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World Cup draw released
March 12, 2009 - 1:29PM
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...447369067.html
The Wallabies will open their 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign against Italy in Christchurch, the home town of their New Zealand-born coach Robbie Deans.
The full schedule for the six-week tournament was released on Thursday, with Deans' eagerly-awaited homecoming set down for September 11, two days after the All Blacks kick off the seventh World Cup against Tonga at Auckland's Eden Park.
Australia's second pool C encounter is against Ireland on September 17 in Auckland.
The Wallabies then face qualifying teams from the Americas in Wellington on September 23 and Europe at Christchurch's AMI Stadium on October 1.
The two matches in Christchurch, where Deans is revered - not only for guiding the Crusaders to five Super rugby titles but also for his successful playing career with Canterbury - is further good news for the Wallabies after they were handed a dream Cup draw last December.
If results go according to seedings during the pool stages of the tournament, the third-ranked Wallabies cannot strike the defending champion Springboks or the top-ranked All Blacks until the final.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden unveiled the dates and venue allocations for the 20-team tournament on Thursday, with most interest focusing on the opening match and the spread of venues to be used for 40 pool games.
It was widely anticipated that New Zealand would play France in the tournament opener but match officials instead plumped for Tonga in a Friday-night encounter.
In all, 13 venues will be used.
Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch have been allocated five pool matches each while Albany, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Dunedin will all host three games.
Whangarei, Nelson, Palmerston North, Napier and Invercargill will host two matches.
Tauranga, Queenstown and Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium were unsuccessful in securing pool fixtures.
Wellington and Christchurch will host two quarter-finals on October 8-9, while Eden Park is the venue for the semi-finals on October 15-16, the third-fourth playoff on October 21 and the October 23 final.
WHO IS GOING WHERE?
Whangarei: Tonga and still to qualify nations from Asia and South America.
North Shore: France, the Springboks and Asia, Africa and Oceania qualifiers.
Eden Park: All Blacks, Tonga, the Wallabies, Ireland, France, England, Scotland and some one from Oceania.
Hamilton: All Blacks, Wales, Fiji and qualifiers from Asia and Oceania.
Rotorua: Fiji and Ireland and Africa, Oceania and Europe qualifiers.
New Plymouth: Ireland and Wales, and North America and Africa qualifiers.
Napier: France, South America and Asia.
Palmerston North: Argentina and Europe qualifiers.
Wellington: All Blacks, Springboks, Wales, Fiji, Wallabies, Tonga and North and South America qualifiers.
Nelson: Italy and European and North American qualifiers.
Christchurch: Wallabies, Argentina, England, Italy, Scotland and European qualifiers
Dunedin: Scotland, England, Ireland, Italy and Europe qualifiers.
Invercargill: Scotland and Argentina.
If the whole thing goes accordng to plan, Australia vs Wales in a Quarter Final in Wellington
can't wait! tickets on sale jan 1, 2010....
be prepared to sit on the internet for a while it took me 3 hours to get through to get my tickets last time....if its the same as RWC 2007 in France, the group games were sold together in a package ( eg. the australia pool games were japan, wales, fiji and canada) and they went on sale first, and then individual game tickets went on sale later, there was then a ballot for the finals tickets depending on how many tickets you bought
is there a vague price range out yet or will that be released closer to date? i just want to know how much i need to save
so no pre-sale for members of rugby.com.au or whatever website it is?
just first in best dressed?
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
I'd quite like an Aus-Fiji quater final, I like Fiji.
Thanks slomo! Got to get the money sorted now then I guess... Is that for all pool games or just one? I can't wait!
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
hey slomo, that ballot you enter into to get tickets to the Finals do you nominate which Finals you want to go to?
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I don't. Samoa did it to us as well one year. Wales take their foot of the gas in games they expect to win.
I wouldn't be at all suprised if Italy beat us this weekend.
Although a Wales V Aus quarter final does sound juicy, remember the 3rd/4th play off in 1987?
I do we came third, 18/06/1987 Australia 21 - 22 Wales.
remember? I was 4 years old
But I am aware of the result, high point of Welsh Rugby.........finishing 3rd 22 years ago!
do you remember the pool game at Fortress Millenium in 2007?
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NZ will see the southern hemisphere teams and the South Sea Island teams dominate. The Europeans don't travel well to the Antipodeas.
It would seem a dream draw for the wallabies but there will be an upset or two that may turn it all about.
The Bok had a dream run to the final in the last torunament when NZ/Oz/Eng?France ended up on the same side of the draw.
Nothing can be taken for granted