All Blacks embrace 2027 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal collision course with mighty Springboks
Wednesday, 3 December 2025
The All Blacks are vowing to embrace a 2027 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal collision course with the threepeat-chasing Springboks who have had their number in recent seasons.
One of the major upshots of Wednesday night’s pool draw for the tournament, which is being held in Australia for the second time, was the likely quarterfinal matchup between the No 1 and 2 sides in the world in the quarterfinal round.
After the All Blacks landed in Pool A, alongside tournament hosts Australia and lightweights Chile and Hong Kong China, and back-to-back champions, and world No 1, South Africa found themselves in Pool B with Italy, Georgia and Romania, it became clear that a final-eight matchup between two teams who have won seven of the 10 global crowns between them was a strong likelihood.
The Boks pipped the All Blacks 12-11 in the 2023 World Cup final in Paris to claim their fourth Webb Ellis trophy. They have also won five of their last seven tests against the New Zealanders.
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It seems incomprehensible that Rassie Erasmus’ South Africans would not win their pool with a degree of comfort and, though the Wallabies could be tough nuts on home soil, in a potential tournament opener in Perth, the form book suggests the New Zealanders should clear that hurdle.
The All Blacks have won their last 11 on the bounce over the Wallabies, including five on Aussie soil, and are 9-3 in their last dozen tests on that side of the Tasman.
That scenario would send the All Blacks and Springboks into the round of 16 knockout round – the first time elimination matches at the expanded 24-team tournament have been beyond eight – against third-place finishers from other pools. Minnows, in other words.
Then they would meet in a marquee quarterfinal which is somewhat of a repeat of the 2023 tournament in France when the top four teams in the world clashed in the two Paris quarterfinals. The other last-eight matchups are seeded to be France v Fiji, England v Australia and Ireland v Argentina.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson watched the draw from his home in Christchurch and on Thursday morning told a call with Kiwi media there had been an air of “inevitability” about the less than user-friendly outcome.
“The deeper it went, the less balls in there, you felt the inevitable of getting in Pool A and playing Aussie,” reflected Robertson. “You knew Pool A and B got together, and [South Africa in a quarterfinal] was one of the scenarios you look at if you’re first in that pool, or if you’re second it’s England.
“You go, ‘OK, we play South Africa a lot and it’s just another time you get to have a crack at it’. You’re in a World Cup, you’re going to have to face someone in their form to win it, so if that’s the way it works out, that’s just part of the draw, and you’ve got to embrace it.”
As Robertson hinted at, it might actually be preferable to lose that Pool A clash against the Wallabies – the first time the trans-Tasman rivals have been grouped together at the World Cup. The runnerup will face the second side from Pool E, likely either Japan or Samoa, in the round of 16, with the winner set to meet England in a quarterfinal on what shapes as the easier side of the draw.
If form holds, South Africa, New Zealand and France will all be on the same side of the knockout bracket.
“That’s one of the anomalies of the way this format came along, with the sides of the draw the way it shapes,” added the All Blacks coach. “You just want to play your best every test. That’s the mindset you’ve got to have … though there’s definitely strategy in that.”
Skipper Scott Barrett conceded there were echoes of ‘23 about the way the tournament looked like it might pan out for the All Blacks. Then the All Blacks lost to the tournament hosts (France) in their opener and met red-hot Ireland in a quarterfinal many believed would have been a fitting final.
“At some stage within the tournament you’re going to play the world’s best,” noted Barrett. “Along the way you’re going to play potentially 1-2-3 in the world and it might not be in the final. That’s the beauty of the World Cup. You have to peak at the right time. Ultimately you’ve got to win four big [knockout] games in a row … and put a performance out for a month.”
Robertson was relaxed about whether the All Blacks’ clash against the Wallabies was made the tournament opener on October 1 (a decision still to be made), but admitted it made sense.
“if it’s at Optus, in front of a full house, it will be a pretty special moment – one as a player you look forward to. It’s so close to home, there will be a lot of Kiwis there. How good?”
Of the remaining groups, it’s hard to look past Pool D as most intriguing with Ireland drawn alongside Celtic rivals Scotland and the improving Uruguay and Portugal outfits.
Argentina will be favourites to top Pool C, ahead of Fiji, Spain and Canada, while France should have little trouble heading Pool E, from Japan, USA and final qualifiers Samoa. England have the out-of-sorts Welsh, Tonga and Zimbabwe in Pool F, which they should negotiate with ease.
Rugby World Cup 2027, Australia:
Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong.
Pool B: South Africa, Italy, Georgia, Romania.
Pool C: Argentina, Fiji, Spain, Canada.T
Pool D: Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay, Portugal.
Pool E: France, Japan, USA, Samoa.
Pool F: England, Wales, Tonga, Zimbabwe.
The top 2 teams in each pool plus the 4 best 3rd-place sides progress to the knockout round of 16.