Rugby World Cup pool A | Epic tussle between hosts France and All Blacks

Hosts France, who are the bookmakers’ favourites to claim the Webb Ellis Cup, and three-time World Cup winners New Zealand headline the Rugby World Cup's pool A.

The titanic clash between Les Bleus and the All Blacks, which pits north against south, kicks off the tournament on September 8 in Paris.

As TimesLIVE begins it's World Cup build-up, here is a profile of pool A. 

France

France, who claimed the 2022 Six Nations and were runners-up in the 2023 edition, have developed into a formidable force under the tutelage of Fabien Galthie, who took charge in 2019.

The ex-scrumhalf has put together an eclectic coaching team, with Englishman Shaun Edwards as defence coach and South African Vlok Cilliers as kicking coach. With the foreign fusion, the French have blended their joie de vivre with a more disciplined approach which has borne fruit.

France possess a monster pack — with South African-born Paul Willemse in the engine room — coupled with exciting outside backs who are capable of ripping opposition defences apart. The 9-10 axis of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack are the heartbeat of Les Tricolores but wing Damian Penaud could be in contention for player of the tournament owing to his try-scoring prowess.

The three-time losing finalists (1987, 1999, 2011) will be intent on banishing the unfortunate tag of “always being the bridesmaid and never the bride” when they take the field on home turf.

New Zealand

Having endured an indifferent set of results last year, the All Blacks appear to be peaking at the right time. With Ian Foster’s post-World Cup exit confirmed and Scott Robertson to take over, it appears the team is more settled and focused on their mission between the four white lines.

On the back of their third consecutive Rugby Championship triumph, the men in black will be intent on reversing the defeat suffered against the French at the Stade de France in 2021. Two years ago, France ran New Zealand ragged in their 40-25 victory but there is a sense that this encounter will be far tighter. The match, which wouldn’t be out of place in the knock-out stages, will set the early tone in the battle of north versus south and is set to decide who wins the group.

The All Blacks have assembled a squad which boasts pace and power and will look to match the vaunted French pack. Ardie Savea is set to boss the tight loose with his insatiable work-rate, while Richie Mo’unga, who appears to have won the flyhalf race, will orchestrate the backline.

Italy

The Kieran Crowley-coached side, who are ranked 13th in the world, finished in last place in the 2023 Six Nations but they have shown green shoots of promise and are a dark horse in the pool.

They will target victories over Namibia and Uruguay, with fullback Ange Capuozzo the poster boy for their campaign. The 24-year-old, who has been a star performer for the Italians, will look to ignite an exciting backline, while the forwards will have to front up to the physical challenge.

Namibia

The Welwitschias, coached by ex-Springbok coach Allister Coetzee, will be making their seventh World Cup appearance, having secured safe passage to France after seeing off Kenya.

Namibia are yet to win a World Cup fixture, after 22 attempts, but Coetzee’s experience could prove crucial in overseeing their campaign, having been Jake White’s assistant at the 2007 event.

In their most recent World Cup warm-up, Namibia were defeated by Uruguay and the Africans will be aiming to exact revenge on French territory. The first hurdle Johan Deysel’s men will have to overcome is Italy but the battle against the South Americans is poised to be their “final”.

Uruguay

Los Teros, who have qualified for the Rugby World Cup five times, have grown their game over the past few years and are now ranked second in the Americas region, behind rivals Argentina.

Esteban Meneses' charges, who suffered their heaviest Test defeat against the Springboks (134-3) in 2005, have since raised their level and will aim to challenge both Italy and Namibia.

The South Americans, who claimed a historic World Cup victory against Fiji in 2019, will be looking to build on that solid base. And with three France-based players in their side — including centre and captain Andres Vilaseca — it adds invaluable knowledge and experience to their ranks.

* The 2023 Rugby World Cup in France kicks off on September 8 and the final is on October 28. TimesLIVE will profile all four pools and the star players in the coming weeks.