - New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Europe 1, Africa 1
Pool D - France, Ireland, Italy, Americas 1, Europe 2
Quarter-finals:
QF1: Winner of Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
QF2: Winner of Pool C v runner-up Pool D
QF3: Winner of Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
QF4: Winner of Pool D v runner-up C
Semi-finals:
SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4