Sep 28: Japan vs Samoa (Pool D) – Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse.

Sep 27: Uruguay vs Africa 1 (Pool A) – Parc OL, Lyon.

Sep 24: Wales vs Australia (Pool C) – Parc OL, Lyon.

Sep 24: Scotland vs Asia / Pacific 1 (Pool B) – Stade de Nice, Nice.

Sep 23: South Africa vs Ireland (Pool B) – Stade de France, Saint-Denis.

Sep 23: England vs Americas 2 (Pool D) – Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille.

Sep 23: Europe 1 vs Final Qualifier Winner (Pool C) – Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse.

Sep 22: Argentina vs Samoa (Pool D) – Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Etienne.

Sep 21: France vs Africa 1 (Pool A) – Stade Velodrome, Marseille.

Sep 20: Italy vs Uruguay (Pool A) – Stade de Nice, Nice.

Sep 17: England vs Japan (Pool D) – Stade de Nice, Nice.

Sep 17: Australia vs Fiji (Pool C) – Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Etienne.

Sep 17: South Africa vs Europe 2 (Pool B) – Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux.

Sep 16: Ireland vs Asia / Pacific 1 (Pool B) – Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes.

Sep 16: Wales vs Final Qualifier Winner (Pool C) – Stade de Nice, Nice.

Sep 16: Samoa vs Americas 2 (Pool D) – Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux.

Sep 15: New Zealand vs Africa 1 (Pool A) – Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse.

Sep 14: France vs Uruguay (Pool A) – Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille.

Sep 10: Wales vs Fiji (Pool C) – Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux.

Sep 10: South Africa vs Scotland (Pool B) – Stade Velodrome, Marseille.

Sep 10: Japan vs Americans 2 (Pool D) – Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse.

Sep 9: England vs Argentina (Pool D) – Stade Velodrome, Marseille.

Sep 9: Australia vs Europe 1 (Pool C) – Stade de France, Saint-Denis.

Sep 9: Ireland vs Europe 2 (Pool B) – Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux.

Sep 9: Italy vs Africa 1 (Pool A) – Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Etienne.

Sep 8: France vs New Zealand (Pool A) – Stade de France, Saint-Denis.

… but there is of course a long, long way to go yet.

… and the semi-finals like this, just as they were in 2019… If we suppose the top-ranked teams each win their pools and the second-ranked teams finish runners-up then the quarter-finals in 2023 could look something like this…

QF 1: Winner Pool C vs Runner up Pool DĪnother England vs New Zealand semi-final? England stare down the Haka during the Rugby World Cup semi-final (Photo: Getty).

Japan world cup 3 movie