11.09.2014 Group D of the Ruby World Cup 2015 will be one of the highlights of the tournament. Ireland will face the elite teams from France, Canada, Italy and Romania.
Group D
Ireland
Ireland will be the clear favorite in the group ranking 5th in the IRB World Rankings. The reigning Six Nations champion will, however, face tough competition with France, Italy, Canada and Romania. Ireland have faced Romania previously in Rugby World Cup, claiming a 44-14 win in a 1999 pool fixture and beating them 45-17 in Australia four years later. Coach Josef Schmidt will certainly motivate the likes of Fergus McFadden, Jonny Sexton and Brian O’Driscoll to compete for the Rugby World Cup title. All Ireland tickets are available now.
Canada
The Canadian team is led into the Rugby World Cup by head coach Kieran Crowley, captain Tyler Ardon and fullback James Pritchard. The Maple Leafs qualified after a 13-11 victory over the USA. However, Canada is the lowest ranked team qualifying for the Rugby World Cup 2014 ranking 17th in the IRB rankings. The highest defeat was in 2004 against England where the Canadian team lost 70-0. Secure all tickets for the 2015 Rugby World now.
France
France will be Ireland’s toughest opponent in the group stage. France won 55 out of 92 tests against Ireland and is currently ranked 7th in the IRB World Rankings. France is also seeking revenge for the 20-22 defeats against Ireland at the Stade de France in the 2014 Six Nations. Head coach Philippe Saint-André will enter the RWC with a quality squad and players such as Thierry Dusautoir, Nicolas Mas Fly-half François Trinh-Duc. Get you RWC tickets for all France matches now.
Italy
The Italian Ruby Union is currently 14th in the IRB rankings. The team secured two wins in the last RWC, when they won over Russia (53-17) and USA (27-10). Italy, however, is not in great shape as the team of coach Jacques Brunel lost all games in the Six Nations 2014. The team is full of experience; the starting pack set a new record as the most-capped of all time with 587 caps, surpassing the previous record of 546 by New Zealand.
Romania
Romania is currently 16th in the IRB World Rankings. Romania is a forgotten fairytale in rugby. In the 80’s, the Oaks were among the best teams in the world and defeated France, Ireland and Wales on several occasions. However, the revolution caused a rapid decline in Romanian rugby. The team of manager Lynn Howells has played in every World Cup so far and always won at least 1 game. Recently, the Oaks beat Belgium with 29-10 in the European Nations Cup 2014. Get your Romania Rugby World Cup tickets now.
Venues
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales and has a capacity of 74,500. It’s the third largest rugby stadium in the UK after Twickenham. Eight Rugby World Cup matches will be played at the stadium which hosted the RWC World Cup final in 1999.
Twickenham Stadium, London
Twickenham is the home of the RFU and the second biggest rugby stadium in the UK with a capacity of 82,000. Twickenham Stadium will host 10 matches during the RWC including both semi-finals and the final.
Wembley Stadium, London
Wembley will provide RWC fans with an ultimate rugby experience. The stadium has a capacity of 90,000 and will host 2 matches during the 2015 RWC. Wembley Stadium will host the All Blacks in their first RWC match.
Sandy Park Stadium, Exeter
Sandy Park Stadium will host a total of 3 RWC matches in 2015. The venue has a capacity of 12,000 and is home of the Exeter Chiefs who play in the Aviva Premiership. The games scheduled to be played at Sandy Park are Tonga vs Namibia, Namibia vs Georgia and Italy vs Romania.
Olympic Stadium, London
It is the first time the Olympic Stadium will host a rugby match, but is known around the globe for staging the Olympics in 2012. The Olympic Stadium has a capacity of 54,000.
Elland Road, Leeds
Elland Road is home of Leeds United and has a capacity of 37,890. The venue with four impressive stands will host Italy against Canada on September 26th and Scotland against United States on September 27th 2015.
Leicester City Stadium, Leicester
The Leicester City Stadium has a capacity of 32,000 and is home of football club Leicester City. Leicester Tigers have played two European Cup semi-finals at this stadium. The all-seater stadium will host three RWC games including Argentina vs Tonga, Canada vs Romania and Argentina vs Namibia.
Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
Stadium MK is home of the MK Dons FC and has a capacity of 31,000. The venue occasionally host Saracens and Northampton games. During the RWC, the venue will host a total of three RWC games including France vs Canada.
