All 20 teams involved in next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia will require the instincts of marathon runners but yesterday's draw offered Europe's two main contenders, England and France, a tantalising route to nirvana in 18 months' time.
Although England have been drawn, as predicted, in the same pool as South Africa, the winners of that key match in Perth on October 18 can expect a reasonably clear path to a semi-final against France, assuming they finish ahead of Scotland in Pool B.
Facing the Six Nations champions, ranked only fifth favourites at 7-1 by William Hill, is a better bet than the alternative scenario should Clive Woodward's side lose to the Springboks, namely successive matches against New Zealand and Australia, in Melbourne and Sydney respectively. The final, on November 22 at Stadium Australia in Sydney, will conclude a record 44-day-long tournament.
With 12 sides, including Ireland, still to qualify, Woodward said: "We only know one opponent and that is South Africa. The probable quarter-final line-up puts added emphasis on the game, although we cannot underestimate the other teams in Pool C."
England, who may end up meeting Fiji, Romania and the United States, have no complaints at playing pool games in Melbourne and Brisbane as well as Perth. Their priority was to ensure adequate recovery time between games and the changes prompted by the acrimonious sacking of New Zealand as co-hosts have, if anything, been a logistical plus.
In truth, "draw" is a fanciful word for what is a carefully constructed fait accompli. There are not enough potential winners to risk England and New Zealand, say, ending up in the same pool, which explains why Wales are seeded fifth, ahead of England, and thus directly in the All Blacks' path.
The flimsy rationale is that the Welsh, as pool winners in the 1999 event, which they hosted, are worthy of a better ranking than England, Scotland and Argentina, their fellow beaten quarter-finalists three years ago. "I don't think there's a better system," said RWC's chairman Vernon Pugh.
Australia are not bothered with such trivia and are forging ahead with their plans. To keep interest alive, there will be more midweek games and most kick-offs will be in the evenings to assist TV exposure overseas and spare the players from daytime temperatures.
Matches will be played at 12 venues, with Adelaide, Wollongong and Launceston in Tasmania all hosting games and an estimated 400,000 visitors expected.
The choice for future tournaments is likely to be restricted to one country, something for England and France to consider as they prepare rival bids to host the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the venue for which will be announced in November. "We'll be interested to see if they're sole bids or include other countries in Europe," said Pugh, hinting that the next World Cup would be switched to a May/June slot to cause less disruption to European domestic fixtures.
Timetable for all pool games in Rugby World Cup 2003
Pool A - Oct 10 : Australia v Argentina (Stadium Australia, Sydney), Oct 11 : Europe 1 v Europe 4 (North Power Stadium, Gosford), Oct 14 : Argentina v Africa 1 (Gosford), Oct 18 : Australia v Europe 4 (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane), Oct 19 : Europe 1 v Africa 1 (Aussie Stadium, Sydney), Oct 22 : Argentina v Europe 4 (Aussie Stadium), Oct 25 : Australia v Africa 1 (Adelaide Oval), Oct 26 : Argentina v Europe 1 (Adelaide Oval), Oct 30 : Africa 1 v Europe 4 (Adelaide Oval), Nov 1 : Australia v Europe 1 (Colonial Stadium, Melbourne)
Pool B - Oct 11 : France v Oceania 1 (Ballymore, Brisbane), Oct 12 : Scotland v Asia 1 (Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville), Oct 15 : Oceania 1 v Repechage 1 (Ballymore), Oct 18 : France v Asia 1 (Townsville), Oct 20 : Scotland v Repechage 1 (Ballymore), Oct 23 : Oceania 1 v Asia 1 (Townsville), Oct 25 : France v Scotland (Stadium Australia, Sydney), Oct 27 : Asia 1 v Repechage 1 (North Power Stadium, Gosford), Oct 31 : France v Repechage 1 (Wollongong Stadium, Wollongong), Nov 1 : Scotland v Oceania 1 (Aussie Stadium, Sydney)
Pool C - Oct 11 : South Africa v America 2 (Subiaco Oval, Perth), Oct 12 : England v Europe 3 (Subiaco Oval), Oct 15 : Oceania 2 v America 2 (Subiaco Oval), Oct 18 : South Africa v England (Subiaco Oval), Oct 19 : Europe 3 v Oceania 2 (Subiaco Oval), Oct 24 : South Africa v Europe 3 (Aussie Stadium, Sydney), Oct 26 : England v Oceania 2 (Colonial Stadium, Melbourne), Oct 28 : Europe 3 v America 2 (Aussie Stadium), Nov 1 : South Africa v Oceania 2 (Ballymore, Brisbane), Nov 2 : England v America 2 (Ballymore)
Pool D - Oct 11 : New Zealand v Europe 2 (Colonial Stadium, Melbourne), Oct 12 : Wales v America 1 (Colonial Stadium), Oct 15 : Europe 2 v Repechage 2 (Canberra Stadium, Canberra), Oct 17 : New Zealand v America 1 (Colonial Stadium), Oct 19 : Wales v Repechage 2 (Canberra Stadium), Oct 21 : Europe 2 v America 1 (Canberra Stadium), Oct 24 : New Zealand v Repechage 2 (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane), Oct 25 : Europe 2 v Wales (Canberra Stadium), Oct 29 : America 1 v Repechage 2 (Wollongong Stadium, Wollongong), Nov 2 : New Zealand v Wales (Stadium Australia, Sydney)
