SYDNEY-- The Wallabies will face the All Blacks in Pool A at Rugby World Cup 2027, while Les Kiss' side could face Eddie Jones' Japan in the Round of 16 if Australia are beaten by the three-time champions.
The draw for the 11th staging of the game's global showpiece was conducted with little fanfare in Sydney on Wednesday night, creating the pools for the first tournament that will feature 24 teams.
As such, there was no "group of death" nor even a "group of mild unease", but given Australia's position in Band 2, the Wallabies always faced the prospect of coming up against one of the game's big dogs during pool play.
And so it proved, as South Africa were drawn into Pool B as the second last remaining team in Band 1, leaving New Zealand to join the Wallabies in Pool A.
The Wallabies had minutes seen Hong Kong China and Chile land as their other Pool A opponents, the nations making their first and second appearances at Rugby World Cup respectively. But it was the final moments of the draw, conducted by World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson, Olympic gold medallist Alicia Lucas, All Blacks great Dan Carter and the Wallabies' most capped player James Slipper, that really set tongues wagging.
Tournament organisers will unveil the schedule in February 2026, with the opening game in Perth or a blockbuster clash in front of more than 90,000 at the MCG the two chief options for the Wallabies-All Blacks showdown.
It may be, however, that Australia would prefer to finish second in their pool, likely avoiding a quarterfinal showdown with defending champions the Springboks.
If the Wallabies are beaten by the All Blacks, to whom they have lost the last 11 Tests, then the Wallabies may well find themselves facing up against Japan -- who landed in Pool E alongside France and Samoa -- and Jones, whom led them to disaster at the last World Cup in France.
Having been catapulted into the role just 11 months out from the tournament, Jones later became the first Australia coach to see his side exit the World Cup after the pool stage. It was also revealed during that tournament that Jones had been plotting a return to the Brave Blossoms job, which he now appears set to fill through to the 2027 World Cup.
While recently-retired Slipper played down the "revenge" narrative -- Australia only recently beat Japan in Tokyo -- there is no hiding from the fact that it would prove one of the spicier Round of 16 matches should it come to fruition in two years' time.
"It'd be fine, 2023, mate, I think it's burnt," Slipper quipped in reference to the Jones catastrophe.